Gregory P. Magarian
Thomas and Karole Green Professor of Law
Gregory P. Magarian is the Thomas and Karole Green Professor of Law at Washington University in St. Louis, where he teaches and writes about constitutional law with an emphasis on freedom of expression. His book Managed Speech: The Roberts Court's First Amendment offers a comprehensive critique of the Supreme Court's approach to free speech. He clerked for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge Louis Oberdorfer of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and practiced at Jenner & Block in Washington, D.C. He previously taught at Villanova University before joining the WashU faculty in 2008.
Teaching Style
Professor Magarian is a passionate and intellectually rigorous Socratic questioner who brings deep theoretical knowledge of free speech to his constitutional law and First Amendment classes. He cold-calls frequently and is known for pressing students to examine how the Supreme Court's free speech jurisprudence reflects broader political and institutional dynamics. His classes are lively and sometimes provocative, encouraging students to question established doctrines and think critically about the relationship between free expression and democratic governance.
Cold Call Tips
- 1Read assigned Supreme Court opinions carefully and be prepared to analyze how the majority and dissent differ in their approach to free speech
- 2Understand the major categories and tests in First Amendment doctrine, including content-based versus content-neutral distinctions
- 3Be ready to discuss how free speech intersects with campaign finance, religious liberty, and technology regulation
- 4Think about the institutional and political dynamics behind Supreme Court decisions, not just the doctrinal reasoning
Areas of Expertise
Education
- J.D., magna cum laude, University of Michigan Law School
- M.P.P., University of Michigan School of Public Policy
- B.A., summa cum laude, Yale University
Notable Publications
- Managed Speech: The Roberts Court's First Amendment (Oxford University Press, 2017)