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Journalist in Residence Program

Drone of Law School


 

The University of Chicago Law School’s Journalist in Residence Program brings leading journalists to the Law School for sustained engagement with faculty and students on important questions in law, public policy, markets, government, and society.

Launched in 2026 by the Law School’s Constitutional Law Institute, and supported by a gift from Debra Cafaro, '82, the program creates opportunities for substantive exchange between journalists who explain complex issues to the broader public and scholars whose research helps shape understanding of those issues.

During their time at the Law School, journalists meet with faculty and students and participate in public and private conversations tailored to their areas of expertise and the intellectual life of the Law School. 

The program is designed to foster thoughtful dialogue about both the issues journalists cover and the ways scholarship, journalism, and public understanding intersect.
 

The Residency Experience

Each residency is individually designed around the journalist’s work and interests. Activities may include:

  • Public conversations with Law School faculty
  • Roundtable discussions with scholars 
  • Office hours for one-on-one or small-group meetings with faculty members
  • Participation in conferences, lectures, and other Law School programs
  • Small-group conversations and other opportunities for engagement with students
  • Engagement with scholars and programs elsewhere at the University of Chicago
     

Inaugural Journalist in Residence

Adam Liptak
Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent, The New York Times

Adam Liptak speaking with Professor Sam Bray during the Constitutional Law Institute's annual conference
Adam Liptak speaking with Professor Sam Bray during the Constitutional Law Institute's annual conference

Adam Liptak served as the program’s inaugural Journalist in Residence in April 2026. During his visit, he met with Law School faculty and students, held office hours for faculty members, joined Professor William Baude for a public conversation on the First Amendment at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, and participated in the Constitutional Law Institute’s Second Annual Constitutional Law Conference. The residency also included a faculty dinner and other opportunities for informal exchange across the Law School. 

At the conference, Liptak joined Professor Sam Bray for a wide-ranging discussion about the Supreme Court’s emergency—or “shadow”—docket, changes in how the Court operates, and how those changes are affecting the way journalists cover it.
 

Participation

Participation in the Journalist in Residence Program is by invitation. The program does not accept applications.
 

Contact

For more information about the Journalist in Residence Program, contact Erika Siu, Executive Director of Research and Academic Centers, at erikas@uchicago.edu.