Atiba Ellis

Atiba Ellis is a Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Enrichment and Engagement at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He is a nationally recognized expert in voting rights and redistricting, focusing on how racial and class-based oppression intersect to impact marginalized communities' access to the ballot.

Education: He holds an A.B., M.A., and J.D. from Duke University. He clerked for Judge James A. Beaty, Jr. (U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina) and Judge Theodore A. McKee (U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit).

Research Focus: His interdisciplinary work spans doctrinal legal analysis, critical political theory, and legal history. Key areas include voter identification laws' socioeconomic effects, felon disenfranchisement as a mechanism for political underclass creation, and the ideological implications of the Citizens United decision.

Scientific Awards:

• Laura B. Chisholm Distinguished Research Scholar
• Boden Visiting Professor of Law

Before joining Case Western, he served as a tenured professor at Marquette Law School (2018-2022), held a visiting role there (2017), and taught at Howard University School of Law (2006-2009) and West Virginia University College of Law (2009-2018). He actively engages in public discourse through blogs, lectures, and media commentary on race, constitutional law, and civil rights.