Laurence H. Tribe
Carl M. Loeb University Professor and Professor of Constitutional Law
Laurence H. Tribe is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor and Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard Law School, where he has taught since 1968. The title 'University Professor' is Harvard's highest academic honor, awarded to fewer than 75 professors in the university's history. He has argued 36 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and is the author of American Constitutional Law, the most frequently cited legal treatise in that field. He has helped draft constitutions for South Africa, the Czech Republic, and the Marshall Islands.
Teaching Style
Professor Tribe is legendary for his commanding Socratic method, which combines intellectual intensity with a gift for making constitutional theory compelling. He cold-calls students and conducts extended dialogues that build complex constitutional arguments step by step. His classes are part lecture, part Socratic exchange, and students often describe them as transformative intellectual experiences.
Cold Call Tips
- 1Master the structural arguments in constitutional law -- Tribe emphasizes the Constitution's architecture, not just individual rights
- 2Be prepared to discuss the 'invisible Constitution' -- unwritten principles that guide constitutional interpretation
- 3Know the major Supreme Court cases inside and out, including concurrences and dissents
- 4Be ready to engage with both originalist and living constitutionalist arguments
Areas of Expertise
Education
- B.A., Harvard University (summa cum laude, Mathematics)
- J.D., Harvard Law School (magna cum laude)
Notable Publications
- American Constitutional Law (treatise)
- The Invisible Constitution
- God Save This Honorable Court
Research Interests
More Professors at Harvard Law School
Constitutional Law, Law and Religion, International and Comparative Law, First Amendment
Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Behavioral Law and Economics, Regulatory Policy
Environmental Law, Administrative Law, Energy Law and Policy, Climate Change Law
Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Mass Incarceration
Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Legislation, National Security Law
American Legal History, Constitutional Law, Property