After eight years at the helm of Stanford Law School, Larry Kramer, Richard E. Lang professor of Law and Dean, will depart the university this September to assume the presidency of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Kramer replaces Paul Brest, professor of law, emeritus, and former dean of Stanford Law School, who has served as president of the Hewlett Foundation since 2000. The selection of Kramer to head the Hewlett Foundation came after an extensive international search, chaired by Stephen C. Neal, JD ’73, chairman of Cooley LLP.

“When we began this search, we certainly didn’t think we would hire another dean of Stanford Law School to lead the Hewlett Foundation,” Neal said in a foundation press release. “But we were committed to finding the most talented, visionary person we could, no matter where he or she came from. … In conversation after conversation, Larry emerged as just the kind of leader we were looking for … .”

“This is an extraordinary opportunity and an equally extraordinary challenge,” said Kramer. “The Hewlett Foundation has chosen to take on some of the world’s most pressing problems—climate change, global poverty, education, and women’s health, among others. It’s audacious to think that we can make a difference given the scale and the scope of these problems. But we’ve also seen how the great work of the organizations that philanthropy supports can improve people’s lives. My job will be to build on that success and continue to find ways to achieve the greatest amount of good with the foundation’s precious resources. I’m so pleased to have been chosen to continue this important work, and I’m truly thrilled at the prospect of what we can accomplish.”

A committee has begun the search for a new dean. For more about Kramer’s accomplishments while at Stanford Law School, see our cover story, “The New JD“.