Anthony W. Crowell is New York Law School’s 16th Dean and President. He took office in May 2012. Dean Crowell’s area of expertise is state and local government law.

During his first two years at NYLS, Dean Crowell worked closely with the faculty and administration to initiate several bold changes, including reintroducing NYLS as “New York’s law school” and developing a Strategic Plan focused on driving student outcomes—and leveraging New York City as our classroom—more than ever before. Notable accomplishments include a historic doubling of our clinical programs, and significantly enhancing career planning and placement, bar exam performance, and student and alumni engagement. Under Dean Crowell, NYLS also introduced the nation’s first two-year J.D. honors program. In October 2013, he was recognized by Crain’s New York Business as one of its “People to Watch in Higher Education,” the only law school dean to make the list. In April 2014, he was featured in a Lawdragon “Lawyer Limelight” profile. Dean Crowell served as an adjunct professor from 2003 to 2012 before joining NYLS full-time.

Prior to his appointment, Dean Crowell served as Counselor to New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. In this role, he served as counsel and senior management and policy advisor to the Mayor, as well as general counsel to the Office of the Mayor. His responsibilities included managing a broad portfolio of legal, regulatory, legislative, governance, administrative, and operational matters focused on enhancing New York City’s performance, competitiveness, accountability, and public integrity. He provided coordination and oversight of city agencies, boards, and commissions, and spearheaded government reform efforts and business process re-engineering initiatives. He negotiated and helped implement landmark reforms to the City’s lobbying and campaign finance laws. He also chaired the City’s Panel on Regulatory Review, and sat on various boards dealing with pensions, procurement, and franchises and concessions. In addition, he served either as an executive director, counsel, or commissioner with six city charter revision commissions.

Before becoming Counselor to the Mayor, Dean Crowell served as Special Counsel to the Mayor from 2002 to 2006. From 1997 to 2002, he served as Assistant Corporation Counsel in the New York City Law Department’s Tax & Condemnation and Legal Counsel Divisions, where he handled complex litigation, advised on constitutional questions and the legality of disputed policy issues, and drafted legislation and regulations for the Mayor and city agencies. In 2001, he directed the City’s World Trade Center Death Certificate Program, and was counsel at the city’s Family Assistance Center, aiding families of victims of the 9/11 attacks. Dean Crowell is a recipient of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s Outstanding Municipal Attorney Award.