Ajhada Gabriel contributed to the reporting of this story.
Two University of Miami School of Law professors have been appointed to serve the Biden administration. Professor Caroline Bettinger-Lopez and Professor John Mark Newman will serve as leaders in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Newman will be working as the deputy director of the Bureau of Competition at the FTC. In his role, Newman will be responsible for upholding antitrust laws which constitute the foundation of our competitive free-market.
“Professor Newman is a leading legal scholar in the field of antitrust law, and I very much enjoyed studying under him last semester,” said first-year UM School of Law student Randy Fitzgerald. “Our discussions in office hours were riveting.”
Bettinger-Lopez will be moving into her position as the senior advisor on gender and equality for the U.S. DOJ. As senior advisor, Bettinger-Lopez will work to craft and execute a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence alongside other bodies within the DOJ.
Bettinger-Lopez is familiar with the White House. She had worked alongside then-Vice President Joe Biden as the White House Senior Advisor on Violence Against Women under the Obama administration.
While at UM, Bettinger-Lopez founded and directed the Human Rights Clinic. The clinic works to promote social and economic justice at the local, national and international level to protect human rights.
“Her great strengths and history as an inspirational policy designer and leader were obviously important to him and it is not surprising that he has called on her again,” said Patricia D. White, professor and dean emerita at UM’s School of Law.
Faculty and students alike say they are excited for both professors to take on such impactful positions in the Biden administration.
“For our students, this is wonderful. Law, like many professional fields, relies heavily on referrals and networking,” Fitzgerald said. “The success of members of our legal community at Miami Law only enhances our opportunities for success as students and alumni.”
While pupils and peers congratulate Newman and Bettinger-Lopez, the feeling is bittersweet as they say goodbye to these two assets of the law school community.
“Both Caroline Bettinger-Lopez and John Newman are valued members of the Law School’s faculty and both will be sorely missed by their colleagues and students alike while they are away, but both are highly respected experts in their fields and have much to offer the nation in their governmental roles,” White said. “I know that all of us at Miami Law are proud of them both.”