Stephen W. Mazza, Dean of the University of Kansas School of Law, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 AALS Award for Excellence in Mentoring Future Legal Education Leaders. The inaugural award was presented by the AALS Deans Forum Steering Committee during a session at the AALS Annual Meeting in New Orleans in early January.
“The award was a surprise and a true honor for me,” said Dean Mazza. “The individuals who I have mentored already had tremendous leadership skills. My contribution was merely to identify those skills and encourage these individuals to take on leadership roles. A simple word of encouragement can make all the difference to someone who is uncertain about whether they want to move into a deanship or other administrative role.”
The award was established to recognize current law school deans who demonstrate exceptional commitment to mentoring aspiring legal education leaders, with particular emphasis on sustained, high‑quality mentorship and the advancement of broad representation in academic leadership. The award will be conferred annually through a rotating selection process, alternating between the Chair of the AALS Deans Forum Steering Committee and the Chair of the AALS Section on Aspiring Leaders (formerly the AALS Section for the Law School Dean).
Dean Mazza was selected in recognition of his longstanding and personal mentorship of faculty members and emerging leaders, as well as his demonstrated commitment to advancing inclusivity in legal education leadership. Nomination letters praised his one‑on‑one guidance, advocacy during leadership searches, and the creation of opportunities for mentees to gain administrative experience.
“Dean Stephen Mazza is profoundly deserving of this inaugural award,” said Elizabeth Kronk Warner, Dean of the University of Utah S. J. Quinney College of Law and 2025 Chair of the AALS Deans Forum Steering Committee. “His mentorship has been nothing short of transformative—personal, intentional, and sustained across decades. Without his guidance, advocacy, and unwavering belief in the leadership potential of his mentees, many of us would not be serving as law school deans today. By opening doors, creating pathways, and standing beside us at every critical juncture, Stephen has not only changed individual careers, but has reshaped the landscape of legal education leadership in ways that will endure for generations.”