Mary Ziegler

Mary Ziegler is the Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law at the University of California, Davis School of Law. She specializes in the law, history, and politics of reproduction, healthcare, and conservatism in the U.S. since 1945. A leading historian of abortion debates and a Guggenheim Fellow, her work bridges legal scholarship and public discourse.

Education: Harvard Law School (J.D., cum laude, 2007); Harvard College (B.A., magna cum laude in English and American Literature, 2004).

Research Interests: Reproductive rights, constitutional law, legal history, gender/sexuality studies, and the intersection of law and social movements. Her acclaimed books include Roe: The History of a National Obsession (2023), After Roe (2015), and Dollars for Life (2022). She analyzes how abortion politics have shaped U.S. legal and cultural landscapes.

Publications & Media: Over 50 articles in top journals like Yale Law Journal, Harvard Law Review, and JAMA. Regularly featured in Atlantic, New York Times, and on MSNBC/CNN. Advises policymakers and lectures globally.

Awards & Service: Award-winning teacher at Florida State University. Leadership roles in the American Society for Legal History and American Bar Association. Advisor to the Smithsonian Museum on U.S. Women’s History. Chair of Harvard’s 50th Anniversary Roe conference.