The University of Idaho has selected Brian Kane as the next dean of its College of Law, the Moscow-based institution announced. Kane is scheduled to begin the role on July 31, stepping into a position that oversees law campuses in both Moscow and Boise.
A Career Rooted in Idaho Law and Public Service
Kane brings a deep Idaho résumé to the job. He currently serves as chief executive officer and executive director of the National Association of Attorneys General. Before that, he spent two decades as chief deputy attorney general for the Idaho Office of the Attorney General — a tenure that established him as one of the more experienced legal administrators in the state.
His ties to the University of Idaho run long. Kane earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from the university and served as president of the Associated Students of the University of Idaho during his undergraduate years. He later earned his law degree from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Following law school, Kane served four years in the U.S. Army, primarily with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood. He has also taught as adjunct faculty at the College of Law since 2017.
University Provost and Executive Vice President Torrey Lawrence pointed to Kane’s professional background as the driving factor in his selection. “We believe Brian’s professional experience will benefit the College of Law and expand the relationships and connections that make studying law at University of Idaho so valuable,” Lawrence said.
Leadership Transition Follows Period of Change
Kane takes the helm following a period of leadership turnover at the college. Aviva Abramovsky had been named dean in June 2024 but departed in January 2026 to become president and CEO of The National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada. Aliza Cover was subsequently named interim dean and has been leading the college through the transition period. Kane’s appointment concludes what officials described as an extensive search process.
His arrival comes at a moment of notable growth for the law school. Fall 2025 enrollment climbed 9.8 percent to 502 students, which included the largest incoming first-year class in the school’s history. That growth reflects a broader trend of increased interest in legal education at the University of Idaho — a development that gives the incoming dean both momentum and expanded responsibility from the outset.
The College of Law operates across two campuses, with its primary home in Moscow and an additional presence in Boise, giving students access to legal markets in both northern Idaho and the state’s capital region. Overseeing both operations will be among Kane’s first administrative priorities.
What the Appointment Means for the College
Kane’s selection signals a deliberate choice to bring in a leader with extensive real-world legal and administrative experience rather than a purely academic background. His two decades working directly within Idaho’s attorney general office, combined with his national-level work at the Association of Attorneys General, gives him practical insight into the legal systems his students will enter upon graduation.
The University of Idaho has been expanding its academic partnerships and programs in recent years. Earlier this year, the institution announced a global engineering pathway in collaboration with Hiroshima University, reflecting a broader push to position the university as a destination for career-focused higher education. The law school’s record enrollment numbers suggest that momentum is carrying over into its professional programs as well.
With Kane set to begin at the end of July, the College of Law will enter the 2026–2027 academic year under new permanent leadership — and with a student body larger than it has seen at any point in the institution’s history. For Latah County and the broader Idaho legal community, the appointment represents a vote of confidence in one of the state’s longest-standing law programs.
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