Richard H. Pildes

Richard H. Pildes is the Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law at New York University School of Law. He holds a JD from Harvard Law School (magna cum laude, 1983) and an AB in Chemistry from Princeton University (summa cum laude, 1979). A former law clerk to Justice Thurgood Marshall and Judge Abner J. Mikva, Pildes is a leading scholar in constitutional law, democracy, and election law. His work explores legal frameworks for democratic institutions, political polarization, voting rights, and Supreme Court oversight of democracy. He has served on the President’s Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States under Biden and contributed to landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Pildes is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a Carnegie Scholar.

He teaches courses on constitutional theory, presidential powers, and the regulatory state. Recent publications include analyses of democratic fragmentation, electoral systems, and governance challenges. His Emmy-nominated NBC coverage of the 2000 Bush v. Gore election contest highlights his public engagement with legal and political issues.