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Scott Bice

Last updated 08/03/2022

To say Professor Scott Bice has dedicated his life to USC would not be an understatement. After receiving his bachelor’s and law degree from USC in the mid-’60s, he began teaching at the university in 1970. He immediately emerged as an integral part of the law school’s faculty and was promoted to associate dean for academic affairs by Dean Dorothy Nelson while still an assistant professor. 

In 1980 when Dean Nelson left USC, Bice was appointed as the Dean of the Gould School. Under his leadership, the Gould School flourished. Dean Bice’s approach to how a law school should be run was unique in comparison to top schools of the day. Rather than focusing on what boosts a school’s rankings, he created a law school that was cutting edge in its approach. Bice sought law thinkers who offered a fresh perspective in hopes that their innovation would be passed on to students. These appointments curated a law school that was not only forward-thinking but also thinking forward into how law may look in the future. Thanks to his vision, the Gould School of Law became a seedbed for interdisciplinary scholarship. 

Bice’s efforts while Dean were not limited to the curriculum in the Gould School. He literally grew the school. During his unprecedented twenty-year run as dean, Bice doubled the physical size of the school, created 25 endowed professorships, and increased the school’s endowment from $6 million to $130 million. On top of that, Mr. Bice was a beloved professor. Upperclassmen often told underclassmen they “won the lottery” by being assigned him as teacher. 

Professor Bice’s legacy touches every Trojan regardless of affiliation to Gould School of Law. Through his relentless work as a professor, dean, and civil servant to USC, Professor Bice has become synonymous with what it means to be a part of USC.

Read more about Professor Bice here.