Kentucky federal judge selected as new dean at UK College of Law
A longtime federal judge in Kentucky will become the next dean of the University of Kentucky’s College of Law.
Gregory Van Tatenhove recently accepted the offer to lead the state’s largest law school, according to an email sent to students from UK Provost Robert DiPaola.
He will begin his new role on July 1, pending approval of the UK Board of Trustees, DiPaola wrote.
“As a graduate of the J. David Rosenberg College of Law, this institution has long meant a great deal to me,” Van Tatenhove said in a news release. “Our students are talented and dedicated. And the faculty are exceptional teachers and scholars committed to student success. I’m honored to return as dean to hold in trust our important legacy. And in an ever-changing world, support a college that is preparing the next generation of lawyers and leaders for our communities.”
Van Tatenhove is a veteran of the state’s federal bench. He has served as a district judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky since 2006. Prior to that role, Van Tatenhove served as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky and chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis, a Republican.
“In each of these roles, Greg has demonstrated broad and substantive senior-level leadership, managing complex multidisciplinary teams, overseeing substantial budgets and adjudicating complex legal and public policy issues,” DiPaola wrote.
Van Tatenhove is also a former legislative aide for Sen. Mitch McConnell, who nominated him to fill the seat on the U.S. District Court in Kentucky in 2005.
Van Tatenhove was one of four finalists for the dean role named in early February.
The other finalists were:
- Michael Higdon, associate dean for academic affairs and law professor at the University of Tennessee
- Mary Graw Leary, law professor at The Catholic University of America
- Milena Sterio, law professor at Cleveland State University
The J. David Rosenberg College of Law has been without a permanent dean since 2023, when Mary Davis announced she was stepping down from the position after three years. Paul Salamanca was named the interim dean in 2024, and the university has conducted on-campus interviews to fill the position since then. James C. Duff has been the interim dean since July 2025.
According to DiPaola’s email, Van Tatenhove has also been an adjunct instructor in the Rosenberg College of Law since 2017, teaching a course called “Crime and Punishment: Sentencing Policy and Procedure.”
“With his leadership and guidance, I am confident that the J. David Rosenberg College of Law will continue its upward trajectory as a premier law college in the nation, with a faculty and staff body committed to both its students and to advancing the legal profession,” DiPaola wrote. “Greg’s experience advancing strategic goals and engaging with broad groups of internal and external stakeholders will allow him to work closely with faculty, staff and students to further the Rosenberg College of Law’s mission of providing first-class law education and preparing students to be leaders and scholars.”
