Julie Underwood

Susan Engeleiter Professor of Education Law, Policy & Practice; Dean Emeritus of the School of Education, UW–Madison

Julie K. Underwood served as dean of the UW–Madison School of Education for over a decade. During her tenure, she increased the diversity of faculty and developed a more inclusive culture at the school. Well-versed in K-12 educational policy and an expert on school law, she served as associate executive director and general counsel for the National School Boards Association. In that role, she led a legal advocacy program on behalf of the nation’s public school boards which included producing friend-of-the-court briefs and legal strategies before the U.S. Supreme Court and lower courts. She was also responsible for the 3,000-member Council of School Attorneys.