Emeriti
University Faculty
Gerald N. Rosenberg
Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Political ScienceBiography
Gerald N. Rosenberg’s work focuses on the interaction between courts, social movements, and the larger society. He has taught at Yale, Northwestern as the Jack N. Pritzker Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law, the National Law School of India University, and at the Law School of Xiamen University in China as a Fulbright Professor. He has served as a Visiting Fellow in the Law Program of the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University. He graduated from Dartmouth College, holds a master’s degree in politics and philosophy from Oxford, a law degree from Michigan, and a doctorate in Political Science from Yale. His work has appeared in the University of Chicago Law Review, the University of Virginia Law Review, Supreme Court Review, and other law reviews and journals. He has contributed to multiple edited collections and is the author of The Hollow Hope: Can Courts Bring About Social Change?, a textbook on American Government, and is the co-editor of A Qualified Hope: The Indian Supreme Court and Progressive Social Change. His awards include the Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the Laing Prize from the University of Chicago Press, and the Teaching and Mentoring Award as well as the Wadsworth Award from the American Political Science Association.
Education
Yale University
PhD, Political Science, 1985
University of Michigan Law School
JD, 1983
Oxford University (Christ Church)
BA/MA, Politics and Philosophy, 1979
Dartmouth College
AB, Government, summa cum laude, 1976
Experience
The University of Chicago
Emeritus Teaching Appointment, Law School, Spring Terms, 2021-present
Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science, 2020-present
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, 1992-2020
Lecturer, Law School, 1990-2020
Visiting Associate Professor, Law School Autumn 2006
Co-founder and Co-director, Law and Social Science Program, Law School, 2000-2002
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, 1985-1992
Dartmouth College
Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Government, Autumn Terms, 2021-present
India University
Visiting Professor, National Law School, Bangalore, India, September 2013-September 2014
Xiamen University
Fulbright Professor in Law, Law School, Xiamen, Fujian, China, 2002-2003
Northwestern University Law School
Jack N. Pritzker Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law, January-May 2001
Yale University
Acting Instructor, spring 1983
Publications
Books (Author)
- The Hollow Hope: Can Courts Bring About Social Change? (3 ed.) (University of Chicago Press, 2023).
- The Hollow Hope: Can Courts Bring About Social Change? (rev. 2nd ed.) (University of Chicago Press, 2008) (Chinese language edition, 2003).cu
- Thinkwell's American Government: A Mulit-Media Course (Thinkwell, 2001) (with Mark Rom & Matthew Dickinson).cu
- The Hollow Hope: Can Courts Bring About Social Change? (1st ed.) (University of Chicago Press, 1991).cu
Books (Editor)
- A Qualified Hope: The Indian Supreme Court and Progressive Social Change. (Cambridge University Press, 2019) (edited with Sudhir Krishnaswamy & Shishir Bail). www
Book Sections
- "Courts as Agents of Change," in The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Judicial Behaviour, Lee Epstein, Gunnar Grendstad, Urška Šadl & Keren Weinshall eds. (forthcoming). www
- "June Medical Services v. Russo on State Regulation of Abortion Clinics," in SCOTUS 2020: Major Decisions and Developments of the U.S. Supreme Court, Morgan Marietta ed. (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021).
- "Introduction: The Indian Supreme Court And Progressive Social Change," in A Qualified Hope: The Indian Supreme Court and Progressive Social Change (Cambridge University Press, 2019) (with Sudhir Krishnaswamy & Shishir Bail). www
- "Conclusion: Neither A Silver Bullet Nor A Hollow Hope," in A Qualified Hope: The Indian Supreme Court and Progressive Social Change (Cambridge University Press, 2019) (with Sudhir Krishnaswamy & Shishir Bail). www
- "Judicial Independence and the Reality of Political Power," in Readings in American Politics, Richard Valelly ed. (Princeton University Press, 2009). cu
- "Gerald Rosenberg and The Hollow Hope," in Conducting Law and Society Research: Reflections on Methods and Practices, Simon Halliday & Patrick Schmidt eds. (Cambridge University Press, 2009) (interview with Gerald Rosenberg). cu
- "Substituting Symbol for Substance: What Did Brown Really Accomplish?," in American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, Allan Cigler & Burdett Loomis eds. (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007). cu
- "The Politics of Consent: Party Incentives in Institutional Reform Consent Decrees," in Consent and Its Discontents: Policy Issues in Consent Decrees, Andrew Rachlin ed. (Policy Research Institute for the Region, 2006). cu
- "Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp.," in Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States, Kermit L. Hall, James W. Ely & Joel B. Grossman eds. (Oxford University Press, 2005). cu
- "Personnel Administrator of Massachusetts v. Feaney," in Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States, Kermit L. Hall, James W. Ely & Joel B. Grossman eds. (Oxford University Press, 2005). cu
- "Mobile v. Holden," in Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States, Kermit L. Hall, James W. Ely & Joel B. Grossman eds. (Oxford University Press, 2005). cu
- "The Impact of Courts on American Life," in Benchmark: Judging Courts in American Democracy, Kermit L. Hall & Kevin McGuire eds. (Oxford University Press, 2005). cu
- "Washington v. Davis," in Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States, Kermit L. Hall, James W. Ely & Joel B. Grossman eds. (Oxford University Press, 2005). cu
- "Skinner v. Railway Labor Executives Association," in Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States, Kermit L. Hall, James W. Ely & Joel B. Grossman eds. (Oxford University Press, 2005). cu
- "National Treasury Employees Union v. Von Raab," in Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States, Kermit L. Hall, James W. Ely & Joel B. Grossman eds. (Oxford University Press, 2005). cu
- "Housing Discrimination," in Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States, Kermit L. Hall, James W. Ely & Joel B. Grossman eds. (Oxford University Press, 2005). cu
- "Constitutional Cants," in Beyond the Republic : Meeting the Global Challenges to Constitutionalism, Charles Sampford & Tom Round eds. (Federalism Press, 2001). cu
- "The Sorrow and the Pity: Kent State, Political Dissent, and the Misguided Worship of the First Amendment," in The boundaries of freedom of expression & order in American democracy, Thomas R. Hensley ed. (Kent State University Press, 2001). cu
- "Hope and Despair - First Amendment Doctrine, Human Nature, and the Protection of Political Dissent," in The Boundaries of Freedom of Expression & Order in American democracy, Thomas R. Hensley ed. (Kent State University Press, 2001). cu
- "Courts and Social Change, I," in Encyclopedia of the American Constitution, Leonard W. Levy & Kenneth L. Karst eds. (Macmillan, 2000). cu
- "The Autonomy of Local Courts from Central Power: The U. S. Experience," in Justice and Self-Government, Virginia T. Salaberria ed. (International Institute for the Sociology of Law, 2000) (in Spanish and Basque). cu
- "Knowledge and Desire: Thinking About Courts and Social Change," in Leveraging the Law: Using Courts to Achieve Social Change, Peter Lang & David Schultz eds. (P. Lang, 1998). cu
- "The Irrelevant Court: The Supreme Court's Inability to Influence Popular Beliefs about Equality (or anything else)," in Redefining Equality, Neal Devins & Dave Douglas eds. (Oxford, 1998). cu
- "The Real World of Constitutional Rights : The Supreme Court and the Implementation of the Abortion Decisions," in Contemplating Courts, Lee Epstein ed. (CQ Press, 1995). cu
- "The Real World of Democratic Community: A Reply to Robert Post," in Democratic Community, John W. Chapman ed. (NYU Press, 1993). cu
Journal Articles
- "The Triumph of Politics: The Republican Party's Takeover of the US Supreme Court," 16 National Law School Journal 99 (2022). www
- "The Broken-Hearted Lover: Erwin Chemerinsky's Longings for a Mythical Court," 65 Vanderbilt Law Review 1075 (2016). cu
- "The Surprising Resilience of State Opposition to Abortion: The Supreme Court, Federalism, and the Role of Intense Minorities in the U.S. Politics System," 34 Saint Louis University Public Law Review 241 (2015). cu www
- "Checkmate Moves (reviewing Martin J. Sweet, Merely Judgment: Ignoring, Evading, and Trumping the Supreme Court (2010))," 74 Review of Politics 136 (2012). cu
- "Book Review (reviewing Martha Minow, In Brown's Wake: Legacies of America's Educational Landmark (2010))," 9 Perspectives on Politics 926 (2011). cu
- "Book Review (reviewing Mark C. Miller, The View of the Courts from the Hill: Interactions Between Congress and the Federal Judiciary (2009))," 126 Political Science Quarterly 151 (2011). cu
- "'Much Ado About Nothing'?: The Emptiness of Rights' Claims in the Twenty-First Century United States," 48 Studies in Law, Politics and Society 1 (2009). cu
- "Substituting Symbol for Substance: What Did Brown Really Accomplish?," 37 PS: Political Science and Politics 205 (2004). cu
- "Brown and Its Impact on Schools and American Life: A Dialogue," 19 Focus on Law Studies 1 (2004). cu
- "Across the Great Divide (Between Law and Political Science)," 3 Green Bag 267 (2000). cu www
- "Bringing Politics Back In (reviewing Lucas A. Powe, Jr., The Warren Court and American Politics (2000))," 95 Northwestern University Law Review 309 (2000). cu
- "We the People: Transformations," 2 Green Bag 209 (1999). cu
- "Civil Rights After Brown," Journal of Supreme Court History __ (1999). cu
- "Book Review (reviewing Laura Kalman, The Strange Career of Legal Liberalism (1996))," 7 Law and Politics Book Review 356 (1997). cu
- "Book Review (reviewing David J. Garrow, Liberty and Sexuality: The Right to Privacy and the Making of Roe v. Wade (1994))," 23 Contemporary Sociology 656 (1994). cu
- "The Supreme Court and the Attitudinal Model," 4 Law and Courts 6 (1994). cu
- "Book Review (reviewing Lee Epstein & Joseph F. Kobylka, The Supreme Court and Legal Change: Abortion and the Death Penalty (1992))," 87 American Political Science Review 1024 (1993). cu
- "Book Review (reviewing Frank R. Kemerer, William Wayne Justice: A Judicial Biography (1991))," 2 Law and Politics Book Review 89 (1992). cu
- "Book Review (reviewing Hugh Graham Davis, The Civil Rights Era: Origins and Development of National Policy (1990))," 102 Ethics 429 (1992). cu
- "Judicial Independence and the Reality of Political Power," 54 Review of Politics 369 (1992). cu
- "Do Courts Matter?," Law and Courts 8 (1992). cu
- "Book Review (reviewing Branch Taylor, Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-1963 (1988))," 100 Ethics 707 (1990). cu
- "Book Review (reviewing William Lasser, The Limits of Judicial Power: The Supreme Court in American Politics (1988))," 100 Ethics 706 (1990). cu
- "Book Review (reviewing Louis Fisher, Constitutional Dialogues: Interpretation as Political Process (1988))," 100 Ethics 458 (1990). cu
- "Book Review (reviewing Michael Davis and Frederick A. Elliston, eds., Ethics and the Legal Profession (1986))," 98 Ethics 212 (1987). cu
- "China 1: A Model of Growth for the People's Republic of China," 23 Simulation 133 (1974) (with William Brinton & John Wolfe) (Selected by Simulation as its most outstanding article of 1974). cu
Other Publications
- "Will the Supreme Court Create a Nation of Lawbreakers?," Project Syndicate, May 23, 2022. www
- "Preserving Segregation and White-Washing Racism (reviewing Anders Walker, The Ghost of Jim Crow: How Southern Moderates Used Brown v. Board of Education to Stall Civil Rights (2009))," H-Law, H-Net Reviews, April 2010. www
- "High Court Nominees: The Family Debate," Chicago Tribune, October 4, 2005, at p. 1-23.
- "What the Court Can't Do," New York Times, September 22, 1991, at p. 4-17.
Memberships and Professional Affiliations
- Division Chair, Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence, American Political Science Association Annual Convention, Washington, D.C., August 31-September 3, 2000.
- Chair, C. Herman Pritchett Award Committee (for the best book on law and courts written by apolitical scientist in the preceding year, awarded at the 2000 American Political Science Association Convention).
- Trustee, Farm & Wilderness Foundation (July 2008-May 2015)
- Bar admissions, District of Columbia (1984-present) (retired)
Awards and Honors
- Teaching and Mentoring Award, Law Courts Section, American Political Science Association, 2014.
- Wadsworth Award, American Political Science Association (for a publication ten years or older that has made a lasting contribution), 2003.
- Fulbright Scholar, Law School, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, P. R. China, August 2002-September 2003
- Visiting Fellow, Law Program, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University,Canberra, Australia, August 1995 - September 1996.
- Parsons Visiting Academic Scholar, Faculty of Law, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, May, 1996.
- Gordon J. Laing Prize, University of Chicago Press (for a book written by a University of Chicago faculty member that brings the greatest distinction to the University of Chicago Press), 1993.
- Llewellyn John & Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching,University of Chicago (1993).
- D. Francis Bustin Prize, University of Chicago Law School (1992).
- Law & Government Fellow, University of Chicago Law School (1989-90).
- John M. Olin Faculty Fellowship (1989-90).
- CQ Award for Paper Presented at 1985 American Political Science Association Annual Meeting.
Events
- Co-Organizer, Conference on the “Indian Supreme Court and Significant Social Change,” Columbia University Law School, New York, September 25-26, 2015 and University of Chicago Center in New Delhi, India, December 11-12, 2015.
- Member, Annenberg Commission on the Future of the Judiciary in American Democracy (2003-2005)
- Member, Planning Committee, Law & Society Annual Conference (2002)
- Member, Planning Committee, Conference on the Scientific Study of Courts (1994-2000)
- Division Chair, Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence, American Political Science Association Annual Convention (August 31-September 3, 2000)
- Member, Organizing Committee, Block Fund Conference on New Media Technology and Politics, Yale University (spring 1983)
University Service
- University of Chicago Press, Faculty Board of Publications, 1993-1995, 1996-1997, 2003-2006, 2010-2013.
- College Discipline Committee, September 2009-2016; Chair, September 2012-2016 (on leave, 2013-2014); Associate Chair, September 2011-September 2012.
- Review Committee, Law, Letters & Society Program, September 2016-June 2017.
- Search Committee, Dean, New Collegiate Division of the College, Spring, 2004, Spring 2007, Spring 2010.
- Chicago Teaching Program, Group Leader, Presenter, 1988, 1993, 1997, 2009.
- British Scholarship Committee, September 2000-2007.
- Council on Teaching, 1998-2001.
- College Council, 1992-1995; 1998-2001.
- College Standing Committee on Admissions, 1999-2003.
- Search Committee, Master of the Social Sciences Collegiate Division and Deputy Dean, Division of Social Sciences and of the College, Spring 1999.
- Council on Advanced Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences, 1992-1995.
- Goettler Prize Committee, 1985-86; 1996-97.
- Master of Liberal Arts Faculty Advisory Committee for the Social Sciences, 1992-1994.
- Mellon Foundation Fellowship Committee, 1992-1995, 1999-2000.
- Midwest Faculty Seminar, Paper Presenter, Group Leader: 1995 ("Cultural Pluralism and Deliberative Democracy"); 1994 ("Law & Social Change"); 1991 ("The Future of Europe"); 1990"Fundamentalisms"); 1988 ("The Constitution"); 1987 ("The Discourse of Gender"); 1986("Tocqueville's Democracy in America").
- Social Science Divisional Research Grant Committee, 1990-92.
- Truman Scholarship Committee, 1986-89.
Service: Department of Political Science & Law School
- Diversity and Inclusion Committee, 2016-2017.
- Target of Opportunity Faculty Search Committee, 2016-2017.
- Graduate Admissions Committee, 1985-89 (Chair 1988-89), 1998-1999, 2001-2002, 2007-2008, 2014-15.
- Graduate Prizes, Fellowships And Awards Committee, 1997-2000; 2009-2013.
- Graduate Placement Director, 1996-2000; 2004-2013.
- Co-Founder, Co-Director, Law and Social Science Program, Law School, 2000-2002.
- Founder, Co-Director, Workshop on American Politics, 1986-2002.
- Graduate Curriculum Review Committee, 1994-95 (Chair), 1999-2000.
- Director of Graduate Studies, 1992-1995, 1999-2000.
- Undergraduate Curriculum Review Committee, 1996-97.
- Graduate Fellowship and In-Residence Committee, 1988-89, 1992-1995 (ex-officio).
- American Politics Faculty Search Committee, 1986-88, 1990-93.
Editorial Work
- Faculty Board of Publications, University of Chicago Press, 1993-1995, 1996-1997, 2003-2006, 2010-2013.
- College Education Program Advisory Board, New York Times (1997-2003)
- Editorial advisory board, Law & Society Review (January 1998-2001)
- Editorial board, Law and Courts (1994-1995)
- Referee/Manuscript Reviewer: National Science Foundation; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; American Journal of Political Science; American Journal of Sociology; American Political Science Review; Comparative Politics; Harvard Law Review; Israeli Law Review; Journal of Health Politics; Journal of Law & Courts; Journal of Law & Economics; Journal of Law, Economics & Organization; Journal of Politics; Journal of Policy History; Judicature; Justice System Journal; Law and History Review; Law & Policy; Law & Social Inquiry; Law & Society Review; Perspectives on Politics; Policy Studies Journal; Political Research Quarterly; Political Science Quarterly; Polity; Rationality and Society; Review of Politics; Studies in American Political Development; Western Political Quarterly; Bedford/St. Martin’s Press; Cambridge University Press; University of Chicago Press; Congressional Quarterly Press; University of Missouri Press; New York University Press; Pearson/Longman; University of North Carolina Press; Oxford University Press; Yale University Press; W.W. Norton; Westview Press.
Other Activities
- Commentator, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (January-November 1996)