Jane S. Schacter
William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law
Jane S. Schacter is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Stanford Law School, where she has taught since 2006. Her scholarship focuses on constitutional law, statutory interpretation, and LGBT rights, with particular emphasis on debates about the role of courts in a democracy. Before Stanford, she held faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin Law School and the University of Michigan Law School. She clerked for Judge Raymond J. Pettine of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
Teaching Style
Professor Schacter is known for her clear, well-organized teaching style that makes complex constitutional and statutory interpretation topics accessible. She uses the Socratic method with a firm but fair approach, cold-calling students to work through doctrinal puzzles step by step. Her classes emphasize institutional questions about the role of courts in interpreting the Constitution and statutes.
Cold Call Tips
- 1Understand the major theories of statutory interpretation -- textualism, purposivism, and pragmatism
- 2Be prepared to discuss the institutional role of courts relative to legislatures and the executive
- 3Know the evolution of constitutional protections for sexual orientation and gender identity
- 4Pay close attention to the methodological questions about how judges should interpret legal texts
Areas of Expertise
Education
- A.B., University of Michigan (History)
- J.D., Harvard Law School (cum laude)
Notable Publications
- Sexuality and the Law (casebook, co-editor)
Research Interests
More Professors at Stanford Law School
Constitutional Law, Constitutional Litigation, Voting Rights, Civil Rights
Intellectual Property, Patent Law, Antitrust, Law and Technology
Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Church and State, Separation of Powers
Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Sentencing, Law and Literature
Family Law, Employment Discrimination, Race and the Law
Constitutional Law, Election Law, Law of Democracy, Technology and Governance