Matthew Segal

Matthew Segal is a Professor of the Practice in Political Science at Tufts University’s School of Arts and Sciences, concurrently serving as a Senior Staff Attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation. He co-launched the ACLU’s State Supreme Court Initiative, focusing on expanding civil rights through state litigation. Previously, he was Legal Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts (2007–2018) and an Assistant Federal Defender in North Carolina (2003–2007). He clerked for Hon. Raymond Fisher at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Segal’s research and advocacy emphasize civil rights enforcement, criminal justice reform, and state constitutional law. He has secured landmark rulings, including halting Trump’s travel ban, securing mass prisoner releases during the pandemic, and dismissing 61,000 wrongful drug charges in lab scandals—the largest such dismissal in U.S. history. His teaching includes courses like Litigating State Constitutional Rights at Yale Law School and Topics in American Politics at Tufts.

Professional activities include membership in the American Law Institute. His work bridges academia and activism, leveraging litigation to address systemic injustices in criminal procedure, privacy, and due process.