Akhil Reed Amar
Encyclopedia
Akhil Reed Amar is an American
legal scholar, an expert on constitutional law
and criminal procedure
. Having been the Southmayd Professor of Law at Yale Law School
, he was named the Sterling Professor of Law there in 2008. A Legal Affairs
poll placed Amar among the top 20 contemporary US legal thinkers.
(B.A.
, 1980) and the Yale Law School (J.D.
1984) and was an editor of the Yale Law Journal
. Amar clerked
for now-U.S. Supreme Court
Justice Stephen Breyer
when he was a judge on the First Circuit Court of Appeals
.
Amar is the author of numerous publications and books, most recently the acclaimed America’s Constitution: A Biography. The Supreme Court
has cited his work in over 20 cases, including the landmark 1998 decision in Clinton v. City of New York
, which ruled the presidential line-item veto unconstitutional.
In their book For the People: What the Constitution Really Says About Your Rights, Amar and Alan Hirsch introduce a variation on the four boxes of liberty theme often quoted by conservatives opposed to gun control. Discussing the American Constitution, they assert that the ideal of citizenship generates four "boxes" of rights. The first three are the ballot box, jury box and cartridge box. To these, with some reservations, they add the lunch box: the idea of a social safety net that supports basic physical and educational needs.
He was a consultant to the television show The West Wing, on which the character Josh Lyman
refers to him in an episode in Season Five. His course on constitutional law is one of the most popular undergraduate offerings at Yale College. Amar's younger brother, Vikram Amar
, teaches at the UC Davis School of Law
.
Amar spent the Fall 2010 semester as a Visiting Professor of Law at Pepperdine School of Law and was also named the B.R. Ambedkar Professor of Indian Constitutional Law at Columbia Law School
in April 2010. He has also lectured for One Day University
. He was a Visiting Professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School during the Fall 2006 semester. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 2007.
In 2008, U.S. presidential candidate Mike Gravel
said that he would name Amar to the Supreme Court
if elected President.
Amar graduated from Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, California
in 1976.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
legal scholar, an expert on constitutional law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
and criminal procedure
Criminal procedure
Criminal procedure refers to the legal process for adjudicating claims that someone has violated criminal law.-Basic rights:Currently, in many countries with a democratic system and the rule of law, criminal procedure puts the burden of proof on the prosecution – that is, it is up to the...
. Having been the Southmayd Professor of Law at Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
, he was named the Sterling Professor of Law there in 2008. A Legal Affairs
Legal Affairs
Legal Affairs was an American magazine that was launched under the auspices of Yale Law School, and which later became an independent non-profit venture with an educational mission. As the first general interest legal magazine, Legal Affairs featured stories that centered on the intersection of law...
poll placed Amar among the top 20 contemporary US legal thinkers.
Biography
Amar is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale CollegeYale College
Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
(B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, 1980) and the Yale Law School (J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
1984) and was an editor of the Yale Law Journal
Yale Law Journal
The Yale Law Journal is a student-run law review affiliated with the Yale Law School. Published continuously since 1891, it is the most widely known of the eight law reviews published by students at Yale Law School...
. Amar clerked
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
for now-U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Justice Stephen Breyer
Stephen Breyer
Stephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
when he was a judge on the First Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Maine* District of Massachusetts...
.
Amar is the author of numerous publications and books, most recently the acclaimed America’s Constitution: A Biography. The Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
has cited his work in over 20 cases, including the landmark 1998 decision in Clinton v. City of New York
Clinton v. City of New York
Clinton v. City of New York, , is a legal case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the line-item veto as granted in the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 violated the Presentment Clause of the United States Constitution because it impermissibly gave the President of the United...
, which ruled the presidential line-item veto unconstitutional.
In their book For the People: What the Constitution Really Says About Your Rights, Amar and Alan Hirsch introduce a variation on the four boxes of liberty theme often quoted by conservatives opposed to gun control. Discussing the American Constitution, they assert that the ideal of citizenship generates four "boxes" of rights. The first three are the ballot box, jury box and cartridge box. To these, with some reservations, they add the lunch box: the idea of a social safety net that supports basic physical and educational needs.
He was a consultant to the television show The West Wing, on which the character Josh Lyman
Josh Lyman
Joshua "Josh" Lyman is a fictional character played by Bradley Whitford on the television drama The West Wing. For the majority of the series, he was White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the Josiah Bartlet administration...
refers to him in an episode in Season Five. His course on constitutional law is one of the most popular undergraduate offerings at Yale College. Amar's younger brother, Vikram Amar
Vikram Amar
Vikram David Amar is professor and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the UC Davis School of Law . Before becoming a professor, he clerked for Judge William A. Norris of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and for Justice Harry Blackmun at the Supreme Court of the...
, teaches at the UC Davis School of Law
UC Davis School of Law
The University of California Davis School of Law , referred to as UC Davis School of Law and commonly known as King Hall and UC Davis Law, is an American Bar Association approved law school located in Davis, California on the campus of the University of California, Davis. The school received ABA...
.
Amar spent the Fall 2010 semester as a Visiting Professor of Law at Pepperdine School of Law and was also named the B.R. Ambedkar Professor of Indian Constitutional Law at Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
in April 2010. He has also lectured for One Day University
One Day University
One Day University is an adult education program founded by Steven Schragis and John Galvin in 2006. The program's one-day sessions feature four or five lectures by leading American university professors. Originally based in the New York City area, the program has spread to Boston, Philadelphia,...
. He was a Visiting Professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School during the Fall 2006 semester. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 2007.
In 2008, U.S. presidential candidate Mike Gravel
Mike Gravel
Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from 1969 to 1981, and a former candidate in the 2008 presidential election....
said that he would name Amar to the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
if elected President.
Amar graduated from Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, California
Walnut Creek, California
Walnut Creek is an incorporated city located east of the city of Oakland. It lies in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. While not as large as neighboring Concord, Walnut Creek serves as the business and entertainment hub for the neighboring cities within central Contra Costa...
in 1976.
Books
- The Constitution and Criminal Procedure: First Principles (1997) ISBN 0-3000-6678-3
- For the People (with A. Hirsch) (1997) ISBN 0-8078-3172-7
- The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction (1998) ISBN 0-3000-7379-8
- Processes of Constitutional Decisionmaking (ed. with P. Brest, S. Levinson, and J.M. Balkin), (2000) ISBN 0-7355-5062-X
- America's Constitution: A Biography (2005) ISBN 1-4000-6262-4