Grimm’s term will end in December 2025; Duke Law has launched a search for his successor.
Paul W. Grimm, the David F. Levi Professor of the Practice of Law and Director of the Bolch Judicial Institute, has announced he will step down from his position when his term concludes at the end of 2025. Grimm, a 2016 graduate of Duke Law’s Master of Judicial Studies program, came to the Institute in 2023 after serving 25 years on the federal bench, including 10 years as a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Maryland.
“Under Judge Grimm’s leadership, the Bolch Judicial Institute has expanded its position as a leading force in defending the rule of law and judicial independence,” said Kerry Abrams, the James B. Duke and Benjamin N. Duke Dean of the School of Law. “He has helped strengthen connections between scholars and judges in ways that have advanced and improved ideas for addressing the challenges judges and courts face. And his pioneering work at the intersection of law and technology continues to provide important insights for the judiciary and the academy. I look forward to working closely with the next director to build on Judge Grimm’s remarkable vision and legacy.”
“He has helped strengthen connections between scholars and judges in ways that have advanced and improved ideas for addressing the challenges judges and courts face.” —Kerry Abrams
Duke Law School has launched a search for a new director of the Bolch Judicial Institute, which studies and advances rule-of-law principles, judicial independence, and law reform through technology and innovation. The job description for the position is available here. Interested candidates may contact Duke Law Professor Marin Levy, academic director of the Bolch Judicial Institute and chair of the search committee, for more information.
“From the day I assumed the position of director, I was warmly welcomed by everyone in the Duke Law family — faculty, administration, staff, and students. I have had the opportunity to work alongside an inspirational Dean and an amazing faculty, the privilege of teaching our remarkable students, and the honor of working on important and challenging matters with the staff of the Bolch Judicial Institute, the most talented, dedicated, and cohesive team I have ever seen,” said Grimm. “If I enjoyed any success, it was because I had their support and assistance all the way. I will forever be grateful for this, and I will miss the Duke Law family more than I can express.”
“If I enjoyed any success, it was because I had their support and assistance all the way. I will forever be grateful for this.” —Paul W. Grimm
Under Grimm’s leadership, the Institute received an historic $10 million gift from RaceTrac, a 90-year-old Atlanta-based convenience store leader, honoring the legacy of RaceTrac’s chairman emeritus, Carl Bolch Jr., and his wife Susan Bass Bolch, who established the Bolch Judicial Institute in 2018 with an inaugural $10 million gift. The RaceTrac gift will match endowment funds raised by the Institute up to $10 million, providing a foundation for the Institute’s future and continued growth, impact, and leadership.
Grimm also developed the Institute’s “Defending the Judiciary” initiative to help defend judges and the judiciary from a growing wave of unfair and inappropriate attacks that threaten judicial independence and diminish public faith in our judicial system. In collaboration with leaders from national bar organizations and the judiciary, the Bolch Institute hosted a first-of-its-kind conference in late 2024 to mobilize the legal profession in addressing the challenges judges face. Discussions addressed how judges and lawyers can confront online threats and disinformation, develop legislative efforts to protect judges’ safety, and support civic education programs that improve public understanding of the judiciary.
During his tenure as director, Grimm also has firmly positioned the Institute as a leader in legal reform at the intersection of law and technology. He has written extensively and taught courses and in programs at Duke Law and for lawyers and judges in the United States and around the world on topics relating to e-discovery, digital media, electronically stored information (ESI), evidence, AI in legal proceedings, and the implications of generative AI for the judicial system.
“It has been such a privilege to work with Paul,” said Professor Levy. “In all he does, he embodies the core values of the Institute, including a deep commitment to the rule of law and a passion for supporting our judicial system. From the courses he has taught to the programs he has developed, Paul brings an unbounded energy, matched only by his kindness and humor. He has been such an asset not only to Bolch but to the law school as a whole, and will be missed very much.”
“From the courses he has taught to the programs he has developed, Paul brings an unbounded energy, matched only by his kindness and humor.” —Marin K. Levy
From December 2012 until his retirement in December 2022, Grimm served as a district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, with chambers in Greenbelt, Maryland. From 1997 to 2012, he was a magistrate judge in the same court, serving as chief magistrate judge from 2006 through 2012. An elected member of the American Law Institute, Grimm served on the Advisory Committee for the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure from 2009 to 2015 and chaired its discovery subcommittee, which crafted, in part, the 2015 amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Grimm served both on active duty and in the Army Reserve as a Judge Advocate General’s Corps officer and retired in the rank of lieutenant colonel.
“Paul’s energy and enthusiasm, and most importantly his strong belief in, and commitment to, the rule of law mission of the Bolch Judicial Institute will be sorely missed,” said Peter Kahn, past chair of the Bolch Judicial Institute Advisory Board, a trustee emeritus of Duke University, and a member and past chair of the Duke Law Board of Visitors. “With his 24/7 focus on the work of the Bolch Institute, he made a significant impact in a short period of time. We are pleased that he will remain engaged with the Institute to continue to provide his expertise and warm friendship.”
“Paul’s energy and enthusiasm, and most importantly his strong belief in, and commitment to, the rule of law mission of the Bolch Judicial Institute will be sorely missed.” —Peter Kahn
Grimm’s impact extends to the students he has taught and mentored during his time at Duke.
“I had the pleasure of taking a course co-taught by Judge Grimm,” said Jake McAuliffe ’26. “The course was challenging, yet every student who came to Judge Grimm for advice left the interaction more inspired and confident. Judge Grimm regularly doled out sage wisdom with the passion of an orator and the insight of a psychologist. He inspired even the most jaded of students, prompting us to rediscover the passions that drove us to law school. He also tempered our passions with practicality, prompting us to think about the effects that our legal theories will have on those who come to the law for justice. Judge Grimm leaves Duke Law in a far better place than he found it. He will be missed. As will his ever-stylish bowties.”
“He inspired even the most jaded of students, prompting us to rediscover the passions that drove us to law school.” —Jake McAuliffe ’26
About the Bolch Judicial Institute
Established in 2018 with a $10 million gift from Carl Bolch Jr. and Susan Bass Bolch, the Institute provides unique educational opportunities for sitting judges in the United States and around the globe; conducts research and supports teaching and scholarship; and develops civic education initiatives to advance its mission. Among the Institute’s flagship programs are the Master’s in Judicial Studies LLM program; Judicature, Duke’s scholarly journal on judging; conferences and seminars that bring together lawyers, judges, and scholars to examine challenges and develop solutions for improving and advancing the administration of justice; and the Bolch Prize for the Rule of Law, which is awarded annually to an individual or organization who has demonstrated extraordinary dedication to the rule of law and advancing rule of law principles around the world.
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