University President LAWRENCE H. SUMMERS answers questions from law school students yesterday.

Students at Harvard Law School (HLS) accused University President Lawrence H. Summers of ignoring student input in the school’s dean search at a meeting attended by more than 200 people last night.

The meeting marked the first time Summers has talked publicly with students about the dean search, which began shortly after HLS Dean Robert C. Clark announced his resignation last November.

Students said they hope that when Clark leaves his Griswold Hall office at the end of June, his successor will be more concerned with the quality of student life and recruiting faculty and students with diverse backgrounds.

Summers stressed that finding someone to keep HLS “an exciting place intellectually and professionally” is his top priority.

“The new dean will be a leader who can provide a vision for legal education at a time when the legal profession is changing in so many different ways,” he said.

Members of Diversity in Education: Action Now! (DEAN), a recently-formed activist group, called on Summers to appoint a dean who supports affirmative action and diversity at HLS.

The group also organized a rally on the steps of Austin Hall before the meeting.

At the rally, students criticized the administration’s response to racial tensions at the Law School before a group of more than 60 students—including members of the Black Law Students Association, Lamda and the Hispanic Law Students Association. Speakers called for the hiring and recruiting of more professors of color.

One participant also said HLS students who are mothers should receive more support, asking administrators to reevaluate daycare options.

The meeting opened with the presentation of a petition, signed by more than 250 students, requesting that Summers consult students on the dean search.

Students told Summers that administrators at the Law School have not adequately responded to their concerns about gender, law and class.

Administrators value alums’ concerns far more than those of current students, they said, stressing that the new dean should focus on improving the quality of student life.

“I have found that alumni do not reflect fondly on their time at the Law School,” said one HLS student who said he helps with alumni telethons. “I want a dean who will focus on student atmosphere—and what we can do to make student life here more enjoyable.”

Other students decried what they said was a lack of representation with the faculty and criticized Clark for not fulfilling his role as an advocate for students.

“It seems like fundraising is Clark’s priority, but as a result he is always off with alumni and is never around to listen to student concerns,” one student said.