Erwin Chemerinsky

Erwin Chemerinsky is the 13th dean of Berkeley Law and the Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law. Before joining Berkeley Law, Chemerinsky served as the founding dean and Distinguished Professor of Law, as well as the Raymond Pryke Professor of First Amendment Law, at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. He previously held the Alston and Bird Professor of Law and Political Science position at Duke University and was a professor at the University of Southern California Law School, including as the Sydney M. Irmas Professor of Public Interest Law, Legal Ethics, and Political Science. Chemerinsky’s academic career centers on constitutional law, civil rights, and the role of the courts in American democracy.

Chemerinsky is the author of 22 books, including casebooks and treatises on constitutional law, criminal procedure, and federal jurisdiction. His works include "Constitutional Law: Principles and Policies," "Federal Jurisdiction," "The Case Against the Supreme Court," "Worse Than Nothing: The Dangerous Fallacy of Originalism," and "No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States." He co-authored "Campus Speech and Academic Freedom: A Guide for Difficult Times." His scholarship is widely used in legal education and referenced in the study of constitutional law.

Chemerinsky has taught constitutional law and federal practice for more than 40 years and has argued seven cases before the Supreme Court, filing briefs as counsel or amicus curiae in numerous others. He has published more than 200 law review articles and contributes to the Opinion section of the Los Angeles Times, writing columns for Sacramento Bee, ABA Journal, and Daily Journal, as well as op-eds in newspapers nationwide. His public engagement focuses on translating complex constitutional issues for a broad audience.

Chemerinsky’s contributions to legal education and scholarship have been recognized with honors such as the American Bar Foundation's Outstanding Scholar Award, the Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize from the Anti-Defamation League, the Bernard E. Witkin Award of the California State Bar, and the Ramona Ripston Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Award from the ACLU of Southern California. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has served as president of the Association of American Law Schools. Chemerinsky’s leadership and scholarship continue to shape legal education and constitutional law discourse in the United States.