To help best position the WVU College of Law to educate future generations of legal professionals, a national search is underway for a new permanent William J. Maier, Jr. Dean.
Josh Hall, Milan Puskar Dean of the John Chambers College of Business and Economics, is serving as chair of the College of Law dean search committee.
The committee also includes WVU Law faculty, administrators, students and alumni, along with Justice Charles S. Trump, IV, of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia and former College of Law Dean and Thomas R. Goodwin Professor of Law Emeritus Joyce McConnell.
Candidates are being actively recruited.
During the fall semester, the committee will conduct first-round interviews. Top candidates will then be brought to campus for second-round interviews providing University leadership, faculty and staff with opportunities to engage with the candidates and offer feedback to the committee.
Additional details on these engagement opportunities will be announced at a later date.
Until this important hire is made, Susan Brewer, former CEO of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, will assume the role of interim dean for the College of Law effective today (July 1).
Brewer was the first woman to lead a major law firm in Appalachia and has been closely involved in supporting West Virginia University and the College of Law over her 45-year career practicing law in West Virginia.
Brewer joined Steptoe & Johnson in 1980, two weeks after graduating from George Mason University with her law degree. She worked under managing partner Bob Steptoe as a litigator and served on the firm’s Executive Committee for over 20 years before taking the helm as CEO from 2009 to 2020. She continued to work at the firm over the past five years and officially retired on June 30, 2025.
Under Brewer’s leadership, Steptoe & Johnson executed ambitious strategic plans, earned national recognition for its energy practice, and expanded both regionally and nationally to Colorado, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Texas. She created affinity programs for women, parents and Veterans, and worked to increase communication and maintain a collegial culture of teamwork.
These efforts also complemented her focus on building out the firm’s client feedback, business development, succession and emerging leadership programs.
In 2022, to honor Brewer’s legacy and leadership, Steptoe & Johnson established the Susan S. Brewer Law Leadership Scholarship for full-time WVU Law students who demonstrate leadership in their academic career, community, work and other areas.