Cassandra L. Hill

Cassandra Hill became dean of the Northern Illinois University College of Law on July 1, 2020. Prior to joining NIU Law, Dean Hill served as an administrator and faculty member at Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University, where she held several leadership roles, including associate dean for academic affairs, associate dean for research and faculty development, and director of legal writing. She also served on the law school’s interim leadership team.

Dean Hill’s scholarship focuses on pedagogy, learning theory, and assessment in legal education. She has presented and published widely on these topics. Her co-authored book, Legal Analysis: 100 Exercises for Mastery, now in its second edition, has been adopted at more than 25 law schools nationwide.

A dedicated leader in legal education and community engagement, Dean Hill has spearheaded a range of initiatives that promote diversity, access, and opportunity. Under her leadership, NIU Law launched the Diversity Scholars Program, welcoming diverse and first-generation undergraduates from multiple institutions to explore legal education pathways. She also introduced a Building Community Gathering to support first-year law students of color and initiated cultural competency programming as part of new student orientation. These efforts contributed to the law school reaching a record 40% diversity in the incoming class of 2023 and being named one of the top 15 most diverse law schools in the country by preLaw magazine. In recognition of her campus-wide impact, she received the 2023 Richard A. Flournory Engagement Award for advancing equity and inclusion.

Dean Hill has significantly expanded community-facing and social justice programming at NIU Law. Under her leadership, the school launched the Race and the Law Conversations series, created targeted DEI training for faculty and staff, and hosted annual Diversity Open Houses that spotlight student affinity groups and promote dialogue on inclusion. These initiatives reinforce NIU Law’s commitment to equity, civic engagement, and public service.

She has also strengthened access to legal education for underrepresented students by enhancing pipeline and recruitment efforts. Dean Hill increased faculty participation in prospective student outreach, established mentoring groups for admitted students, and spearheaded direct engagement with HBCUs and HSIs to expand awareness of law school opportunities. These strategies complement NIU Law’s broader access mission and have contributed to meaningful gains in student diversity.

Recognizing the need to reduce barriers to legal education, Dean Hill has led the development of 3+3 accelerated law degree partnerships with colleges and universities across Illinois and beyond. These agreements allow students to complete both their undergraduate and law degrees in six years instead of seven, lowering the overall cost of education and making law school more accessible. NIU Law has established these partnerships with several institutions-including Chicago State University, Northeastern Illinois University, and Governors State University, just to name a few, demonstrating a strong commitment to expanding opportunity and fostering inclusive pathways into the legal profession.

Dean Hill is also committed to increasing access to practical, service-oriented legal education. She serves as a commissioner on the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, which safeguards the rights of individuals with disabilities. She has launched public interest internships in collaboration with the Illinois Judicial Council, the Just the Beginning Foundation, and the Illinois State Bar Association Steering Committee on Diversity and Equality. In the area of economic empowerment, she positioned NIU Law’s Business Law Innovation Clinic to partner with Chicago’s Entrepreneurial Development and Leadership Institute (EDLI), providing legal support to underrepresented business owners. The clinic is also exploring future collaboration with the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) to further support regional economic development.

At the national level, Dean Hill served as chair of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar’s Conferences and Programming Committee and is a site team evaluator for the ABA. She was the first elected African American member of the Legal Writing Institute Board of Directors and served as Managing Editor of the LWI Monograph Series. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the District of Columbia Bar, and the New York State Bar.

Dean Hill received her J.D. from Howard University School of Law and her B.A. in Mathematics and Spanish from the University of Virginia, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She began her legal career as a federal law clerk for the Honorable Vanessa D. Gilmore, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and practiced in the Tax/Employee Benefits section at Baker Botts L.L.P. before beginning her teaching career at UCLA School of Law.