David D. Cole
Hon. George J. Mitchell Professor in Law and Public Policy
David D. Cole is the Hon. George J. Mitchell Professor in Law and Public Policy at Georgetown University Law Center, where he has taught constitutional law and criminal justice since 1990. He served as the National Legal Director of the ACLU from 2016 to 2024, and has litigated major Supreme Court cases including Texas v. Johnson and United States v. Eichman, which extended First Amendment protection to flag burning. He is the legal affairs correspondent for The Nation and a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books. The late Anthony Lewis called him one of the country's great legal voices for civil liberties.
Teaching Style
Professor Cole brings decades of Supreme Court litigation experience into the classroom, using the Socratic method to push students to think like advocates. He cold-calls methodically and expects precise doctrinal analysis, often asking students to argue both sides of constitutional questions. His classes are intellectually rigorous, drawing on real cases he has litigated to illustrate how constitutional doctrine operates in practice.
Cold Call Tips
- 1Know the key precedents on free speech and criminal procedure inside and out
- 2Be prepared to discuss how civil liberties claims interact with national security arguments
- 3Read his New York Review of Books pieces for insight into how he frames constitutional issues for broader audiences
- 4Practice articulating clear, concise legal arguments, as he values precision in oral analysis
Areas of Expertise
Education
- J.D., Yale Law School
- B.A., Yale College (magna cum laude)
Notable Publications
- Engines of Liberty: The Power of Citizen Activists to Make Constitutional Law
- Less Safe, Less Free: Why America Is Losing the War on Terror (with Jules Lobel)
- No Equal Justice: Race and Class in the American Criminal Justice System
Research Interests
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Constitutional Law, Contracts, Legal Theory
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Torts, Products Liability, Constitutional Torts, Legal Ethics
Business Law, Commercial Law, Economic Justice, Race and the Law
Professional Responsibility, Corporations, Legal Ethics, American Legal Profession