The University of North Carolina School of Law has named Professor and Senior Associate Dean Gail Agrawal as the acting dean of the law school, effective July 1. She will hold the office on an interim basis until UNC names someone to permanently replace outgoing dean Gene Nichol. Nichol explains his decision to leave UNC for the presidency of the College of William and Mary in a letter to the UNC Law community here.

In other law schools news, the Case Western Reserve University School of Law announces the establishement today of its new Institute for Global Security Law and Policy. According to the press release, the institute is "designed to be a leading national and international research and resource center concerning terrorism. " Directing the institute will be Case Professor Amos Guiora, who enjoys both academic and practical experience in the field of counterterrorism.

Finally, according to a San Francisco Examiner report, a federal judge has tossed several arguments in a conservative Christian group's suit for reinstatement by the University of California Hastings College of the Law. The Hastings Christian Fellowship was allegedly denied recognition as a student organization after it informed officials that it would exclude members on the basis of religion and sexual orientation, in contravention of the school's non-discrimination policy. Despite the recent ruling, though, its constitutional arguments are expected to be litigated when the suit returns to court, as scheduled, in early October.