Kathleen Sullivan

Infobox Scientist
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name = Kathleen Sullivan

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fields = Constitutional law
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alma_mater = Cornell University
University of Oxford
Harvard Law School
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academic_advisors = Laurence Tribe
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Kathleen Marie Sullivan (born August 20, 1955), one of America's leading scholars in constitutional law, is a professor at the Stanford Law School and currently practices appellate litigation at Quinn Emanuel Urquart Oliver & Hedges, LLP, a law firm in California.

Biography

Early life and education

Born in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, Sullivan graduated from Cornell University in 1976, and graduated as a Marshall Scholar from Oxford in 1978. Sullivan then graduated from Harvard Law School in 1981, where her mentor Laurence Tribe called her "the most extraordinary student I had ever had." [cite news|url=http://www.law.harvard.edu/alumni/bulletin/backissues/summer99/article3.html|title=Congratulations Dean Sullivan|publisher=Harvard Law Bulletin|date=Summer 1999|author=Nancy Waring]

After law school, Sullivan worked for one year as a law clerk for Judge James L. Oakes on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. [http://news-service.stanford.edu/pr/03/sullivan1022.html Stanford Law School Dean Kathleen M. Sullivan announces decision to complete deanship at close of five-year term; will direct new Stanford constitutional law center: 10/03 ] ] She also worked briefly as a constitutional litigator in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Academic career

Sullivan was a professor of law at Harvard Law School from 1984 until 1993. She joined Stanford Law School in 1993 and became the Stanley Morrison Professor of Law in 1996. Sullivan then served as the dean of Stanford Law School from 1999 until 2004, when she voluntarily stepped down to serve as the inaugural director of a new Stanford center on constitutional law. Since 2004, she has been the Stanley Morrison Professor of Law at Stanford Law School.

Legal expertise

Sullivan's expertise is in the area of constitutional law. She is the author of a leading text in the field, [cite news|url=http://www.law.stanford.edu/faculty/sullivan/|title=Official Biography of Kathleen M. Sullivan|publisher=Stanford Law School] "Constitutional Law", with the late Professor Gerald Gunther.

Possible nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court

According to the National Journal, Sullivan is speculated by many to be in line for the Supreme Court should a Democrat be elected President.cite news|url=http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB113374619258513723-lMyQjAxMDE1MzAzNTcwNDU2Wj.html|title=Raising the Bar: Even Top Lawyers Fail California Exam|publisher=Wall Street Journal|date=December 5 2005|author=James Bandler and Nathan Koppel|page=A1] [cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-09-29-election-court-cover_x.htm|title=The next president could tip high court|publisher=USA Today|date=September 29 2004|author=Joan Biskupic] cite news|url=http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2006/1/10/sullivanFailedCalifBarExam|title=Sullivan failed Calif. bar exam|publisher=The Stanford Daily|page=1|date=January 10 2006|author=Chris Lin]

Personal life

Sullivan failed the July 2005 California bar exam, leading many to question either the usefulness of the exam or her preparation for it. She retook it in February 2006 and passed. [ [http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member_detail.aspx?x=242261 State Bar of California: Kathleen M. Sullivan] ]

A lesbian, Sullivan has filed amicus curiae briefs in many cases before the U.S. Supreme Court over the years dealing with gay rights. [ [http://dir.salon.com/story/opinion/feature/2005/07/21/whitejudge/ Not another white man! - Salon.com ] ] These have included Bowers v. Hardwick [ [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=478&invol=186 FindLaw | Cases and Codes ] ] and also Lawrence v. Texas [ [http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=2760 The Bay Area Reporter Online | Online extra: Friends of the Court: The constitution and
the pursuit of happiness ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.law.stanford.edu/faculty/sullivan/ Official Stanford biography]
* [http://www.philosophytalk.org/pastShows/SeparationPowers.html Radio interview] on Philosophy Talk