Professor Jennifer Bird-Pollan Named Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Jennifer Bird-Pollan, a tax law professor who joined the faculty in 2010, has been named associate dean of academic affairs for the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law, starting May 15.



“Jennifer is committed to our academic program, our students and faculty success,” UK Rosenberg Law Dean Mary J. Davis said. “She has a wealth of leadership experience in our college and across campus, and I look forward to working with her.”

Bird-Pollan serves as the Judge William T. Lafferty Professor of Law and teaches federal income tax, estate and gift tax, international tax, partnership tax, corporate tax, and a seminar in tax policy. Her research lies at the intersection of tax law and philosophy, specifically regarding the taxation of wealth transfers and issues of sovereignty in international taxation.

In 2017, Bird-Pollan won the law school’s Duncan Teaching Award, which is presented annually to a faculty member who has excelled in the classroom, courtesy of the Robert M. and Joanne K. Duncan Faculty Improvement Fund.

Outside of the classroom, Bird-Pollan advises students working toward admission into Tax LLM programs, assists with the college’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Clinic, and serves as faculty advisor to the college’s Tax Law Society and Women’s Law Caucus student organizations.

She has guided students to success in tax moot court and writing competitions. In 2020, third-year law students Amanda Krugler and Scott Sullivan–with Bird-Pollan as their coach –were awarded first place in the American Bar Association’s 19th Annual Law Student Tax Challenge, J.D. Division.

Bird-Pollan describes making the transition to an administrative role as an opportunity to give back to the students and law school community. 

“I love being a law professor, and I love teaching,” she said. “Seeing students come to realize their interest in something new and different is a real joy. But serving as associate dean gives me a chance to think about some of the bigger picture questions at the college. I hope the students will see me as a resource for them with respect to their experiences in law school, but also as an advocate as they navigate their years at Rosenberg Law.” 

Before starting her work as associate dean, Bird-Pollan served as the 2014-2015 Fulbright Visiting Professor at the Vienna University of Business and Economics in Vienna, Austria. She has served as visiting professor at Indiana University Maurer School of Law, the University of Cologne, and Fordham University School of Law. From 2018 through 2020, Bird-Pollan served as chair of the University Senate Council, the central faculty governance body at the University of Kentucky.

She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School, a Ph.D. in philosophy from Vanderbilt University, and her B.A. in philosophy and French from Penn State University. Prior to joining the faculty at UK, Bird-Pollan practiced law as an attorney in the tax department of the law firm of Ropes & Gray in Boston, focusing primarily on partnership tax and non-profit tax law.

Dean Bird-Pollan said she is enthusiastic about the future of UK Rosenberg Law.

“Finally, being back in person in our beautiful new building, with Dean Mary Davis serving as dean, and our new faculty and students in place, there is such a feeling of optimism in the Rosenberg College of Law right now,” she said. “I am so excited to be a part of this incredible community!”