Aziz Z. Huq
Frank and Bernice J. Greenberg Professor of Law
Aziz Huq is the Frank and Bernice J. Greenberg Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School, with an appointment in the Sociology department. He clerked for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge Robert Sack on the Second Circuit. Before teaching, he represented civil liberties claimants at the Brennan Center for Justice and worked for the International Crisis Group in Afghanistan, Nepal, and Pakistan. His co-authored book on democratic backsliding has been widely influential in constitutional law scholarship.
Teaching Style
Professor Huq is a dynamic and intellectually intense lecturer who brings a comparative and empirical lens to constitutional law. He uses the Socratic method to force students to grapple with hard questions about democratic institutions and their fragility. He cold-calls frequently and pushes students to think beyond U.S.-centric frameworks, drawing on examples from Hungary, Poland, Turkey, and other democracies. His questioning style is probing but respectful.
Cold Call Tips
- 1Understand the structural provisions of the Constitution — Huq cares as much about Articles I-III as about the Bill of Rights
- 2Be prepared to discuss comparative examples of democratic erosion and what they reveal about American constitutional design
- 3Read current events related to executive power, judicial independence, and democratic norms — he frequently connects doctrine to the news
- 4Think carefully about institutional design and incentives, not just individual rights
Areas of Expertise
Education
- J.D., Columbia Law School
- B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (summa cum laude)
Notable Publications
- How to Save a Constitutional Democracy (2018, with Tom Ginsburg)
- The Collapse of Constitutional Remedies (2021)
Research Interests
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Constitutional Law, Federal Courts, Election Law, Conflict of Laws
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