BATON ROUGE - Alena Allen will step down as dean of the LSU law school at the end of the academic year, LSU announced Friday.

Allen is the first woman and the first Black person to hold the position. She has served in the role since July 2023 and will remain at the university as a full-time faculty member.

Interim LSU Provost Troy Blanchard said the university would conduct a national search for Allen’s replacement, who would start when she steps down at the end of the spring 2026 semester.

Allen is the fourth high-profile Black administrator at LSU to leave their position this year.

In June, the university’s first Black president, William Tate, left for the same position at Rutgers University.

In January, LSU’s first Black general counsel, Winston DeCuir, stepped down and accepted a one-year faculty position at the law school.

Kimberly Lewis, the university’s chief administrative officer, was asked to resign in February.  She has since accepted a job with Tate at Rutgers.

Allen’s departure leaves yet another top administrative job open in the LSU System.

Three other dean posts at its Baton Rouge campus are currently filled by interim office holders, and there are vacancies at president and provost.  LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport is also looking for its next chancellor.