Rachel Rothschild

Rachel Rothschild is an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School, where her research bridges law, history, and policy. Previously, she was a legal fellow at the Institute for Policy Integrity and remains an affiliated scholar there.

• Education: BA from Princeton University (magna cum laude), JD from New York University (cum laude, Furman Academic Scholars Program), and MA, MPhil, and PhD in History from Yale University (Program in the History of Science and Medicine).

Her scholarship focuses on environmental and energy law, legal history, and administrative law, with a particular emphasis on the historical regulation of pollution and toxic substances. She has explored topics such as acid rain, asbestos bans, and climate change litigation, often integrating interdisciplinary perspectives from the history of science and medicine.

Rothschild’s recent publications address climate change governance, toxic substances regulation, and the intersection of environmental policy with federalism. Her work has appeared in journals like the Harvard Environmental Law Review and the NYU Environmental Law Journal, as well as in encyclopedic resources like the Oxford Research Encyclopedias: American History.

Scientific Awards:

• 2025 Pace Haub School of Law Environmental Law Distinguished Junior Scholar

Rothschild has held academic positions at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study (2015–2017) and is actively engaged in research collaborations and policy discussions. Her work continues to shape debates on environmental regulation and legal responses to global pollution.