John E. Corkery told a recent gathering at The John Marshall Law School that, as a venerable performer in the Chicago Bar Association Christmas Spirits Show, he aspired to be the “singing dean.”

Instead, he related, the trustees had only one opening: “acting dean.” That was the title he assumed on Oct. 26, 2005, when the sitting dean stepped down.

Before that, Corkery had served John Marshall as vice dean (since 2003) and associate dean for academic affairs (from 1998).

Today, all the prior deanships – singing, acting, vice and associate – are history. John Corkery was appointed dean of the 109-year-old law school on March 15.

A John Marshall faculty member since 1973, he graduated cum laude in 1967 from the Northwestern University School of Law and had a litigation practice with Lord, Bissell & Brook before entering academia.

A tenured professor in evidence, family law and legal ethics, Corkery has served on the ISBA Committee on Professional Conduct for several years and was its chair in 1992-93.

He is also a member of the Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee, which consists of representatives from the ISBA, Chicago Bar and Illinois Judges Association.

As acting dean for the past two years, Corkery has done more for John Marshall than just keep the seat warm. He has reduced the student-faculty ratio by increasing the number of faculty members about 20 percent and will add 10 more in the fall.

That innovation, along with prior toughening of grade requirements, has resulted in significantly higher bar examination pass rates for John Marshall students.

“I view the job of dean as a trust that I hold for the benefit of others,” Corkery said last month, “in this case the law school and all its constituencies.”

He said he is privileged to be part of the John Marshall history, and looks forward “to continuing to drive the school's ongoing growth and vitality.”

Albert E. Gallo, president of the board of trustees, called Corkery “a natural leader who inspires respect from students and colleagues alike, a gifted teacher, and a talented and community-driven lawyer.”

Gallo concurred that the new dean “has a unique vision for change, tempered with continuity for our school.”

A Christmas Spirits mainstay, Corkery portrayed President George W. Bush last December for the second time. In previous years, he has appeared as Governor George Ryan, Karl Rove, Al Gore, Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich.

One of the cadre of writers for the annual show, he chaired the entertainment committee in 1980 and received the Horse's Ass Award in 1974 for outstanding performance.