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Peter H. Irons

Emeritus Professor of Political Science

Irons is a political scientist and legal scholar who is the author of numerous books on the Supreme Court and constitutional litigation, including The New Deal LawyersJustice at WarThe Courage of Their Convictions, Justice Delayed, May It Please the Court, Brennan Vs. Rehnquist: The Battle for the Constitution, A People’s History of the Supreme Court, and, Jim Crow’s Children: The Broken Promise of the Brown Decision. His work has also been published in numerous law reviews and presitigious journals. In addition to his extensive academic contributions, Irons has also been very active in public affairs. For example, he was elected to two terms on the national board of the American Civil Liberties Union and was a practicing civil rights and liberties attorney. In the latter role, he notably served as lead counsel in the successful effort to reverse the World War Two criminal convictions of Japanese-Americans who challenged the curfew and relocation orders.  Iron's book Justice at War documents the debates that took place before those orders and the legal response during and after the internment.

Ph.D. Boston University, 1973
J.D. Harvard Law School, 1978
Public Law and Politics