Julian Davis Mortenson

Julian Davis Mortenson serves as the James G. Phillipp Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School, where he specializes in constitutional and political history of early America, presidential powers, and legal historiography. An award-winning teacher and constitutional litigator, he has held visiting appointments at the University of Cambridge, KU Leuven, and the University of Tokyo while teaching core courses including Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and International Commercial Arbitration.

His educational background features a Bachelor of Arts in History earned summa cum laude from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor as salutatorian from Stanford University. Prior to academia, Mortenson worked at WilmerHale law firm, served in the President's Office of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and operated as a management consultant across finance, manufacturing, oil and gas, and IT sectors.

Mortenson's research centers on reconstructing historical frameworks of executive power, challenging conventional narratives through his forthcoming Harvard University Press book on presidential authority at the American founding. His influential casebook Constitutional Law: An Integrated Approach has seen widespread adoption and is entering its second edition, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach bridging legal theory and practical application.

He received an ABA Award in December 2022 for exceptional contributions to legal education and practice. Notable recognitions include NPR coverage of his historical analysis regarding presidential age limitations in July 2024.

Mortenson maintains an active litigation practice with landmark cases including lead counsel in pre-Obergefell Michigan same-sex marriage recognition for 300+ couples, appellate counsel challenging the Muslim ban for the Arab American Civil Rights League, principal drafter of merits briefs in Boumediene v. Bush, and advocacy against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". He additionally handles transnational commercial disputes as arbitrator, counsel, and expert witness under multiple institutional rules.