He brings an impressive array of scholarly work and significant academic administrative experience to the role. As a Kansas City native, Mulligan understands the importance of the UMKC School of Law to our community.

“Lou’s strong background in academics and legal practice will be a great asset to the UMKC School of Law in coming years,” said Jennifer Lundgren, Ph.D., provost and executive vice chancellor. “The law school is deeply tied into the Kansas City community, and we’re confident that under Lou’s leadership, we’ll keep expanding those relationships.”

Mulligan will begin July 10 at UMKC. He currently serves as Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at the University of Kansas, as well as the Earl B. Shurtz Research Professor of Law. Mulligan is an award-winning classroom professor and prolific researcher, including authoring five books and treatises. He ran KU Law’s bar passage initiative, which lead that school to the 11^th-best passage rate in the nation last year.  He founded KU’s successful state-wide 3+3 program. He also oversaw KU Law’s Medical-Legal Partnerships, which aid low-income clients and provide law students with field placement experiences at both the Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas.

“I am thrilled and honored to serve as the next dean of my hometown’s law school,” Mulligan said. “I look forward to teaming with faculty and staff colleagues, students and alumni as we strengthen our community engagement and expand our programs, while embracing UMKC School of Law's student-focused and justice-centered mission. I am also thankful for the strong and thoughtful leadership of Dean Glesner Fines, which places UMKC School of Law as one of the nation's leading best-value law schools.”

In his legal practice, Mulligan served as a clerk on the Tenth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, practiced with Polsinelli (a UMKC School of Law alumnus-founded firm), and opened his own two-person firm. He continued to practice as a professor, where he engaged in complex civil matters, Criminal Justice Act appointments, U.S. Supreme Court amicus briefing and representing the Kansas governor in her COVID litigation.

Mulligan received his J.D. Magna Cum Laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 2002. He also has a master’s in philosophy from University of Colorado and a bachelor’s in philosophy from KU.