Heather is Dean of Yale Law School, the J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law, and one of America’s leading constitutional and election law scholars. A pioneer of the “nationalist school” of federalism, her research explores democracy, federalism, diversity and dissent. Gerken is the founder of Yale’s innovative San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project (SFALP) and is widely recognised for her influential scholarship, award-winning teaching and impact on election reform. A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Michigan Law School, she previously taught at Harvard Law School and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter. Gerken is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has advised national policymakers on democracy and electoral reform.
