Sarah A. Seo

Sarah A. Seo is the Michael I. Sovern Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, specializing in criminal law, criminal procedure, and U.S. legal history. She holds a Ph.D. in History from Princeton University (2016) and a J.D. from Columbia Law School (2007).

• Education: Ph.D. (Princeton, 2016, History), J.D. (Columbia, 2007), A.B. (Princeton, 2002).

Her research focuses on the intersection of criminal justice, legal history, and constitutional law, particularly how technological changes like the automobile shaped policing and the Fourth Amendment. Her award-winning book Policing the Open Road (2019) explores the rise of discretionary policing and its racial implications.

In legal scholarship, she examines police discretion, traffic enforcement, and historical contexts for judicial decisions. Her recent articles address federalism in policing, privacy rights, and alternatives to police-led enforcement.

• Scientific Awards: Ralph Waldo Emerson Award (2020), Littleton-Griswold Prize (2020), Order of the Coif Book Award (2020), Franklin Research Grant (2017), Samuel I. Golieb Fellowship (2014–2015).

Seo previously clerked for federal judges and taught at the University of Iowa College of Law. She serves on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Legal History and reviews for major legal publishers.