Program Book for the 250th Anniversary - Flipbook - Page 19
JERRY DICKINSON
Jerry Dickinson, a Pittsburgh native and Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, brings a dynamic vision to Pitt
Law rooted in a distinguished career as a constitutional law scholar, civil rights lawyer, community advocate, and politician.
As Dean, Dickinson is committed to enhancing Pitt Law’s academic excellence, strengthening its national reputation,
building ties with the local legal community, securing resources, and expanding opportunities for students to engage in
meaningful legal practice.
An accomplished scholar, Dean Dickinson specializes in constitutional law, focusing on judicial federalism, civil liberties,
state constitutional law, and the constitutional politics of the U.S. Supreme Court. His scholarship has been published in top
law reviews and specialty journals at law schools such as Yale, NYU, Georgetown, Penn, Duke, William & Mary, Washington
& Lee, Ohio State, Cardozo, Utah, and Baylor, and cited by federal courts, including the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Third
and Sixth Circuits, and in high-profile amicus briefs.
Dean Dickinson’s forthcoming book, The Bottom-Up Constitution: States and the Evolution of American Constitutional
Law, explores the critical role state courts, state legislatures, and state constitutions have played in shaping federal
constitutional law.
In addition to his prolific scholarship, Dickinson is a sought-after voice in national and international media. His commentary
and op-eds have appeared in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, USA Today,
Bloomberg, The Hill, The Atlantic, and MSNBC. Internationally, his work has been featured in BBC News, BBC UK, and other
global publications.
Dean Dickinson was a Fulbright Scholar in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he studied comparative constitutional
law at the Wits University and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies. Before entering academia, Dean Dickinson clerked
for the Honorable Theodore A. McKee, then-Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit,
based in Philadelphia. He practiced law at Reed Smith LLP in Pittsburgh, and also ran for the United States House of
Representatives in 2020 and 2022.
