Jennifer Rosato Perea Named Director of Accreditation and Legal Education for the American Bar Association

Jennifer Rosato Perea, who has served as dean of DePaul University College of Law in Chicago since 2015, will be the new managing director of accreditation and legal education for the American Bar Association effective June 1, 2024.

A longtime advocate of student engagement and professionalism, Rosato Perea is one of only a small number of Latina law school deans in the nation, and she would become the first Latina to serve as head of ABA legal education, which includes the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, its governing council and an ABA program that approves paralegal programs.

“I have spent over 30 years of my professional life seeking to improve legal education, and I am very excited to continue to pursue that passion as managing director — especially during this crucial time for legal education, higher education, and the legal profession,” Rosato Perea said. “Although I will greatly miss DePaul, the focus on student success, the value of community and the importance of always asking ‘what must be done’ will guide me in my new role.”

Rosato Perea, who has an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a juris doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, is an expert on family law, bioethics, and legal ethics. She has published extensively on a variety of legal issues affecting children and families.