{"id":20362,"date":"2026-04-28T17:01:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T21:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=20362"},"modified":"2026-04-28T17:06:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T21:06:18","slug":"school-of-law-dean-jan-jurden-honored-with-official-portrait-at-delaware-superior-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/28\/school-of-law-dean-jan-jurden-honored-with-official-portrait-at-delaware-superior-court\/","title":{"rendered":"School of Law Dean Jan Jurden Honored with Official Portrait at Delaware Superior Court"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column20362_46ddcb-66 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column20362_46ddcb-66 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column20362_46ddcb-66 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column20362_46ddcb-66 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column20362_46ddcb-66 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column20362_46ddcb-66 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column20362_46ddcb-66 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column20362_46ddcb-66{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column20362_46ddcb-66 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column20362_46ddcb-66 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column20362_46ddcb-66\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p class=\"wu-subheading has-1-5-font-size\"><sub>Dean Jan Jurden\u2019s portrait will hang in a reception area at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington. (Courtesy of Delaware Courts)<\/sub><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recently, the Delaware Superior Court, Delaware Superior Court Historical Society, and the Delaware State Bar Association unveiled official portraits honoring retired President <strong>Judge Jan R. Jurden<\/strong>, dean of <a href=\"https:\/\/law.wilmu.edu\/\">Wilmington University\u2019s School of Law<\/a>, and the late <strong>Judge John A. Parkins Jr.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ceremony took place in courtroom 7E at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington, where members of the judiciary, the bar, family members, and colleagues gathered to recognize two former Superior Court judges whose service left a lasting mark on Delaware\u2019s legal community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Dean Jurden, the portrait honors a judicial career defined by leadership, service, and a commitment to the people who come before the courts. \u201cTo have a portrait placed in the Superior Court chambers is such an honor,\u201d Jurden said in her remarks at the unveiling. \u201cI receive it with thanks and humility, and with deep gratitude and appreciation for all those who made this journey possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHanging portraits of our past judges in our courthouses is a revered tradition in the Delaware Courts,\u201d Superior Court President <strong>Judge Eric M. Davis<\/strong> said in a statement from Delaware Courts, noting that Dean Jurden and Parkins each left a meaningful mark on the judiciary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dean Jurden joined Superior Court in May 2001 and made history in January 2015 when she became the first woman to be named President Judge of Superior Court. During her tenure, she served on the Complex Commercial Litigation Division, launched and presided over the Superior Court Mental Health Court, oversaw the Conflict Attorney Program, and presided over the Veterans\u2019 Treatment Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her leadership extended across some of Delaware\u2019s significant legal matters. She presided over high-profile civil and criminal trials, sat on the Delaware Supreme Court by designation on several occasions, and guided the Superior Court through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Dean Jurden, the portrait is a profoundly personal honor, one she accepted with humility and gratitude. In her remarks, she also reflected on the many people who helped shape her judicial career. \u201cAny work I\u2019ve been fortunate enough to do has never been done alone,\u201d she said. \u201cIt has always depended on gifted colleagues, dedicated court staff, mentors, friends, and family members who offered guidance, support, and grace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide wu-blockquote-row is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0067d638 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote wu-blockquote-simple is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cAny work I\u2019ve been fortunate enough to do has never been done alone. It has always depended on gifted colleagues, dedicated court staff, mentors, friends, and family members who offered guidance, support, and grace.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<cite>\u2014 Judge Jan R. Jurden<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She described the law as \u201ca profession of service\u201d and said the recognition recalled the people and institutions that helped sustain her throughout her years on the bench.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dean Jurden\u2019s career has earned recognition across Delaware\u2019s legal community. She was inducted into the Delaware Women\u2019s Hall of Fame in 2019, received the Honorable Aida Waserstein Award in 2022, and earned the Delaware State Bar Association\u2019s Outstanding Service to the Courts and Bar Award in 2011, among other accolades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before joining the bench, Dean Jurden practiced law at Young Conaway Stargatt &amp; Taylor LLP from 1988 to 2001. A U.S. Army veteran, she earned her law degree from Dickinson School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Muhlenberg College. She stepped down from Superior Court on Feb. 28, 2025, and was named dean of Wilmington University School of Law in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dean Jurden\u2019s recognition reflects the kind of leadership that continues to shape law students at Wilmington University. \u201cDean Jurden brings distinguished experience, judgment, and integrity to our School of Law,\u201d says Wilmington University President <strong>Dr. LaVerne Harmon<\/strong>. \u201cHer words at the unveiling reflected the humility, compassion, and gratitude that define her leadership. She reminds our students that the law is a calling rooted in fairness, responsibility, and service to others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ceremony also honored Judge Parkins, who served on Superior Court from 2008 until his retirement in 2019. A U.S. Army veteran, Parkins built a respected career in public service and private practice before joining the bench. Colleagues remembered him for his sharp legal mind, wit, and warmth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The portrait of Dean Jurden was painted by Chicago-based artist <strong>Sergei Chernikov<\/strong>. In accordance with court guidelines, Dean Jurden\u2019s portrait will hang in a reception area at the courthouse until her official retirement from the Delaware Bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For WilmU, the recognition carries special meaning. Dean Jurden\u2019s portrait now joins a courthouse tradition that preserves the legacy of Delaware judges whose work continues to influence the courts, the profession, and the next generation of lawyers.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u2014 Maria Hess<\/em><br><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dean Jan Jurden\u2019s portrait will hang in a reception area at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington. (Courtesy of Delaware Courts) Recently, the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":20363,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[163],"tags":[159,14,15,70],"class_list":["post-20362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifewilmu","tag-school-of-law","tag-wilmington-university","tag-wilmu","tag-wilmu-home"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":163,"label":"LIFE@WILMU"}],"post_tag":[{"value":159,"label":"School of Law"},{"value":14,"label":"Wilmington University"},{"value":15,"label":"WilmU"},{"value":70,"label":"wilmu-home"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jan-Jurden-portrait-unveiling-_-480x480.jpg",480,480,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Mckayla Imperatrice","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/author\/mckayla\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":163,"name":"LIFE@WILMU","slug":"lifewilmu","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":720,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":91,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":163,"category_count":91,"category_description":"","cat_name":"LIFE@WILMU","category_nicename":"lifewilmu","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":159,"name":"School of Law","slug":"school-of-law","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":716,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":15,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":14,"name":"Wilmington University","slug":"wilmington-university","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":571,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":358,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":15,"name":"WilmU","slug":"wilmu","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":572,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":292,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":70,"name":"wilmu-home","slug":"wilmu-home","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":627,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20362"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20362\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20371,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20362\/revisions\/20371"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}