معرفی
Harry M. Caldwell is Professor of Law and Director of Trial Advocacy at Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law, where he teaches Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and an array of trial-advocacy courses. A former trial prosecutor in Santa Barbara and Riverside counties, he now devotes much of his practice to representing condemned prisoners on appeal before the California Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Education
- J.D., Pepperdine University, 1976
- B.A., California State University, Long Beach, 1972, cum laude
Research & Scholarship
Caldwell’s scholarship sits at the intersection of criminal procedure, trial advocacy, and empirical legal studies. His work explores how psychological insights can sharpen trial techniques—whether in voir dire, opening statements, cross-examination, or closing arguments—and how systemic reforms can curb prosecutorial misconduct and coercive plea bargaining. He is a vocal critic of racial bias in jury selection and has proposed concrete measures to strengthen Batson protections. His empirical orientation distinguishes much of his recent writing, generating data-driven prescriptions for fairer trials and more reliable death-penalty decision-making.
Across more than two dozen major articles and several influential textbooks, his research themes coalesce around three pillars: (1) refining the art of advocacy through scientifically grounded techniques; (2) exposing and remedying flaws in the administration of capital punishment; and (3) enhancing prosecutorial accountability to safeguard due-process values.
Honors & Awards
- 2012 Howard A. White Award for distinguished teaching
- Luckman Distinguished Teaching Awards (multiple years)
- 2000 Richard Jacobson Award recognizing him as the nation’s premier trial-advocacy teacher
Teaching, Advising & Service
Beyond doctrinal courses, Professor Caldwell coaches Pepperdine’s nationally acclaimed interschool trial teams, mentoring students through intensive simulations and national competitions. He has co-authored a widely adopted series of practical texts—Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, And the Walls Came Tumbling Down, and The Devil’s Advocates—that distill legendary trials into teachable moments for future advocates.
