Renée Lettow Lerner is Donald Phillip Rothschild Research Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School.
Professor Lerner works in the fields of U.S. and English legal history, civil and criminal procedure, and comparative law. She advises judges, lawyers, and government officials from the United States and countries in Europe, Latin America, and Asia about the differences between adversarial and nonadversarial legal systems.
She writes extensively about the history of American juries. Her work includes not only scholarly articles, but also online publications intended for a broader audience of legal professionals and the public. In many different settings, she has debated the role of juries with other academics and with lawyers. She has a book forthcoming with Oxford University Press in the Very Short Introduction Series entitled “The Jury.” She is also working on a book about the American civil jury, from the colonial period to the present.
She is the author, with John Langbein and Bruce Smith, of the book History of the Common Law: The Development of Anglo-American Legal Institutions (2009).
Her recent writings include a book review of Amalia D. Kessler’s Inventing American Exceptionalism: The Origins of American Adversarial Legal Culture, 1800-1877, 67 J. Legal Ed. 888 (2018); “How the Creation of Appellate Courts in England and the United States Limited Judicial Comment on Evidence to the Jury,” 40 Journal of the Legal Profession 215 (2016); “The Troublesome Inheritance of Americans in Magna Carta and Trial by Jury,” in Magna Carta and its Modern Legacy 77-98 (Robert Hazell and James Melton eds., Cambridge University Press 2015); and “The Failure of Originalism in Preserving Constitutional Rights to Civil Jury Trial,” 22 William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal 811 (2014).
Professor Lerner received an A.B. summa cum laude in history from Princeton University. She was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, where she studied English legal history. At Yale Law School, she was Articles Editor of the Yale Law Journal. She served as a law clerk to Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the U.S. Supreme Court and to Judge Stephen F. Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. From 2003 to 2005, she served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice.
*****
A person listed as a contributor has spoken or otherwise participated in Federalist Society events, publications, or multimedia presentations. A person's appearance on this list does not imply any other endorsement or relationship between the person and the Federalist Society. In most cases, the biographical information on a person's "contributor" page is provided directly by the person, and the Federalist Society does not edit or otherwise endorse that information. The Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues. All expressions of opinion by a contributor are those of the contributor.
Young Legal Scholars Paper Presentations
Westin Washington DC Downtown999 9th St NW
Washington, DC 20001
7 Minute Presentations of Works in Progress Panel 2-A
Westin Washington DC Downtown999 9th St NW
Washington, DC 20001
Debate Night: Should Civil Juries be Abolished?
DC Young Lawyers Chapter
Crowell & Moring LLP1001 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20004
Learning from the Lerners: How to Be a Conservative in Law School
Patrick Henry Student Chapter
Templeton Board Room10 Patrick Henry Circle
Purcelville , VA 20132
Young Legal Scholars Paper Presentations
Featuring: Prof. Stephanie Barclay, "Constitutional Rights as Protected Reasons," Associate Professor of Law, Notre Dame Law School Prof....
The State of Law Schools Series Part 1: Discussion, Coercion, and The Pursuit of Truth: The Role of Law Schools in Promoting Civility
Recent events at a number of law schools have raised concerns about civility and respect...
Son of Liberty, Man of Law: John Adams and the Boston Massacre Trial
Watch our newest film “Son of Liberty, Man of Law: John Adams and the Boston...
Originalism, Populism, and the Second Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms
2019 National Lawyers Convention
On November 15, 2019, the Federalist Society's practice groups hosted a special session for the...
Originalism, Populism, and the Second Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms
2019 National Lawyers Convention
On November 15, 2019, the Federalist Society's practice groups hosted a special session for the...