Norman Dorsen

About the Author

Norman Dorsen was a distinguished legal scholar, civil liberties advocate, and professor emeritus at New York University School of Law, where he directed the Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberty Program for over four decades. A leading figure in American constitutional law, Dorsen co-authored seminal works on civil liberties and served as counsel in landmark Supreme Court cases, including those advancing free speech and equal protection rights. His deep engagement with the judiciary is vividly captured in Of Courtiers and Kings: More Stories of Supreme Court Law Clerks and Their Justices (Constitutionalism and Democracy), a compelling collection that illuminates the inner workings of the Court through personal narratives from clerks and justices. Throughout his career, Dorsen influenced generations of lawyers and scholars with his commitment to democratic principles and rigorous analysis of constitutional challenges.