An Interview with Lynda Butler

"This law school has a great community, with the students and with the faculty and with the faculty-student relations. You don't find that at a lot of law schools." -- Lynda Butler ------------------------------------ In this oral history, dated March 26, 2025, Professor Emerita and former Dean Lynda L. Butler gives us an overview of her 43 years of service to William & Mary Law School. Butler shares her experience as one of the first women to receive tenure at the law school, narrates the growth of environmental law from the 1980s to today, and speaks about her role managing the Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference for almost ten years. We gain perspective on the roles of Dean and Vice Dean at the law school—both positions Butler has held—and hear how the student body, admissions process, and student experience has evolved from the unique perspective of a long-term administrator. Butler’s devotion to professorship is demonstrated through her many scholarly publications and academic awards as discussed in the interview, and her passion for mentoring students shines through in her stories.