SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 24 2019—Anna M. Han, an accomplished professor of international, corporate, and technology law, will assume the deanship of Santa Clara University School of Law on an interim basis June 1. She succeeds Lisa A. Kloppenberg, dean and professor of law, who was recently tapped by President Michael Engh, S.J. to serve as interim provost for the University. Han is expected to serve in this capacity for one year.
Han is the second female dean of Santa Clara Law and one of the first Asian-Americans to serve as dean of an ABA-accredited law school in the United States.
“Professor Han is an accomplished legal scholar and seasoned administrator,” said Santa Clara University Provost Dennis Jacobs, who appointed Han to the post. “Her vast experience engaging within Silicon Valley and internationally give her an outstanding foundation from which to lead Santa Clara Law in the coming year.”
Han has taught at Santa Clara Law for over 30 years where she has also served in a number of administrative capacities, including director of the Center for Global Law and Policy, and director of summer programs in China, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Singapore.
Han specializes in the areas of Chinese law, corporate law, startup businesses and technology licensing. She writes extensively on China’s legal developments and is the co-author of the casebook “Doing Business in China,” published by West. Han is a frequent expert commentator on TV, radio, online and print media on issues involving China and the United States, and is a leader in numerous local, state and national bar associations.
Prior to joining the faculty at Santa Clara Law, Han practiced law with a number of Silicon Valley firms and was most recently a partner with McCutcheon, Doyle, Brown & Enersen (now Morgan Lewis) where she managed the China practice and launched the firm’s Shanghai office, becoming the first foreign lawyer to establish an office in that city. She has also served as counsel for White & Case, advising clients on doing business in China. Han is fluent in reading and writing Chinese and speaks multiple dialects.
“Professor Han brings a wealth of academic and administrative experiences along with the trust and respect of the law school faculty to the position of dean, and I am confident she will continue the tremendous momentum we are experiencing with a renewed focus on bar passage, enrollment management and academic excellence,” said Kloppenberg. “I know Professor Han will serve as an excellent ambassador for the Law School among the business and law communities here in Silicon Valley and beyond.”
“I am deeply honored to have been chosen. I am especially grateful for the expressions of support and trust from the administration and my colleagues urging me to take on this role,” said Han. “Santa Clara has been my professional home for 30 years and I plan on continuing the law school’s mission of training lawyers of competence, conscience, and compassion, a purpose that I believe in deeply. I am especially looking forward to connecting with our alumni in my new role. I hope to build on and advance Dean Kloppenberg’s vision for our law school.”
Han received her B.A. in political science and Economics cum laude from the University of California, Berkeley and her JD from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. She resides in the East Bay with her husband, Daniel B. Klein, chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente in San Leandro. They have two children, Dana and Devon Han-Klein B.S. ’15.
About Santa Clara University School of Law
Santa Clara University School of Law, one of the nation’s most diverse law schools, is dedicated to educating lawyers who lead with a commitment to excellence, ethics, and social justice. Santa Clara Law offers students an academically rigorous program including certificates in high tech law, international law, public interest and social justice law, and privacy law, as well as numerous graduate and joint degree options. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara Law is nationally distinguished for its faculty engagement, preparation for practice, and top-ranked programs in intellectual property. For more information, see law.scu.edu.
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