David Yellen. Courtesy photo

David Yellen, a longtime leader in legal education and the former dean of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, abruptly resigned as president of Marist College on Wednesday after three years in the job.

Yellen and university officials offered little explanation for his departure, raising questions among the Marist community over why, exactly, he left. In an announcement of Yellen's resignation, the school said he will take a sabbatical then “pursue other leadership positions in higher education.” A spokeswoman for Marist—a private liberal arts campus in Poughkeepsie, New York—described the move as a “personal decision,” without further elaboration.

Yellen did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday. In his departure announcement, Yellen said he is proud of what Marist achieved during his tenure as president. During his term, the school opened several new buildings, announced plans for a medical school, and opened a location in Manhattan, among other initiatives.

“I am sorry that I will not be here to see these things come to fruition, as I am sure they will, but I am extremely grateful for this experience and for the wonderful support I received from many at Marist,” Yellen wrote in the resignation announcement.

It appears the university had notice of Yellen's departure. It immediately announced that Yellen's predecessor, Dennis Murray, would assume the presidency on an interim basis. Murray had led Marist for 37 years before he stepped down in 2016, and he maintained the title of president emeritus and stayed active on the campus afterward.

Yellen came to Marist after a long career in legal education. While dean at Loyola Chicago, Yellen was one of the leading voices within the legal academy, blogging on law school issues and speaking publicly about the state of legal education. He was also active in the American Bar Association's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. He was an early advocate of more flexibility for law schools among the ABA's accreditation standards. For example, he championed the idea of dropping the requirement that law schools use the LSAT in admissions, as well as the requirement that schools have tenured faculty. Even at Marist, Yellen stayed abreast of legal education developments, commenting on changes to the ABA's admission test requirements and law school closures.)

Yellen also launched several innovative programs at Loyola Chicago, including the addition of a weekend J.D. program and specialty programs in health law. He previously was dean at the Hofstra University Maurice A. Deane School of Law.

In the announcement of his departure, Marist said Yellen was “pivotal in guiding the college in bold new directions.” Yellen's wife, Leslie Richards-Yellen, is director of inclusion for the Americas at the global law firm Hogan Lovells

“We wish David and Leslie the best as they embark on this new chapter in their lives,” said Ross Mauri, chair of Marist's board of trustees.