After a publicized search for a dean to replace School of Law founding dean Leonard Strickman, U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta beat out a slew of other candidates, including Jose Roberto Juarez, Jr., dean of University of Denver’s College of Law and Joel Friedman, a professor of law at Tulane University.

“I’ve had a very rewarding career as a public servant,” said Miami native Acosta. “I thought long about what I wanted to do next and decided that I wanted to help young adults have some of the opportunities that I have had.”

Since its inception in 2000, the College of Law has flourished, gaining accreditation from the American Bar Association in four years under dean Strickman. Five years later, the College is receiving students with an average LSAT score of 154 and producing graduating classes with a 90.6 percent passing rate for first-time BAR exams, according to The Princeton Review.

After all his work establishing FIU’s law program as a significant institution in the legal and academic community, founding dean Strickman announced his resignation in July of last year, effective one year later.

“It seemed like the appropriate time,” Strickman said. “Every deanship has a natural shelf life, and this one has been eight-and-a-half years. It’s probably time for some new energy and fresh ideas."

A man of many connections, Acosta pledged to be a great fundraiser for FIU, making him a favorite among the candidates.

“The reason we chose him is for his standing in the community and because he can hit the ground running with his contacts in legal circles,” said Interim Provost Douglas Wartzok in a Miami Herald article.

Acosta has served as a member of the National Labor Relations Board and as the first Hispanic Assistant Attorney General (AAG) for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He’s also served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. All three posts were unanimously confirmed by the Senate.

As U.S. attorney, Acosta was in charge of a jurisdiction stretching from Key West to South Vero Beach and headed high-profile cases such as the prosecutions of Jack Abramoff, a Washington lobbyist, and Jose Padilla, a United States citizen who was aiding jihadists abroad.

He also led the prosecutions of Miguel and Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela, heads of the Cali drug cartel, for the importation of 200,000 kilograms of cocaine as well as Swiss bank UBS for a gargantuan tax evasion conspiracy.

Faculty members and students alike are eager to see Acosta propel their law school to the top.

“We have been an underrated bargain in legal education for several years, but now, with Dean Acosta at the helm, the College of Law is poised to capitalize on its connections to the local community and garner the regional and national recognition it deserves,” said Professor Elizabeth Foley.

Founding professor of law, Ediberto Roman, shares Foley’s feelings.

“Overall, the school made an outstanding choice. It’s probably best for the institution to get a figure of some national stature,” he said.

“It’s a good thing. I believe [Acosta] will continue to strengthen our school’s traditions and get our name out to the academic community,” said third-year law student Jorge Navarro.

However, the decision to make Acosta the new dean of the law school is not without its controversies.

Despite his extensive real world experience, Acosta has less academic experience than the other candidates for dean, which has led to some uneasiness about giving him the reins to the school of law.

“I spent three years teaching at George Mason School of Law and written or signed onto more than 125 opinions while I was on the National Labor Board, so I am not a stranger to the Academy,” Acosta said.

Acosta also said he believes his time as a U.S. attorney has prepared him for the administrative side of position of dean.

“As U.S. attorney, I supervised nearly 300 attorneys with a budget of more than $50 million. That level of administrative experience is valuable to being a dean,” he said.

According to Acosta, experience in teaching is important, but a good dean needs more than that.

Also causing some controversy around the selection of Acosta is his time serving in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Beneath him was Bradley Schlozman, whose highly politicized, illegal hiring policies prompted an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

In an interview with Miami New Times, director of FIU’s trial advocacy program, H.T. Smith said, “Acosta's history in the Civil Rights Division has caused a rift with the black community.”

Acosta was not directly involved in any illegal hiring practices, but the report issued by the Department of Justice after its investigation states that he and the other AAG’s had sufficient information concerning Schlozman’s conduct to warrant closer supervision.

Acosta met with Smith privately and addressed all of his concerns. Afterwards, Smith told a reporter from DailyBusinessReview.com that Acosta “responded and gave me his position with regard to each of those issues. I employ sophisticated skepticism. Now he has a chance to show us what he told us.”

With Acosta’s starting date less than a month away, he has already taken the initiative by meeting with faculty.

“It's important that the school moves forward in a collaborative way. It's a team effort and one of my first goals is to listen to the team members,” Acosta said.

“I am excited about the future of the law school under Alex Acosta's leadership. Considering where our law school is at the moment, I'm glad he is joining us,” said professor of law Matthew Mirow. “He's exactly what we need.”