Jay Conison

Jay Conison is an American attorney, Professor of Law and former Dean of Charlotte School of Law. He was previously dean of Valparaiso University School of Law from 1998 to 2013.

Conison earned his B.A. degree in Mathematics and Philosophy from Yale College in 1975, and his M.A. in Philosophy in 1978 and J.D. degree Magna Cum Laude in 1981, from the University of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota Law School.

Conison was in private practice with Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal in Chicago from 1981 until 1990. He left the firm in 1991 to join the Oklahoma City University School of Law where he served as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Associate Dean and Interim Dean. In 1998 he became Dean of the Valparaiso University School of Law where he is also a Professor of Law. His area of specialization a research interests include: Employee Benefit Plans, Law and Philosophy, and Legal Education.

On November 17th, 2016, the American Bar Association announced sanctions against both Valparaiso University School of Law and Charlotte School of Law, each arising out of actions during Conison's time as Dean.

On December 19th, 2016, the Department of Education announced its decision to cut off Charlotte School of Law from access to student loans, due to the school's "non-compliance with the fundamental standards set by its accreditor" and its "substantial misrepresentations to current and prospective students regarding the nature and extent of its accreditation and the likelihood that its graduates would pass the bar exam".

In a letter to the school's President, Chidi Ogene, explaining its decision, the Department expressed its position that the school misled current and potential students through its continued reference in promotional materials to its full compliance with ABA requirements at the time of its accreditation in 2011, absent clarification of the subsequent findings of non-compliance. The Department notes that the school had been notified of its noncompliance on February 3rd, 2016. In addressing the significance of these findings to current and potential students, the Department cites a letter, sent by Conison and Ogene to the ABA on October 4th, 2016, acknowledging that disclosure of the findings would have a negative impact on the decisions of current and prospective students. The Department also cites testimony by Conison at an ABA council meeting on October 21st, 2016, indicating that while Conison confirmed that there would be no appeal of the finding of noncompliance, he requested that the school not be required to publicly disclose those findings for at least one year.

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