Dean Erwin Chemerinsky

Erwin Chemerinsky is the founding dean and distinguished professor of law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, with a joint appointment in Political Science.

Previously, he taught at Duke Law School for four years, during which he won the Duke University Scholar-Teacher of the Year Award in 2006. Before that he taught for 21 years at the University of Southern California School of Law, and served for four years as director of the Center for Communications Law and Policy. Chemerinsky has also taught at UCLA School of Law and DePaul University College of Law.

His areas of expertise are constitutional law, federal practice, civil rights and civil liberties, and appellate litigation. He is the author of seven books, most recently, The Conservative Assault on the Constitution (October 2010, Simon & Schuster), and nearly 200 articles in top law reviews. He frequently argues cases before the nation's highest courts, and also serves as a commentator on legal issues for national and local media.
Chemerinsky holds a law degree from Harvard Law School and a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University.

Expertise: Constitutional law, federal practice, civil rights and civil liberties, appellate litigation

Current Courses: Constitutional Analysis, Capstone: Free Speech Rights on College Campuses

Prior Courses Taught: Federal Courts, Writing for the Law Review, Constitutional Analysis, First Amendment Law, Externship course