Margaret Hannon, ’05, will serve as the next assistant dean for admissions at the University of Michigan Law School. She joined the Michigan Law faculty in 2013; since 2019, she has been a clinical professor of law in the Legal Practice Program.
“I love teaching and wasn’t looking to leave the faculty; in fact, there’s really no job other than this that I would leave legal writing to do. And I wouldn’t want to be an admissions dean anywhere else. I love this institution, and the idea of being able to be that person who makes a difference for so many students is truly a unique opportunity.”
Hannon rose to the top of a highly competitive, nationwide search, said Neel Sukhatme, the David A. Breach Dean of Law and professor of law.
“Margaret has worked closely with students throughout their 1L experience, giving her a deep understanding of the transition into law school and the needs of prospective and incoming students. She is also a proud Michigan Law alum with a deep commitment to this institution and to student success. I am confident that she brings the judgment, leadership, and enthusiasm that will serve our admissions team and the Law School well.”
Hannon succeeds Sarah Zearfoss, ’92, who has led the Law School’s admissions efforts since 2001. In May, Zearfoss announced a phased retirement that will take full effect at the end of the 2026–2027 academic year.
Hannon is among the more than 9,000 Michigan Law alumni whom Zearfoss admitted during her tenure.
“Michigan Law was not the first school that I was admitted to, but being admitted to Michigan Law made me feel like this—going to law school—was really happening. And I just had a gut feeling that Michigan Law was the right place,” Hannon said.
Hannon began her legal career in private practice at Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLP (now K&L Gates LLP). Her practice focused on labor and employment counseling and litigation, and the negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements.
When she made the move to academia, she taught legal research, writing, and reasoning as a clinical assistant and clinical associate professor at Northwestern Law School, where she also served as the assistant director and interim director of the legal research and writing program.
A unique lens on the student experience
In her 13 years as a professor in Michigan Law’s Legal Practice Program, Hannon has worked extensively with scores of first-year students as well as with 2Ls and 3Ls who serve as senior judges (course assistants) under her mentorship. She also has taught an upper-level writing class.
She said this has given her an important perspective for her new role.
“Students arrive with excitement about the goals that brought them to law school, and that’s what I really want them to hold onto during 1L year because that’s what makes the difficult moments worth pushing through. Of course in any law school experience, there’s going to be difficult moments. It’s a really rigorous experience. Something that has been really important in my teaching is to help students remember why they came here and to help them see how their experience here will help them accomplish their goals.”
An important part of that Michigan Law experience, Hannon noted, is the close-knit community—which has been important to her since her own student days. She and her Lawyers Club suitemate served as maids of honor in each other’s weddings, and she and her family routinely vacation with classmates. She met her husband on the first day of orientation.
“We have developed a reputation for being that right combination of a school that’s academically rigorous and that will set students up for being successful and finding their jobs, and being a place where people are not competing with each other in a way that makes it feel cutthroat. It’s a place where students expect to be able to develop these connections to other students. Because that’s one of the reasons they chose Michigan, it helps perpetuate that culture.”
Hannon said the culture, however, begins with the work in the Admissions Office.
“We know that people we admit are going to be capable of doing the work. So it’s looking beyond that to who are the kinds of people that we think will contribute to each other’s experience in this institution, the kinds of people who will want to give back to the institution and offer a whole variety of different things. There’s no one set way in which someone can be a valuable member of our community. But I think that students who come here, who want to be part of that community and who care about the community, that’s part of what makes the community special.”
Continuing a legacy
Hannon praised Zearfoss’s leadership while acknowledging the challenge of following someone who has excelled in the role for nearly three decades.
“Sarah is a legend, and I feel incredibly lucky to be following her in this role and to have the opportunity to learn from her. I definitely feel the weight of the responsibility of following Sarah. And I think that’s a good thing because it means that I’m not coming in to fix something that’s broken. I’m coming in to continue building on all of the work that she has done, and that’s a pretty amazing position to be in.”
Zearfoss, who admitted Hannon as part of one of her earliest classes, said Hannon is a natural fit to be the new assistant dean.
“For many years, I’ve watched her charming admitted students at Preview Weekend faculty receptions, and I know that her love of and enthusiasm for this school is unbeaten. She has a terrific sense of humor, an absolutely unbeatable work ethic, and the kind of energy that draws people to her. The fact that she knows our culture and our students from the points of view of both an alumna and a professor will be incredibly powerful when she is talking to prospective students.”
As an added bonus, Zearfoss quipped, “She will be the third generation of admissions deans who, by virtue of our height, leave very small carbon footprints. The complete package!”