Sandra Day O'Connor Professor of Law and Professor of Government
Areas of Specialization
Civil Rights Law; Law and Politics; Constitutional Law
Representative Professional Activities and Achievements
Joined the faculty in 1987. Served as Assistant General Counsel for the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights and Project Director for the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies.
Author of Shaping Constitutional Values: The Supreme Court, Elected Government and the Abortion Dispute and articles in the Chicago, Columbia, Stanford, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, California, William & Mary, and Yale law reviews. Co-author of Political Dynamics of Constitutional Law, The Democratic Constitution, and The Company They Keep: How Partisan Divisions Came to the Supreme Court. Editor of the book series, Constitutional Conflicts, published by Duke U. Press.
Articles
The Possible Final Word on Employment Discrimination Relief, Neal Devins
(1985-1986 Preview United States Supreme Court Cases 303-305 (1986))Accommodating Employees' Sabbaths: Is it the Government's Job?, Neal Devins
(1984-1985 Preview United States Supreme Court Cases 94-96 (1985))A Constitutional Right to Home Instruction?, Neal Devins
(62 Washington University Law Quarterly 435-476 (1985))Christmas Without Creches?: Can Private Nativity Scenes Be Banned from Public Land?, Neal Devins
(1984-1985 Preview United States Supreme Court Cases 265-267 (1985))In re Parochiaid: Church-State Wall of Separation Scrutinized-Again, Neal Devins
(1984-1985 Preview United States Supreme Court Cases 195-197 (1985))Religious Symbols and the Establishment Clause, Neal Devins
(27 Journal of Church & State 19-46 (1985))Residency Requirements for Attorneys: Home Is Where the License Is?, Neal Devins
(1984-1985 Preview United States Supreme Court Cases 64-66 (1985))The Trouble with Jaycees, Neal Devins
(34 Catholic University Law Review 901-918 (1985))A New Look at an Old Association: Will Today's Women Be Tomorrow's Jaycees?, Neal Devins
(1983-1984 Preview United States Supreme Court Cases 535-537 (1984))Are Residential Quotas Constitutional?, Neal Devins
(1983-1984 Preview United States Supreme Court Cases 309-311 (1984))Bob Jones University v. U.S.: A Political Analysis, Neal Devins
(1 Journal of Law and Politics 403-421 (1984))Diminished Luster in Escambia County?, Neal Devins
(1983-1984 Preview United States Supreme Court Cases 251-254 (1984))New Federalism in Education: The Meaning of the Chicago School Desegregation, Neal Devins and James B. Stedman
(59 Notre Dame Law Review 1243-1292 (1984))School Desegregation Law in the 1980's: The Courts' Abandonment of Brown v. Board of Education, Neal Devins
Standing and Adverseness in Challenges of Tax Exemptions for Discriminatory Public Schools, Thomas McCoy and Neal Devins
(52 Fordham Law Review 441-471 (1984))The 1965 Voting Rights Act: Some Wrongs Still Not Righted, Neal Devins
(1983-1984 Preview United States Supreme Court Cases 81-82 (1984))What Standards Apply When Freedoms Collide?, Neal Devins
(1983-1984 Preview United States Supreme Court Case 317-319 (1984))Who Is Injured when Racially Discriminatory Private Schools are Tax-Exempt?, Neal Devins
(1983-1984 Preview United States Supreme Court Case 357-359 (1984))Your Money or Your Wife's?: Social Security Changes Considered, Neal Devins
(1983-1984 Preview United States Supreme Court Case 195-197 (1984))State Regulation of Christian Schools, Neal Devins
(10 Journal of Legislation 351-381 (1983))Tax Exemptions for Racially Discriminatory Private Schools: A Legislative Proposal, Neal Devins
(20 Harvard Journal on Legislation 153-178 (1983))Tax Policy Analysis of Bob Jones University v. U.S, Charles O. Galvin and Neal Devins
(36 Vanderbilt Law Review 1353-1382 (1983))Blogs
Legal Scholarship Highlight: The Amicus Machine, Allison Orr Larsen and Neal Devins
(SCOTUSblog (November 15, 2016))Commentary on Marriage Grants: Article III & Same-Sex Marriage, Neal Devins and Tara Leigh Grove
(SCOTUSblog (December 8, 2012))Book Chapters
Same-Sex Marriage and the New Judicial Federalism: Why State Courts Should Not Consider Out-of-State Backlash, Neal Devins
(New Frontiers of State Constitutional Law 81-102 (James A. Gardner & Jim Rossi eds., 2011))The Supreme Court, Social Psychology, and Group Formation, Neal Devins and William Federspiel
(The Psychology of Judicial Decision Making 85-100 (David Klein & Greg Mitchell eds., 2010))The Constitution and Congressional Committees, 1971-2000, Keith E. Whittington, Neal Devins, and Hutch Hicken
(The Least Examined Branch: The Role of Legislatures in the Constitutional State 396-410 (Richard W. Bauman and Tsvi Kahana eds., 2006))Book Reviews
The D'Oh! of Popular Constiutitonalism, Neal Devins
(105 Michigan Law Review 1333-1351 (2007))I Love You, Big Brother, Neal Devins
(87 California Law Review 1283-1297 (1999))The Democracy-Forcing Constitution, Neal Devins
(97 Michigan Law Review 1971-1993 (1999))The Interactive Constitution: An Essay on Clothing Emperors and Searching for Constitutional Truth, Neal Devins
(85 Georgetown Law Journal 691-714 (1997))Government Lawyers and the New Deal, Neal Devins
(96 Columbia Law Review 237-267 (1996))The Countermajoritarian Paradox, Neal Devins
(93 Michigan Law Review 1433-1459 (1995))Through the Looking Glass: What Abortion Teaches Us About American Politics, Neal Devins
(94 Columbia Law Review 293-330 (1994))Group Versus Individuals, Neal Devins
(1992 Public Interest Law Review 115-120)Judicial Matters, Neal Devins
(80 California Law Review 1027-1069 (1992))The Civil Rights Hydra, Neal Devins
(89 Michigan Law Review 1723-1765 (1991))Gender Justice and its Critics, Neal Devins
(76 California Law Review 1377-1406 (1988))The Constitution Between Friends, Neal Devins
(67 Texas Law Review 213-230 (1988))Centralization in Education: Why Johnny Can't Spell Bureaucracy, Neal Devins
(75 California Law Review 759-784 (1987))Book Review of The Supreme Court and Constitutional Democracy, Neal Devins
(54 George Washington Law Review 661-670 (1986))Defining Effective Civil Rights Enforcement in Education, Neal Devins
(86 Columbia Law Review 1093-1102 (1986))On the Limits of Court-ordered Social Change: A Critical Look at Dimond's Beyond Busing, Neal Devins
(1986 American Bar Foundation Research Journal 559-569)Book Review of The Second American Revolution, Neal Devins
(11 Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly 505-521 (1985))Integration and Local Politics, Neal Devins
(73 The Public Interest 175-180 (1983))Conference Proceedings
Judging Hard Cases (recording), Institute of Bill of Rights Law, William & Mary Law School; Neal Devins; Pam Harris; Stephanos Bibas; Kevin Newsom; and Toby Heytens
(2022-2023 Supreme Court Preview session recording)Congressional Testimony
Congress, the Court, and the Constitution: Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Constitution of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifth Congress, Second Session, Charles T. Canady, Robert C. Scott, Louis Fisher, David P. Currie, Neal Devins, Neil Kinkopf, Nadine Strossen, Matthew J. Franck, Robert L. Clinton, Henry J. Hyde, and Melvin L. Watt
The Line Item Veto: Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Constitution of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred First Congress, First Session, Paul Simon, Arnold Cantor, Neal Devins, and Louis Fisher
Editorials
Think State Supreme Courts Will Save Abortion Rights? Think Again., Neal Devins
(The Washington Post (June 22, 2022)) (New York Daily News (January 9, 2019))Strike Down ObamaCare, Says Justice Department, Saikrishna B. Prakash and Neal Devins
(Wall Street Journal, A21 (6/14/2018))The Federalist Society Majority, Lawrence Baum and Neal Devins
(Slate (July 6, 2018))The Hidden Silver Lining if Kavanaugh is Confirmed, Lawrence Baum and Neal Devins
(Washington Post (October 5, 2018))Ideological Imbalance: Why Democrats Usually Pick Moderate-Liberal Justices and Republicans Usually Pick Conservative Ones, Lawrence Baum and Neal Devins
(Slate (March 17, 2016))Revolt of the Attorneys General, Neal Devins and Saikrishna B. Prakash
(Los Angeles Times, Part A, 17 (April 18, 2016)) (Slate (January 13, 2014))Sign Them Up, Neal Devins
(Legal Times, 24 July 2000 at 62)Don't Rush the Court, Neal Devins and Michael A. Fitts
(The New York Times, February 16, 1998 at A15)Line Drawing, Neal Devins
(The Washington Post, June 16, 1990 at A21)The Civil Rights Commission Backslides, Neal Devins
(The Wall Street Journal, October 19, 1990 at A14)A Welcome Retreat from Government by Consent Decree, Neal Devins
(The Wall Street Journal, April 10, 1986 at 32)Can a Unitary District Choose Neighborhood Schools?, Neal Devins
(Education Week, (May 15, 1955) at 17)Federal Courts are Becoming Reluctant to Take the Lead in Civil Rights Reform, Neal Devins
(Chronicle of Higher Education (November 28, 1984) at 88)N.H. Bar's Residency Requirement Faces a Constitutional Challenge, Neal Devins
(The National Law Journal, November 12, 1984 at 24-25)Seniority Rights vs. Racial Quotas, Neal Devins
(Christian Science Monitor (August 22, 1984) at 14)Who's to Blame for Judicial Activism?, Neal Devins
(The Wall Street Journal, April 17, 1984 at 34)Fundamentalist Schools vs. the Regulators, Neal Devins
(The Wall Street Journal, April 14, 1983 at 28)The Bob Jones Case - Over to Congress, Neal Devins
(Christian Science Monitor (June 29, 1983) at 23)The Injustice of the Death Penalty, Neal Devins and Roy Brasfield Herron
(Christian Science Monitor (April 20, 1983) at 23)Fundamentalist Schools and the Law, Neal Devins
(Christian Science Monitor (September 22, 1982) at 23)How Secular is Georgetown University?, Neal Devins
(The Washington Post, September 12, 1982 at B8)Is the Supreme Court on the Reagan Team?, Neal Devins
(Christian Science Monitor (November 3, 1982) at 22)Reagan, Discrimination and Private Schools, Neal Devins
(The Wall Street Journal, February 2, 1982 at 30)Encyclopedia Entries
Congressional Responses to Judicial Decisions, Neal Devins
(Encyclopedia of the Supreme Court 400-403 (Mark Graber et al. eds., Gale MacMillan 2008))Bob Jones University v. United States 461 U.S. 574 (1983), Neal Devins
(1 Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties 158-159 (Paul Finkelman ed., Routledge Press 2006).)Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, Neal Devins
(Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States 1115 (K. Hall ed., Oxford University Press 2005))Bob Jones University v. United States 461 U.S. 574 (1983), Neal Devins
(Religion and American Law: An Encyclopedia 50-52 (Paul Finkelman ed., Garland 2000))Clinton, William Jefferson (1946- ), Neal Devins
(1 Encyclopedia of the American Constitution 431-433 (Leonard Levy et. al eds., Macmillan 2000))State Regulation of Religious Education, Neal Devins
(Religion and American Law: An Encyclopedia 470-474 (Paul Finkelman ed., Garland 2000))Affirmative Action, Neal Devins
(1 Encyclopedia of the American Presidency 34-36 (Leonard Levy & Louis Fisher eds., Simon & Schuster 1994))Appropriation Riders, Neal Devins
(1 Encyclopedia of the American Presidency 67-69 (Leonard Levy & Louis Fisher eds., Simon & Schuster 1994))Civil Rights Act of 1991, Neal Devins
(1 Encyclopedia of the American Presidency 211-212 (Leonard Levy & Louis Fisher eds., Simon & Schuster 1994).)Continuing Resolutions, Neal Devins
(1 Encyclopedia of the American Presidency 306-307 (Leonard Levy & Louis Fisher eds., Simon & Schuster 1994))Philadelphia Plan, Neal Devins
(3 Encyclopedia of the American Presidency 1163-1164 (Leonard Levy & Louis Fisher eds., Simon & Schuster 1994))Interviews
Are Federal Judges More Likely to Side with Presidents Who Appoint Them?, Ayesha Rascoe and Neal Devins
(NPR (September 11, 2022))The Erosion of Congressional Checks on Presidential Power, Neal Devins
(The Cipher Brief (January 20, 2017))The Politicization and Polarization of the US Supreme Court, Neal Devins
(The Kathleen Dunn Show, Wisconsin Public Radio (NPR) (May 20, 2014))Magazine Articles
Federalist Court: How the Federalist Society Became the De Facto Selector of Republican Supreme Court Justices, Lawrence Baum and Neal Devins
(Slate (January 31, 2017))Split Definitive, Lawrence Baum and Neal Devins
(The Slate (November 11, 2011))A Loss of Control: Privilege Cases Diminish Presidential Power, Neal Devins
(84 ABA Journal 26-27 (October 1998))The Last Word Debate: How Social and Political Forces Shape Constitutional Values, Neal Devins
(83 ABA Journal 46-50 (October 1997))Don't Write off the Reagan Social Agenda, Neal Devins
(73 ABA Journal 42-46 (February, 1987))Fighting for the Fourth "R", Neal Devins
(12 Human Rights 33-35, 52-54 (Spring 1985))Reading the Establishment Clause, Neal Devins
(Commonweal 492-494 (September 20, 1985))Closing the Classroom Door on Civil Rights, Neal Devins
(11 Human Rights 26-29, 44-50 (Winter 1984))The Supreme Court and Private Schools: An Update, Neal Devins
(This World 13-26 (Spring 1984))News
Lessons of Founding Fatherhood, Neal Devins
(Chicago Tribune, November 16, 1991 at C21)Did the High Court Go Too Far to Make a Politically Popular Ruling?, Neal Devins
(The National Law Journal, June 20, 1983 at 13)Inconsistent Standards of Review in Last Term's Establishment Clause Cases, Neal Devins
(The National Law Journal, October 3, 1983 at 22-24)Newsletters
Plagiarism at Princeton: An Academic Judgment or a Discplinary Procedure, Neal Devins and Kent M. Weeks
(6 Lex Collegii 1-4 (Winter 1983))