Retired Rear Admiral Donald J. Guter was named dean of Duquesne University Law School yesterday. The appointment is effective Aug. 1.

Guter, 56, a Latrobe native, returns to head the law school from which he graduated in 1977, Duquesne President Charles Dougherty said. Guter succeeds Nicholas Cafardi, who will assume the Joseph Katarincic Endowed Chair in Legal Process and Civil Procedure.

"I'm just very excited about it," said Guter. "My first priorities include getting to know each and every student, forming relationships with faculty and enhancing the school's interaction with our many esteemed alumni."

Guter is known largely for a career in the Navy that began in 1970. Between 1977 and 2000, he served as deputy judge advocate general and commander of the Naval Legal Service Command. He also headed the Naval Justice School.

In 2000, he became the Navy's 37th judge advocate general, a position in which he advised the secretary of the Navy, chief of naval operations and other top government leaders on legal issues. He oversaw 1,800 active duty, reserve and civilian lawyers as well as 1,000 paralegals.

He retired from the Navy in 2002. Currently, he is chief executive officer with Vinson Hall Corp., a nonprofit continuing-care retirement community in McLean, Va. He is also executive director of the Navy Marine Coast Guard Residence Foundation.

The University of Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is continuing its own search for a new law school dean.