---
title: 'Jaquish & Kenninger Dean of Law at UATX'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/jaquish-kenninger-dean-of-law-uatx-austin-2jjaz50zqvsp'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-18'
---

# Jaquish & Kenninger Dean of Law at UATX

- **Company:** UATX
- **Location:** Austin, TX
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-01
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-18
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/uaustin/540fe3ae-e7a8-4aa6-9b88-02f5673bd7d1

## Job description

The University of Austin (UATX) seeks an exceptional person to become its inaugural Jaquish & Kenninger Dean of Law. Supported by a $10 million endowed chair, the Dean will create a new approach to the study of law, built from first principles rather than from the template every existing law school follows. The Dean must be a committed Constitutionalist. As a strategist, communicator, and fundraiser, the Dean will lead the new venture. He or she will design the curriculum, attract and retain distinguished faculty, recruit outstanding students, teach them, manage the program’s budget, oversee its operations, and graduate students prepared for careers of consequence. UATX exists to secure freedom in America by educating citizens who will uphold the United States Constitution as the framework of our republic and the guarantor of our liberty. UATX admits students solely on objective measures of merit. Its faculty share a conviction that higher education can be done better, and a commitment to graduating well-informed, responsible citizens and future civic leaders. UATX welcomes applications from sitting and former judges, practicing lawyers in the private and public sectors, legal academics, and leaders of organizations devoted to the Constitution and the rule of law. Compensation is negotiable. To apply, please submit: A CV. A letter of intent answering one question: What would you build, and how would it differ from the law schools that exist? One piece of your writing you want the committee to read (e.g., an opinion piece, a brief, an article, a speech). Submit on Lever, or send directly and confidentially to the co-chairs, Adam Biggs (abiggs@uaustin.org) and Claire Brickman (cbrickman@uaustin.org). Only the search committee sees applications until a candidate advances. Search Committee includes: Judge James C. Ho, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Judge Andrew S. Oldham, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Judge Amul R. Thapar, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Claire Brickman, Industry Expert in Residence, University of Austin, Co-Chair Adam Biggs, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, University of Austin, Co-Chair

## About UATX

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: The University of Austin (UATX) is a private, donor-funded, tuition-free four-year college that combines a Great Books core curriculum with rigorous training in mathematics, sciences, and artificial intelligence.
- **Entity Type**: Private (non-profit, donor-funded)
- **Headquarters**: Austin, Texas, United States
- **Founded**: 2022
- **Founders**: Not publicly listed (leadership includes President Carlos Carvalho, Provost David Ruth, and Interim Dean of STEM Clinton Staley)

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Higher Education
- Target customers: Undergraduate students (B2C) selected on merit alone, as well as high school and college students via summer programs
- Mission or purpose: "Forming the leaders and builders a free country depends on" by reviving fearless inquiry and open discourse

## Products & Services
- **[Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies]**: Four-year undergraduate degree with a core curriculum centered on the Western tradition, small seminars (~15 students), and quantitative training including mathematics, data science, and AI. Tuition-free for all admitted students.
- **[Polaris Projects]**: Capstone experiences where students launch a company, intern for a public official, pursue original research, or build alongside industry leaders.
- **[Summer Fellowship]**: A one-week, credit-bearing residential program for rising high school juniors and seniors; includes building an LLM from scratch, studying Lincoln and Douglass, and debating founding principles. Cost: $2,500 (full scholarships available).
- **[Weekend Programs]**: Free, short-term on-campus events offering small seminars, talks with faculty/guests, and a taste of UATX life.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not applicable (non-profit)
- **Key Metric**: Tuition-free model; entirely donor-funded; no government funding. First freshman class entered Fall 2024.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not publicly disclosed. Supported by donors (names not listed).
- **Growth Signals**: Rapidly expanding faculty (nearly 30 full-time professors as of late 2024). Hiring for multiple professor positions and administrative roles. New campus operations in Austin and Bastrop, Texas.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Tuition-free**: All students pay no tuition, funded entirely by donors, eliminating student debt.
- **Merit-based admissions**: No essays, no legacy preferences – only SAT, ACT, or CLT scores.
- **Small class sizes**: Seminars of ~15 students with heavy reading and high standards.
- **Unique curriculum**: Great Books core combined with quantitative training in AI and data science.
- **Intellectual independence**: Strong commitment to open inquiry, civil discourse, and academic freedom; no government funding.

## Strategic Focus
- **Faculty expansion**: Hiring professors across STEM, history, and other liberal arts disciplines to support growing student body.
- **Program development**: Building the Center for Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (CSTEM) and expanding the undergraduate concentration in quantitative fields.
- **Campus growth**: Establishing a permanent campus in Austin (current operations at temporary locations).
- **Brand building**: Attracting high-achieving students through the free-tuition model and distinctive intellectual mission.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven environment**: Opportunity to help shape a new university dedicated to open inquiry and rigorous education.
- **On-site roles**: Positions are based in Austin, TX (and Bastrop, TX for some roles). Remote/hybrid policy not specified; likely on-site.
- **Small, collaborative community**: Close interaction with faculty and leadership; ability to influence curriculum and culture.
- **Faculty benefits**: Long-term stability (though no tenure), full-time teaching load of six quarter-length courses per year, and support for research.
- **Diverse openings**: Roles range from professors and academic leadership to accounting and innovation partnerships.

## Sources
1. [uaustin.org](https://uaustin.org/)
2. [jobs.lever.co/uaustin](https://jobs.lever.co/uaustin)
3. [uaustin.org/our-people](https://uaustin.org/our-people/)
4. [jobs.lever.co/uaustin (Professor of CS)](https://jobs.lever.co/uaustin/2c923907-2611-47da-bef1-5bcf30d8963f)
5. [indeed.com](https://www.indeed.com/cmp/The-University-of-Austin-(uatx))

## Other roles at UATX

- [Admissions Officer, Recruitment & Outreach](https://feeny.ai/job/admissions-officer-recruitment-outreach-uatx-austin-mfqp762q9jxr) — Austin, TX
- [Talent Network & Communtiy Relations Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/talent-network-communtiy-relations-coordinator-uatx-austin-8xf9j9zjjzhh) — Austin, TX
- [Student Life Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/student-life-coordinator-uatx-austin-6vzyk1srdhdp) — Austin, TX
- [Senior Manager of Engagement and Philanthropy](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-of-engagement-and-philanthropy-uatx-austin-byqhy4wgvwcp) — Austin, TX
- [Director of Innovation](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-innovation-uatx-austin-a5jea20gyd8t) — Austin, TX
- [Professor of Engineering or Physics (any rank)](https://feeny.ai/job/professor-of-engineering-or-physics-any-rank-uatx-austin-d0z3dwm4y27m) — Austin, TX
- [Professor of Computer Science, Statistics, or Applied Mathematics (any rank)](https://feeny.ai/job/professor-of-computer-science-statistics-or-applied-mathematics-any-rank-uatx-8nreb9m2yw2v) — Austin, TX
- [Applied Engineering Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/applied-engineering-lead-uatx-bastrop-rvk0dkp92efc) — Bastrop, TX