Nelson Tebbe
Jane M.G. Foster Professor of Law
Nelson Tebbe is the Jane M.G. Foster Professor of Law at Cornell Law School, where he specializes in constitutional law, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. He holds both a J.D. from Yale Law School and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School, giving him a distinctive interdisciplinary perspective on church-state issues. He is the author of Religious Freedom in an Egalitarian Age, published by Harvard University Press, and has published widely in top law journals. Before entering academia, he clerked for Judge John M. Walker Jr. of the Second Circuit and practiced at Davis Polk & Wardwell and the ACLU.
Teaching Style
Professor Tebbe uses a deliberate Socratic method that encourages students to think critically about the relationship between constitutional doctrine and political theory. He cold-calls frequently but in a collegial manner, guiding students through increasingly difficult hypotheticals. He is known for pressing students to consider how religious liberty claims interact with equality principles, and he values well-reasoned arguments over arriving at any particular conclusion.
Cold Call Tips
- 1Understand both sides of the free exercise vs. equality debate, as he will push you to defend either position
- 2Read the Supreme Court opinions closely, paying special attention to concurrences that address the religion clauses
- 3Be prepared to discuss how political theory concepts like neutrality and pluralism apply to First Amendment doctrine
- 4Review recent news coverage of religious liberty cases, as he frequently connects doctrine to current events
Areas of Expertise
Education
- J.D., Yale Law School
- Ph.D., University of Chicago Divinity School
- B.A., Brown University
Notable Publications
- Religious Freedom in an Egalitarian Age (Harvard University Press)
- Articles in Harvard Law Review, Columbia Law Review, and Virginia Law Review
Research Interests
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Constitutional Law, Federal Courts, Constitutional Interpretation
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Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Legislation and Regulation, Law and Political Economy