January 21, 2025

Dean Stacy Leeds named to AZ Big Media’s 50 Arizona business leaders to watch in 2025

Willard H. Pedrick Dean, Regents and Foundation Professor of Law, Stacy Leeds, was named to AZ Big Media’s AZ Big 100: 50 Arizona business leaders to watch in 2025. 

“It’s an honor to be recognized,” Leeds said. “This reflects the hard work and community impact of ASU Law, including students, staff and faculty. We are excited to be at the forefront of reimagining legal education by simultaneously prioritizing excellence, innovation and inclusion.”

Since becoming dean of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in 2023, Leeds has introduced innovative initiatives that expand access to legal education, particularly in underserved areas like rural Arizona, with a significant shortage of legal professionals. She is reshaping the legal profession and ensuring legal services are more accessible to diverse communities. Her work transforms the legal field and also contributes to the broader economy by increasing access to justice and fostering a more inclusive and representative legal workforce.

Leeds has inspired collaboration through groundbreaking initiatives like the world’s first tribally affiliated legal program with Diné College and the Navajo Nation, focusing on Navajo law and sovereignty. This partnership promotes inclusivity and shared knowledge between legal education and Native communities and creates a new model for legal education that can be applied across industries. 

By empowering the next generation of legal professionals, Leeds is helping shape a future economy where the legal field better reflects the diverse communities it serves.

Arizona State President Michael Crow was also named in the publication for his efforts in sustainability. President Crow is a leader in the field with the launch of ASU's School of Sustainability, and being named on the Time100 Climate 2024 list.

Written by Crystal Jimenez