Gregory Ablavsky

Gregory Ablavsky is the Marion Rice Kirkwood Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and a courtesy professor of History at Stanford University. He specializes in legal history, particularly federal Indian law and early U.S. constitutional development. His research focuses on federal territorial governance, property rights, and Indigenous legal relations. Ablavsky’s landmark book Federal Ground (2021) won major awards and examines federal authority in U.S. territories. He teaches courses on property law, legal history, and federal Indian law, receiving prestigious teaching awards in 2019 and 2023.

Education: PhD (History) University of Pennsylvania (2016), JD (Penn Law) 2011, BA (History) Yale (2005).

Research: Ablavsky’s work bridges law and history, addressing topics like tribal sovereignty, territorial governance, and federal-state dynamics. His articles in top law reviews and history journals explore themes such as Indigenous citizenship, treaty rights, and early U.S. legal frameworks.

Awards: Cromwell Book Prize, Hurst Prize, Cromwell Foundation Article Prize, John Bingham Hurlbut Teaching Award.

Professional Roles: Co-author of Cohen’s Handbook of Federal Indian Law; clerked for Judge Anthony Scirica (3rd Circuit) and the Native American Rights Fund; former teacher at Zuni Pueblo.