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Lawrence Lessig

Lawrence Lessig is the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School, director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, and founder of Rootstrikers, an activist network opposed to corruption in government.  More

Lessig has authored numerous books, including Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Our Congress -- and a Plan to Stop It and One Way Forward: The Outsider's Guide to Fixing the Republic. He serves on the Board of Creative Commons, MapLight, Brave New Film Foundation, The American Academy, Berlin, AXA Research Fund and iCommons.org, and on the advisory board of the Sunlight Foundation. He is a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Association, and has received numerous awards, including the Free Software Foundation's Freedom Award, Fastcase 50 Award and being named one of Scientific American's Top 50 Visionaries.

Lessig holds a BA in economics and a BS in management from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in philosophy from Cambridge, and a JD from Yale. Prior to rejoining the Harvard faculty, Lessig was a professor at Stanford Law School, where he founded the school's Center for Internet and Society, and at the University of Chicago. He clerked for Judge Richard Posner on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and Justice Antonin Scalia on the United States Supreme Court.

Why a Democratic Tea Party Is the Best Hope for Fixing Corrupt Government

Why a Democratic Tea Party Is the Best Hope for Fixing Corrupt Government

The solution must come from the grassroots -- it can't be imposed from above by reform-minded members of Congress. More »

Seizing 'Forward': 3 Steps Obama Must Take to Fight Corruption and Gridlock

Seizing 'Forward': 3 Steps Obama Must Take to Fight Corruption and Gridlock

In 2008, the candidate promised to change the "system in Washington." It's time for him to deliver on that promise. More »

Obama's Chance to Keep His Reform Promise

Obama's Chance to Keep His Reform Promise

If the president wins a second term, he could leave no greater legacy than a corruption-free capital. More »

The (Almost) Brilliance of Representative Dingell and His Friends

The (Almost) Brilliance of Representative Dingell and His Friends

Can the longest-sitting member of Congress force the Supreme Court to reconsider its Citizens United decision? More »

Testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Citizens United

Testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Citizens United

Previewing prepared remarks on the negative impact of the 2012 Supreme Court decision More »

Big Campaign Spending: Government by the 1%

Big Campaign Spending: Government by the 1%

Big donors are a big threat to American democracy, proving the need for campaign finance reform. More »

A Message to Law Grads: Instead of Corporations, Help Ordinary People

A Message to Law Grads: Instead of Corporations, Help Ordinary People

In a commencement address at Atlanta's John Marshall Law School, the author posed this challenge: Fix the broken legal system and serve everyday citizens. More »

Buddy Roemer, the Anti-Spoiler

Buddy Roemer, the Anti-Spoiler

If and when it becomes clear he can't win, the likely Americans Elect candidate says he'll ask any backers to vote for one of the major party candidates instead. More »

The Last Best Chance for Campaign Finance Reform: Americans Elect

The Last Best Chance for Campaign Finance Reform: Americans Elect

The corrupting influence of money in politics is the most serious issue the country currently faces. Should we continue to allow a handful of people to control the fate of our elections? More »

Obamacare and the Supreme Court: More on the Rule of Politics

Obamacare and the Supreme Court: More on the Rule of Politics

A response to Randy Barnett's "Larry Lessig: If the Republican Justices Do Not Agree With Me They Will Be Acting Politically" More »

Why Scalia Could Uphold Obamacare

Why Scalia Could Uphold Obamacare

He may be a staunch conservative, but the justice understands the commerce clause better than anyone else on the Supreme Court. More »

An Open Letter to the Citizens Against Citizens United

An Open Letter to the Citizens Against Citizens United

Overturning the decision wouldn't be enough to level the disproportionate influence of the wealthy on American politics. There's a deeper problem Congress needs to address. More »

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