Richard L. Hasen
Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science
Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science
Expertise:
Election Law, Legislation, Remedies, and Torts
Background:
Professor Richard L. Hasen is Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine. Hasen is a nationally recognized expert in election law and campaign finance regulation, and is co-author of a leading casebook on election law.
From 2001-2010, he served (with Dan Lowenstein) as founding co-editor of the quarterly peer-reviewed publication, Election Law Journal. He is the author of more than 80 articles on election law issues, published in numerous journals including the Harvard Law Review, Stanford Law Review and Supreme Court Review. He was elected to The American Law Institute in 2009 and serves as an Adviser on ALI’s ongoing law reform project, Principles of Election Law: Resolution of Election Disputes.
Professor Hasen was named one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America by The National Law Journal in 2013.
His op-eds and commentaries have appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, and Slate. Hasen also writes the often-quoted Election Law Blog. His newest book, The Voting Wars: From Florida 2000 to the Next Election Meltdown, was published in summer 2012 by Yale University Press.
Professor Hasen holds a B.A. degree (with highest honors) from UC Berkeley, and a J.D., M.A., and Ph.D. (Political Science) from UCLA. After law school, Hasen clerked for the Honorable David R. Thompson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and then worked as a civil appellate lawyer at the Encino firm Horvitz and Levy.
From 1994-1997, Hasen taught at the Chicago-Kent College of Law and from 1998-2011 he taught at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, where he was named the William H. Hannon Distinguished Professor of Law in 2005. He joined the UC Irvine School of Law faculty in July 2011, and is a faculty member of the UC Irvine Center for the Study of Democracy.
Prior Courses
Common Law Analysis: Torts, Campaign Finance: Law, Politics, and Policy (undergraduate), Common Law Analysis-Public Ordering (Torts), Election Law, Remedies, Legislation/Statutory Interpretation, Contracts
Recent Publications
- 2013 Supplement to Election Law-Cases and Materials, (5th ed. 2013) (co-authored supplement/responsible for half)
- “End of the Dialogue? Political Polarization, the Supreme Court, and Congress,” 86 Southern California Law Review 205 (2013)
- “Is 'Dependence Corruption' Distinct from a Political Equality Argument for Campaign Finance Reform? A Reply to Professor Lessig,” 12 Election Law Journal (2013)
- “Political Dysfunction and Constitutional Change,” 86 Drake Law Review (forthcoming 2013) (symposium) (draft available)
- “The 2012 Voting Wars, Judicial Backstops, and the Resurrection of Bush v. Gore,” George Washington Law Review (forthcoming 2013) (draft available)
- “The Next Citizens United? The campaign finance case at the Supreme Court next week will be big—or huge,” Slate, Sept. 30, 2013
- “Holder's Texas-Sized Gambit: Will It Save the Voting Rights Act?,” National Law Journal, Aug. 5, 2013
- “Will the GOP's North Carolina End Run Backfire?,” The Daily Beast, July 24, 2013
- “Court Due to Make a Second Trip Down the Aisle,” Reuters Opinion, July 16, 2013
- “Are the Liberal Justices Savvy or Suckers? They are playing to beat John Roberts at his long game,” Slate, July 1, 2013
- “The Chief Justice's Long Game,” The New York Times, June 25, 2013
- “What's Taking the Supreme Court So Long?,” The Daily Beast, June 21, 2013
- “The Supreme Court Gives States New Weapons in the Voting Wars,” The Daily Beast, June 17, 2013
- “A Constitutional Right to Lie in Campaigns and Elections?,” 74 Montana Law Review 53 (2013)
- “It's About the Disclosure, Stupid: The larger failing behind the terrible IRS treatment of Tea Party groups,” Slate, May 14, 2013
- “Same-Sex Marriage: Court on the Couch,” Reuters Opinion, March 26, 2013
- “The Voting Wars Within: Is the Justice Department Too Biased to Enforce the Voting Rights Act?,” Slate, March 18, 2013
- “Who Controls Voting Rights?,” Reuters Opinion, Feb. 26, 2013
- “After Scalia: Don’t Give Up on Campaign Finance Reform, However Hopeless It Seems Now,” Slate, Feb. 21, 2013
- “If the Court Strikes Down Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act,” Reuters Opinion, Jan. 30, 2013
- “Democrats, Don’t Freak Out! Why Fear that Republicans Will Gerrymander the Electoral College are Overblown,” Slate, Jan. 25, 2013
Recent and Upcoming Events
- July 10, 2014:
Organizer/Moderator, 4th Annual Supreme Court Term in Review Program, UCI Law - Jan. 28, 2014:
Speaker at Orange County Bar Association seminar “Voting Rights Under Fire? The Value of a Vote Post-Shelby County,” Newport Beach - Jan. 25, 2014:
Panelist, “Has the United States Supreme Court killed California’s initiative process or helped check its abuses?,” The Federalist Society 2014 Annual Western Chapters Conference, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library - July 19, 2013:
Organizer/Moderator, 3rd Annual Supreme Court Term in Review Program, UCI Law - April 6, 2013:
Presenter at “The U.S. Constitution and Political Dysfunction: Is There a Connection?” symposium at Drake Law - Oct. 23, 2012:
Speaker, Guest Speaker Series, UCI Law - Sept. 14, 2012:
Organizer, Election Law Symposium, UCI Law - July 17, 2012:
Organizer/Moderator, 2nd Annual Supreme Court Term in Review Program, UCI Law - July 13, 2012:
Organizer/Moderator, First Annual Supreme Court Term in Review Program, UCI Law
In the Media
- The National Law Journal: Prof. Hasen named to 100 Most Influential Lawyers list
- Talking Points Memo: Prof. Hasen comments on "sleeper" proof-of-citizenship case
- Los Angeles Times: Prof. Hasen comments on problems at Justice Department
- Fox News: Study by Prof. Hasen shows growing power of Supreme Court
- The National Law Journal: Prof. Hasen weighs high court options on Voting Rights Act
- OC Weekly: New Pryke Chair, Dean Chemerinsky and Prof. Hasen noted in news roundup
- NPR: Prof. Hasen comments on upcoming campaign finance case to be heard by Supreme Court
- The New York Times: Prof. Hasen comments on campaign donation limits
- Thomson Reuters: Story on campaign finance case quotes Prof. Hasen
- Politico: Prof. Hasen on Supreme Court and campaign donation limits
- Roll Call: Prof. Hasen comments on Obama's election initiative
- Rachel Maddow Show: Prof. Hasen discusses election reform on Maddow show (video: 12:00)
- The Nation: Prof. Hasen quoted in story on Voting Rights Act
- Politico: Prof. Hasen comments on Obama’s new lobbying efforts
- The National Law Journal: Prof. Hasen on lawsuits after Citizens United decision
- Politico: Prof. Hasen comments on new version of Obama campaign
- The Wall Street Journal: Prof. Hasen on political-giving disclosure suit against Qualcomm