Dennis J. Hutchinson (born 1946) is an American legal scholar. After beginning his teaching career at the
Georgetown University Law Center
The Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law) is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment and ...
, Hutchinson joined the
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School is the law school of the University of Chicago, a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is consistently ranked among the best and most prestigious law schools in the world, and has many dis ...
in 1981. Currently, he is the William Rainey Harper Professor at the University of Chicago, a senior lecturer in law, and master of the undergraduate college's New Collegiate Division where he directs the Law, Letters, and Society program. His interests primarily lie in the field constitutional law, paying special attention to issues of race. He is best known within the legal community at large for his work as editor of the Law School's ''
Supreme Court Review''.
Early life and career
Hutchinson graduated ''
summa cum laude'' from
Bowdoin College, studying briefly as a JD candidate at the
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School is the law school of the University of Chicago, a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is consistently ranked among the best and most prestigious law schools in the world, and has many dis ...
before attending
Magdalen College, Oxford, as a
Rhodes Scholar in Jurisprudence, where he graduated with a B.A. and M.A.
Upon returning to the United States, he completed his formal studies at the
University of Texas Law School
The University of Texas School of Law (Texas Law) is the law school of the University of Texas at Austin. Texas Law is consistently ranked as one of the top law schools in the United States and is highly selective—registering the 8th lowest ac ...
, where he received an
LLM
A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...
. Hutchinson then served as a law clerk to Justice
William O. Douglas
William Orville Douglas (October 16, 1898January 19, 1980) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who was known for his strong progressive and civil libertarian views, and is often ci ...
and Justice
Byron White
Byron "Whizzer" Raymond White (June 8, 1917 April 15, 2002) was an American professional football player and jurist who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1962 until his retirement in 1993.
Born and raised in Colo ...
of the
Supreme Court of the United States. His biography of Byron "Whizzer" White was a ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' 'Notable Book' for 1998. Hutchinson co-edited ''The Forgotten Memoir of John Knox: A Year in the Life of a Supreme Court Clerk in FDR's Washington'' in 2002, with David J. Garrow.
He was once married to Judge
Diane Pamela Wood
Diane Pamela Wood (born July 4, 1950) is an American attorney who serves as a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School.
After ...
, who sits on the
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (in case citations, 7th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:
* Central District of Illinois
* Northern District of ...
, and who remains an academic colleague.
Hutchinson was one of several law faculty members who were called upon by various media sources to provide commentary about President Barack Obama's tenure teaching constitutional law at the school, and was largely supportive.
See also
*
*
References
External links
*
''Booknotes'' interview with Hutchinson on ''The Forgotten Memoir of John Knox: A Year in the Life of a Supreme Court Clerk in FDR’s Washington'', September 8, 2002.Biographyan
CVat the University of Chicago Law School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hutchinson, Dennis J
1946 births
Living people
Law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States
Bowdoin College alumni
American Rhodes Scholars
American legal scholars
Jurisprudence academics
Georgetown University Law Center faculty
University of Chicago Law School faculty