Patricia Sánchez Abril never walked the halls of the University of Miami as a student, but her ties to and knowledge of the institution run deep.
A lifelong Hurricanes fan whose mother is a double alumna of the school, Abril grew up in Miami and would visit the University’s law library to study for the Law School Admission Test and later the bar exam. After a successful legal career, she became a professor at the institution, mentoring its students and taking on prominent leadership roles at some of its most esteemed schools.
Now, a new chapter in Abril’s history with the University has been written. The first generation Cuban American, Miami native, and Harvard-educated lawyer, whose academic and research career at the University spans more than two decades, has been named dean of the School of Law.
“This law school has a powerful foundation and an extraordinary community,” Abril said. "I’m excited to work together to expand its influence, deepen its impact, and prepare lawyers who are exceptionally trained, intellectually agile, and prepared to succeed in an ever-changing legal environment. The icing on the cake is doing this at the U and in my hometown.”
She had served as interim dean of the School of Law for nearly the past two years, and before that, she held several administrative roles that have given her extensive knowledge of the University of Miami and the landscape of education nationally. She has served as chair of the Business Law Department, vice dean of the Miami Herbert Business School, and interim dean of the Graduate School, where she oversaw all university-wide master’s and doctoral programs.
A prolific legal researcher in privacy and technology, Abril started at the University in 2005, teaching business law and ethics at the Miami Herbert Business School.
“Through our work with Dean Abril, we have seen firsthand her deep commitment to the U and her singular understanding of the priorities at the School of Law, which position her to envision its next chapter,” read a letter to the University community by President and CEO and President, UHealth Joe Echevarria and Joel H. Samuels, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, and a lawyer.
“As dean, she will guide the school’s academic mission, financial health, and external engagement with a focus on faculty excellence, student outcomes, and a keen eye on elevating the school’s national profile,” the letter said. “She will work to expand learning opportunities, deepen partnerships across the University and in the legal community, and accelerate innovation in teaching, research, and professional preparation. She will also play a central role in setting clear priorities, strengthening operational effectiveness, and fostering a strong, cohesive culture in partnership with faculty and staff.”
Echevarria and Samuels noted that Abril provided thoughtful leadership during her stint as the law school’s interim dean, working closely with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and leadership to advance academic priorities, promote student success, and cultivate a collaborative community.
During her time at the School of Law, Abril made a marked impact on the school, helping to secure a gift from University alumni couple Arlene and Wayne Chaplin that supports the transformation of a central space in the School of Law into a state-of-the-art facility designed to simulate a real courtroom environment.
“The courtroom is a powerful signal of not only investment in the School of Law, but investment in teaching innovation, helping us train practice-ready lawyers in innovative and experiential ways,” Abril said. “This space will also be a convener. As we have done for 100 years, this law school brings its many constituencies together for dialogue, advocacy, problem-solving, and community—all essential parts of legal education.”
She noted that over the last two years, the school has hosted three Supreme Court justices and many more distinguished speakers.
Under her leadership, the law school launched its new Miami Law and AI Lab, an initiative that brings together scholars, practitioners, and students in the fields of law, AI, computer science, and ethics to address the complex challenges and opportunities AI presents in the legal domain.
“In its first year it created new teaching and research technologies. It brought together students from across the University, and it’s garnered national and international recognition,” said Abril, noting that the National Jurist recently named the School of Law one of the top 10 most innovative law schools in the country. “And this is just the beginning, as the School of Law positions itself as a thought leader in the ethical use of technology in legal education and practice,” Abril said.
The many leadership roles she has taken on at the University will help in her new position as dean of the law school. “At the University, we value interdisciplinarity and the importance of thinking and working across schools and disciplines,” Abril said. “Through my leadership positions, I have been lucky to work with collaborators and thought partners University-wide, and this will help bridge the important work of the law school, which is inherently interdisciplinary.”
Abril attended Duke University as an Angier B. Duke Scholar and went on to Harvard Law School, where she served as editor in chief of the Harvard Latin American Law Review. When she returned to South Florida, she practiced corporate law and served in a legal and business affairs capacity at Univisión before joining the University of Miami as a faculty member.
She quickly became a noted scholar in her field, authoring several widely cited articles in privacy and technology in various prestigious law reviews. Her work earned her the international Academy of Legal Studies in Business’ Distinguished Faculty Early Career Achievement Award.
She maintains a thriving research agenda, publishing in such esteemed law reviews as the University of North Carolina Law Review and the Yale Journal of Law and Technology. Her most recent publication focused on the impact of AI tools such as ChatGPT on the practice of law. She is the co-author of a leading series of textbooks on business law.
Abril is also a recipient of the Faculty Senate’s Outstanding Teaching Award.
Active in her communities, she also serves on the boards of several local and national nonprofits whose work centers on education and access.
Abril’s entrepreneurial father, Ralph Sanchez, brought the first Grand Prix to Miami in the early 1980s. She credits her parents for being a big influence in her life. “I grew up in an inter-generational Cuban household that valued family, freedom, and the promise of education and hard work. My father was a visionary, and his fearless thinking has influenced me deeply.”
A combination of factors attracted her to the legal profession. “Law is among the noblest of professions, and those of us drawn to it tend to be extraordinarily mission driven with a passion for solving problems and seeking justice,” Abril explained. “Whether in the classroom, in the courtroom, or in research, our impact is creating knowledge and educating people to address society’s thorniest problems."
