Wisconsin Law School Dean Kenneth B. Davis, Jr. will step down after this year.

He's been dean since 1997.

"Throughout the last two and a half years, I have remained mindful that the consequences of whatever we do now will fall mainly on those younger than I am," Davis says, adding that the median start date for faculty is now 1999 — two years after he became dean. "To assure that the next rounds of dialogue and decision about the Law School's direction have the kind of building-wide support essential for their long-term success, I think it is better if I remove myself from the process."