Interim Provost Nell Jessup Newton

Nell Jessup Newton, a distinguished lawyer, legal scholar, and educator, was named interim provost of Wake Forest University effective August 1, 2025. A Professor Emerita at the University of Notre Dame, Newton brings more than two decades of academic and administrative leadership experience to her role.

Newton is no stranger to Wake Forest. She served as interim dean of the Wake Forest School of Law during the 2022–2023 academic year, where she quickly earned the trust and admiration of students, faculty, and staff. Her leadership during that time left a lasting impression and deepened her connection to the University’s mission and values.

As interim provost, Newton leads the Office of the Provost and the Deans’ Council and serves as a member of the University Cabinet. She also holds the title of University Professor, reflecting her broad scholarly excellence and interdisciplinary approach.

Prior to her time at Wake Forest, Newton served as the 10th dean of Notre Dame Law School from 2009 to 2019. Under her leadership, the school launched eight new interdisciplinary programs and expanded its international reach with academic initiatives in Europe, Asia, and South America. She also oversaw the creation of multiple legal clinics supporting low-income and underrepresented communities.

A nationally recognized scholar of U.S. Indian Law, Newton is the co-editor-in-chief of Cohen’s Handbook of Federal Indian Law, the leading treatise in the field. Her leadership extends across the legal education community, having served in prominent roles with the American Bar Association, the Association of American Law Schools, the Law School Admission Council, and the NALP Foundation for Law Career Research and Education. Prior to serving as Wake Forest’s interim dean, she served as interim dean at the University of Miami School of Law in 2021–2022, where she strengthened student services in admissions and career development.

Newton earned her J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly Hastings College of Law), and holds a B.A. in interdisciplinary humanities from the University of California, Berkeley, with a concentration in ancient Greek language.