Andrew Vollmer, a former deputy general counsel at the Securities and Exchange Commission, has been named director of the University of Virginia School of Law's John W. Glynn, Jr. Law & Business Program.
Vice Dean George Geis said Vollmer, who also will teach courses at UVA Law, brings years of experience in the law and business world, from both the private and public sectors.
"Andrew Vollmer is an outstanding classroom teacher who will bring new energy to the highly regarded John Glynn Law & Business Program," Geis said. "Andy has deep experience in both private practice and public securities regulation, and he is well positioned to steer this program in a way that will benefit the next generation of business lawyers and executives."
Vollmer, who graduated from UVA Law in 1978 most recently served as a partner in the Securities Litigation and Enforcement Practice Group of the law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. At WilmerHale, his practice concentrated on securities enforcement, private securities litigation and internal investigations.
Between mid-2006 and early 2009, Vollmer served as deputy general counsel of the SEC, a role in which his primary responsibility was to advise the commission on enforcement matters, appellate briefs and adjudications.
During that period he was involved in several key SEC initiatives, notably including measures to deal with the financial crisis in 2008 and several Supreme Court cases on securities law issues.
Vollmer said he wanted the Law & Business Program to contribute to the reputation of the Law School, provide first-rate training to future business lawyers, and attract high-quality applicants. He also wants the program to consider "innovative, interesting programs for both the faculty and the law students and useful high-quality legal research in the law and business area" he said.
He taught SEC and Class Action Enforcement of the Federal Securities Laws in the spring of 2013 and will teach that course again during this upcoming semester. He also taught several classes of Foreign Affairs Law at UVA in 2001.
The securities enforcement course was "an effort for me to put together years and years of experience in the SEC enforcement area and to [bring] a systematic approach to the topic," he said. "That was something that was very appealing to me and something that I'd wanted to do for a long time."
Vollmer said he sees the Law & Business Program as a key component of UVA Law's overall offerings that will set a standard of excellence, attracting outstanding faculty, applicants and students, and preserving the loyalty and support of alumni.
"We should preserve the best of the existing system but, at the same time, be open and innovative about new ideas and approaches to make the program useful to employers recruiting at the Law School and more attractive to students, high-quality law school applicants, and well regarded faculty in the law and business area," he said. "We also should look for ways to increase the role and involvement of alumni and the community."
Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.
