Daniel Epps
Howard and Caroline Cayne Distinguished Professor of Law
Daniel Epps is the Howard and Caroline Cayne Distinguished Professor of Law at Washington University in St. Louis, where he teaches criminal law, criminal procedure, and constitutional law. He is a nationally recognized expert on the Supreme Court who is regularly quoted in major media outlets and co-hosts the Divided Argument podcast. His scholarship at the intersection of constitutional law, criminal law, and federal courts has appeared in the Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, and Columbia Law Review. He clerked for Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III on the Fourth Circuit and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Teaching Style
Professor Epps is a dynamic and incisive Socratic questioner who brings his deep expertise in Supreme Court practice to bear on criminal law and constitutional law teaching. He cold-calls regularly and is known for posing sharp, carefully constructed hypotheticals that push students to confront the boundaries of legal doctrines. His classes have an engaging, almost conversational quality, but the questions build in complexity and students should be ready for persistent follow-ups that test doctrinal precision.
Cold Call Tips
- 1Follow current Supreme Court cases and be prepared to discuss how they relate to assigned materials
- 2Be ready to engage with theoretical arguments about criminal law and constitutional structure, not just case holdings
- 3Listen to the Divided Argument podcast for insight into how Professor Epps thinks about legal issues
- 4Prepare concise, well-organized answers since he values precision and economy of expression
Areas of Expertise
Education
- J.D., magna cum laude, Harvard Law School
- A.B., summa cum laude, Duke University
Notable Publications
- Co-host of the Divided Argument podcast on the Supreme Court
- Publications in Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, and Columbia Law Review