معرفی
Dawn Johnsen serves as the Walter W. Foskett Professor of Law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law, where she has been a faculty member since 1998. Her distinguished academic career follows significant government service, including roles as Acting Assistant Attorney General (1997-1998) and Deputy Assistant Attorney General (1993-1996) in the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel during the Clinton administration. President Obama nominated her to head the Office of Legal Counsel as Assistant Attorney General (2009-2010), though the Senate failed to act on her nomination. She also maintains leadership positions as director and secretary of the board of directors of the Guttmacher Institute and serves on the academic advisory board of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy.
- Yale College B.A. 1983 (summa cum laude, economics and political science)
- Yale Law School J.D. 1986
Professor Johnsen's research focuses primarily on constitutional law with particular expertise in separation of powers (especially presidential power) and civil liberties (especially reproductive rights). Her scholarship examines critical intersections between executive authority, constitutional interpretation, and fundamental rights. She has developed significant expertise in the role of the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel and executive legal decision-making, drawing from her own experience in that office. Her work consistently addresses how constitutional principles apply to contemporary political challenges, with increasing attention to threats to rule-of-law norms in recent administrations.
Analysis of her most recent publications reveals consistent thematic development across two primary domains: presidential power and reproductive rights. Her scholarship on presidential power has evolved from examining historical Department of Justice practices to addressing contemporary challenges to constitutional norms, particularly during the Trump administration. In reproductive rights, her work has progressed from analyzing Supreme Court decisions to examining state-level protections and developing pragmatic policy solutions. Her writing demonstrates increasing interdisciplinary engagement, connecting constitutional law with public health, gender studies, and political science perspectives.
Professor Johnsen teaches Constitutional Law, First Amendment, and seminars on Congress, the President and the Courts, as well as Sexuality, Reproduction and the Constitution. Her teaching reflects her scholarly expertise and practical experience in constitutional interpretation and application.
Her service extends beyond academia through her board membership with the Guttmacher Institute, a leading sexual and reproductive health research and policy organization, where she contributes her legal expertise to advance evidence-based policy. She also participates in public discourse through the 'Take Care' blog, which focuses on ensuring the President faithfully executes the laws.
