Jeremy R. Paul
Professor of Law
Education
Princeton University, BA 1978
Harvard University, JD 1981
Harvard University, JD 1981
Bio
Jeremy Paul served as dean of Northeastern University School of Law from 2012 until June 2018. He teaches Constitutional Law, Property and Jurisprudence, and co-directs the University’s Media Advocacy program. A 1978 graduate of Princeton University, he received his law degree from Harvard in 1981. Before coming to Northeastern, Professor Paul served for 23 years on the faculty of the University of Connecticut School of Law, where he was dean and the Thomas F. Gallivan, Jr. Professor of Real Property Law from 2007 until 2012.
Professor Paul’s scholarly work has been published in the Texas Law Review, Michigan Law Review, University of Southern California Law Review and Washington Monthly. He is the co-author of the best-selling book, Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams, now in its second edition, and author of a widely used introduction to legal reasoning, “A Bedtime Story,” published in the Virginia Law Review. He is a frequent contributor to the legal and popular press, with articles appearing in the New York Law Journal, the ABA Journal, The National Law Journal, The Hartford Courant and other outlets.
In addition to his long-term career in teaching, Professor Paul served as a law clerk to Judge Irving R. Kaufman of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; as Professor-in-Residence at the Appellate Staff of the Civil Division of the US Department of Justice; and as assistant to the president of Travelers Group. He has also taught at the University of Miami and at Boston College Law School.
Professor Paul is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Connecticut Bar Foundation. He serves as editor of the SSRN Journal on Legal Education and was co-editor of the Association of American Law School’s Journal of Legal Education from 2014 to 2023. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the AALS Section on Empirical Study of Legal Education and the Legal Profession.
Fields of Expertise
- Constitutional Law
- Jurisprudence Philosophy
- Legal Education
- Property Law
Selected Works
-
Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams (Carolina Academic Press, 1999, second edition, 2023) (co-author).
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- “50 More Ways to Promote Scholarship within a Law School Community,” 68 Journal of Legal Education (forthcoming) (co-author).
- “Constitutional Spirals,” Northeastern University Law Review (May 13, 2021).
- “Saving the Canary,” 66 Syracuse Law Review 479 (2016).
- “Ask What the Bar Can Do For Law Schools,” New York Law Journal (April 18, 2016).
- “Changing the 'How' But Not the 'Why,'” New York Law Journal (April 20, 2015).
- “A Law Degree Is No Job Guarantee,” Letter to The New York Times (September 2, 2015).
- “Brain Surgeon Lawyering in Crisis isn't Enough,” ABA Journal (May 22, 2014) (co-author).
- “Theory Makes Successful Lawyering Possible,” New York Law Journal (April 21, 2014).
- “Why Young People Are Rejecting Law School,” The National Law Journal (November 25, 2013).
- “You Could Look it Up,” PreLaw Magazine (Fall 2013).
- “Tomorrow’s Lawyers’ a Compelling Read for Today’s Attorney,” Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (Septemer 18, 2013).
- “With All Due Respect, Mr. President,” The American Lawyer (September 5, 2013) (co-author).
- “The Role of Strategic Thinking in Legal Training,” New York Law Journal (April 22, 2013) (co-author).
- “Only Law Schools that Tackle Costs, Graduate Client-Centered Lawyers Will Survive — A Dean’s View,” ABA Journal: Law News Now (February 21, 2013).
- “If it Quacks Like a Lame Duck, Can it Lead the Free World?: The Case for Relaxing Presidential Term Limits,” 43 Connecticut Law Review 1097 (2011).
- “Reel to Real,” 75 University of Missouri-Kansas City Law Review 1177 (2007).
- “Beyond Reason and Interest,” 57 University of Miami Law Review 593 (2003).
- “Free States or Red States: The Supreme Court’s Role in Recent Election Law Disputes,” 35 Connecticut Law Review 1535 (2003).
- “Changing the Subject: Cognitive Theory and the Teaching of Law,” 67 Brooklyn Law Review 987 (2002).
- “A Bedtime Story,” 74 Virginia Law Review 915 (1988).
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- “Post-Truth Won’t Set Us Free: Health Law, Patient Autonomy, and the Rise of the Infodemic,” in COVID-19 and the Law Disruption, Impact and Legacy,” ed. I.G. Cohen et al. (Cambridge University Press, 2023) (co-author).
- “Social Determinants, Health Disparities and the Role of Law,” in Poverty, Health and Law: Readings and Cases on Medical Legal Partnerships, ed. E. Tyler et al. (Carolina Academic Press, 2011) (co-author).
- “Beyond Privacy: A Population Approach to Reproductive Rights,” in Social Issues, Welfare Consequences and Public Health Law, ed. J. Culhane (Cambridge University Press, 2010).
- “Pharmaceuticals, Public Health, and the Law: A Public Health Perspective,” in The Power of Pills, ed. J. Cohen et al. (London, 2006).
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- “Trump Hits Columbia With $400 Million in Federal Grant Cuts Over Antisemitism,” Bloomberg (March 7, 2025).
- “Dismantling Agencies and Firing Workers: How Trump is Redefining Relations with Congress and Courts,” USA Today (March 2, 2025).
- “Judges Have Issued Preliminary Injunctions Against Some of Donald Trump’s Executive Orders. What Does That Mean?,” Northeastern Global News (February 12, 2025).
- “White House Says It’s the Judges — Not Trump — Causing a ‘Constitutional Crisis’,” Associated Press (February 12, 2025).
- “Where Does Hunter Biden’s Pardon Rank in the History of Presidential Pardons? Pretty Low, Says a Constitutional Law Expert,” Northeastern Global News (December 2, 2024).
- “Hunter Biden Pardon 'Unprecedented' and 'Very Unusual,' Experts Say,” USA Today (December 2, 2024).
- “From Day One Donald Trump Will Be a Lame Duck President. Will That Just Free Him to Do Whatever He Wants?,” Verdict (November 13, 2024).
- “Is Biden To Blame for Democrats Losing in 2024? Did the ‘Transitional Candidate’ Exit the Race Too Late?,” Northeastern Global News (November 7, 2024).
- “Evaluating Elon Musk’s “America PAC”,” Boston University News Service (November 24, 2024).
- “Is Elon Musk’s $1 Million Giveaway for Swing State Voters Illegal? Legal Expert Says It “Really Puts Our System to the Test,”” Northeastern Global News (October 21, 2024).
- “How Could the 2024 Presidential Election Determine Supreme Court Retirements?,” Northeastern Global News (October 10, 2024).
- “With Joe Biden Out of the Race, Kamala Harris’ Path Forward ‘Will Not Be Easy,’ Experts Say,” Northeastern Global News (July 21, 2024).
- “Federal Judges Walk Ethics Tightrope with Clerk Boycotts,” Law360 (July 18, 2024).
- “How Will the Assassination Attempt of Former President Trump Impact the Republican National Convention?,” Northeastern Global News (July 13, 2024).
- “The President ‘Now Gets To Behave Like a King, or a Dictator,’ Legal Expert Says,” Northeastern Global News (July 1, 2024).
- “Supreme Court Rules Former President Trump is Immune From Prosecution for Official Acts Only,” WHDH News 7 (July 1, 2024).
- “Trump Immunity Ruling,” WHDH News 7 (July 1, 2024).
- “Massachusetts Officials React to Supreme Court Rulings on Abortion, Purdue Pharma,” WHDH 7News Boston Boston (June 27, 2024).
- “Louisiana’s Ten Commandments Law ‘Intimidating and Coercive,’ Says Legal Scholar,” Northeastern Global News (June 24, 2024).
- “Opinion: Judges Threatening Columbia are Way Out-of-Bounds,” The Courant (May 19, 2024).
- “Donald Trump Was Convicted Without Cameras in Courtroom. Should the Trial of a Former President Be Televised?,” Northeastern Global News (May 31, 2024).
- “Northeastern University School of Law Honored for Nine Years of Service to the Journal of Legal Education,” Journal of Legal Education.
- “Should Supreme Court Justices Be Flying Controversial Flags Above Their Homes?,” Northeastern Global News (May 23, 2024).
- “What Is a Constitutional Crisis? With Trump Waiting in the Wings, Could We Be Heading toward One?,” Northeastern Global News (May 7, 2024).
- “Of Course Trump Isn’t Immune From Prosecution,” The Hill (May 1, 2024).
- “Getting to Maybe: An Interview with Michael Fischl and Jeremy Paul,” 56 Connecticut Law Review 945 (March 2024).
- “Nudging the Youth Vote,” The Grassroots Connector (April 12, 2024).
- “State of the Union ‘A Win for Decency and Decorum.’ Republicans Keep Their Composure — At Least in the Chamber,” Northeastern Global News (March 7, 2024).
- “Supreme Court Keeps Trump on Colorado Ballot, Rejecting 14th Amendment Push,” 7 News Boston (March 5, 2024).
- “‘There Is a Point of Controversy’: Legal Experts Dissect Supreme Court’s Unanimous Ruling on Trump’s Eligibility,” Northeastern Global News (March 4, 2024).
- “How Should Social Media Companies Be Regulated? Oral Arguments in Texas, Florida Cases Rehash Theories, Draw New Battle Lines,” Northeastern Global News (February 27, 2024).
- Video: “The Constitution Bars Insurrectionists From office. SCOTUS May Let Trump Run Anyway,” GBH's Greater Boston (February 12, 2024).
- “Test Taking Tips from the Authors of the Bestselling Book Getting to Maybe,” The National Jurist (November 14, 2023).
- "Who Will Be the Next Speaker of the House After Kevin McCarthy? How Long Does the Process Take?,” Northeastern Global News (October 10, 2023).
- “Leaders in the Jan. 6 Attack on the Capitol Were Sentenced to About 20 Years in Prison. Was That Fair?,” Northeastern Global News (September 9, 2023).
- “Washington Ages, What Do Experts and Voters Think?,” VOA (September 12, 2023).
- “When Old Elected Officials Cling to Power,” Radio Canada (September 14, 2023).
- “Concerns Over Age Limits for Politicians Reignited After Mitch McConnell’s Second Freeze-up,” WRAL News (September 5, 2023).
- Video: “Q&A with Authors of Bestselling Book Getting to Maybe,” JD Advising (July 17, 2023).
- “After McConnell’s and Feinstein’s Episodes, Should Age Limits Be on the Table?,” NPR (July 31, 2023).
- “Professors Renew a Must-Read Exam Guide for Law Students,” UConn Today (July 31, 2023).
- “Snap Judgments: Lawyers Weigh In on What ‘Missouri v. Biden’ Portends for Content Moderation,” Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (July 15, 2023).
- “The Supreme Court Struck Down Affirmative Action. But Diversity on College Campuses Is Still Possible, Experts Say,” Northeastern Global News (June 29, 2023).
- “Paul’s Getting to Maybe Definitely Hits the Mark,” Northeastern Law News Announcement (July 7, 2023).
- “Former VP Mike Pence Reacts to Trump Indictment During Campaign Stops in NH,” WHDH’s 7News Boston (June 7, 2023).
- “The Supreme Court ‘Over-Protect’ Lynn Goldsmith’s Photo of Prince in Copyright Ruling Against Andy Warhol?,” Northeastern Global News (May 18, 2023).
- “Could Clarence Thomas be Impeached? Experts Say No,” Northeastern Global News (May 18, 2023).
- “Did the Supreme Court ‘Over-Protect’ Lynn Goldsmith’s Photo of Prince in Copyright Ruling Against Andy Warhol?,” Northeastern Global News (May 18, 2023).
- “Here’s how CNN can Reduce the Harm of Giving Trump the Microphone,” Press Watchers (May 3, 2023).
- “We Can’t Lower the Bar So Low”: Can the Senate Rein in a Scandal-Plagued Supreme Court?,” Vanity Fair (April 21, 2023).
- “11 Books To Read Before Law School,” Juriseducation (January 18, 2023).
- “After the Midterms, Don’t Expect Democrats and Republicans to Work Together, Northeastern Panelists Suggest,” News@Northeastern (November 18, 2022).
- “Heading to the Polls? Be Prepared for Disruptions, Long Lines, Experts Say,” News@Northeastern (November 3, 2022).
- “Will Biden and Democrats Be Able To Protect Abortion Rights Through Legislation?,” News@Northeastern(July 11, 2022).
- “Northeastern Faculty Experts React to Roe v. Wade Decision,” News@Northeastern (June 24, 2022).
- “Supreme Court’s Second Amendment Decision Demands Courts Look To History, Tradition,” USA Today (June 24, 2022).
- “Why Does the State of the Union Address Need a ‘Designated Survivor’? ,” News@Northeastern (March 1, 2022).
- “Can States Preserve Access to Abortion if Roe v. Wade Is Overturned?,” News@Northeastern (February 10, 2022).
- “What Does Justice Stephen Breyer’s Retirement Mean for the Supreme Court?,” News@Northeastern (February 10, 2022).
- “What Does it Mean to be in Contempt of Congress?,” News@Northeastern (December 16, 2021).
- “Who Else Could President Trump Pardon? Joe Exotic? Himself?,” News@Northeastern (December 4, 2020).
- “Making Supreme Court Justices Great Again,” Connecticut Mirror (October 12, 2020).
- “Often Cited During Trump Presidency, 25th Amendment Reemerges with President’s Coronavirus Diagnosis,” The Boston Globe (October 2, 2020).
- “In His Lies, President Trump Tells Many People Just What They Want to Hear,” The Hartford Courant (September 13, 2020).
- “COVID-19: The First Posttruth Pandemic,” American Journal of Public Health 110, no. 7 (July 1, 2020): pp. 945-946 (co-author).
- “Fighting Coronavirus Means Relying on the Truth -- Not Political Fiction,” The Hartford Courant (February 23, 2020).
- “President Trump has Been Impeached. Now What?,” News@Northeastern (December 19, 2019).
- “Did Giuliani Break the Law With His Ukraine Meetings?,” News@Northeastern (October 2, 2019).
- “The Problems of Living in a Post-Truth World,” Hartford Courant (June 6, 2019).
- “The ‘Choice’ is About Community: Op-Ed,” Connecticut Post (June 6, 2019).
- “Lawyers Don't Know Enough About Business. Law Schools Are Trying to Fix That,” Bloomberg Business (May 12, 2015).
- “There Are Too Many Lawyers, Say Law Firms,” Bloomberg Business(May 13, 2015).
- “School of Law Ranked No. 1 for Practical Training,” News@Northeastern (March 23, 2015).
- “Three Qs with Jeremy Paul,” News@Northeastern (Spring 2013).
Jeremy R. Paul
Professor of Law