Lexie N Zirschky

Lexie Zirschky (she/her) serves as Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Administration at Willamette University School of Law, where she works to create an environment in which students feel supported, connected, and able to thrive. As a member of the law school’s senior leadership team, she helps shape both the student experience and the broader direction of the institution, with responsibilities spanning student affairs, academic and administrative operations, ABA accreditation and compliance, and institutional planning.

At the center of Lexie’s work are students and the people who support them. She leads the law school’s student affairs, instructional support, and clinical support teams and works closely with faculty, staff, and university partners on everything from academic advising and student wellness to policy development and major milestones such as orientation and commencement. She also has primary responsibility for accreditation reporting and compliance and helps guide institutional planning and initiatives designed to strengthen student success and engagement.

Lexie also serves as a Deputy Title IX Coordinator, supporting students through difficult and often deeply personal circumstances and working with colleagues to promote fair, thoughtful, and equitable processes. Throughout her career, she has been particularly interested in the places where student support, institutional policy, and organizational change intersect—and in finding practical ways for institutions to better serve the people within them.

Before joining Willamette, Lexie held leadership roles at Lewis & Clark Law School focused on equity and academic resources, career outcomes, and public interest law. There, she developed academic support and equity initiatives, taught and designed a summer academic support program, advised students on academic and career paths, and built programs and partnerships connecting students with public interest careers, judicial clerkships, and other professional opportunities.

Lexie’s approach to higher education is also shaped by her earlier career as an attorney in public service. As Chief of the Civil Division for the Office of the Attorney General of American Samoa, she led a team of attorneys and professional staff, advised government agencies, and handled complex legal, regulatory, and organizational matters. That experience continues to inform how she approaches leadership, problem-solving, compliance, and the often complicated issues that arise within educational institutions.

An active member of the legal education and legal professional communities, Lexie contributes to organizations and initiatives including the National Association for Law Student Affairs Professionals (NALSAP) and the Oregon Bench and Bar Commission on Professionalism. Her professional service has also included significant work with the Oregon State Bar Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion and other efforts focused on access and belonging.

Lexie earned her JD, cum laude, from Lewis & Clark Law School and her BA, cum laude, from Wake Forest University. She is passionate about helping students find their place, develop confidence and a strong sense of professional identity, and build careers that reflect their talents, values, and goals.

Originally from the East Coast, Lexie has happily made a home in the Pacific Northwest. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening in Oregon’s forgiving climate and exploring the region with her family.