Nicholas Allard has stepped down as president and dean of Brooklyn Law School, after a six-year run. While Allard said the decision was his, it came as a bit of a surprise.
The school announced his departure at 5 p.m. on a Friday, while Allard was in China and gave no reason. Allard later wrote in an email to staff, “In recent months, my wife Marla and I have been intensely thinking about where we are in our lives and the ways in which we would like to use our time. There are many exciting opportunities that we want to pursue and feel we can do now because the law school is in such a strong position.”
Allard arrived at Brooklyn when applications were dropping. In 2012-2013, the school lost $4.5 million after tuition revenue dropped by almost $4 million.
Allard took bold moves to improve the school’s financial footing, including selling several real estate holdings, bringing in more than $100 million in funds. But the school still reported a $3.6 million loss in 2014-2015 and in 2015-2016, the most recent data available.
Allard cut tuition in 2015, and offered a 15 percent tuition refund to unemployed graduates. The school’s endowment increased from $90 million in 2011 to $250 million, largely from the sale of real estate assets. Allard was also vocal about the value of a law degree.
