Timothy Zick

Timothy Zick is the Robert & Elizabeth Scott Research Professor and John Marshall Professor of Government and Citizenship at William & Mary Law School. He is a leading expert in constitutional law with a particular focus on First Amendment issues, public protest, and the intersection of constitutional rights.

Zick earned his B.A. summa cum laude from Indiana University and his J.D. summa cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, where he received the Francis E. Lucey, S.J. Award for graduating first in his class and served as a Notes and Comments editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. His professional experience includes working as an associate with Williams and Connolly in Washington, D.C., serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Levin H. Campbell of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and working as a Trial Attorney in the Federal Programs Branch of the United States Department of Justice.

Zick's research focuses on constitutional law, particularly the First Amendment, Second Amendment, and the law of public protest. He has written extensively on how constitutional rights interact with one another, examining the relationship between free speech and other constitutional protections. His work explores how protest rights are affected by governmental responses to civil unrest, campus demonstrations, and emergency powers invoked during periods of social upheaval. Zick has been particularly active analyzing the constitutional implications of Trump administration policies affecting free speech and protest rights.

His scholarly output shows a clear progression from foundational First Amendment theory toward increasingly practical applications of constitutional doctrine to contemporary protest movements. Recent publications demonstrate growing emphasis on the intersection of gun rights and protest rights, the chilling effects of governmental responses to campus protests, and the evolving legal frameworks governing public demonstrations in the digital age. His work bridges theoretical constitutional scholarship with immediate practical concerns facing protesters, universities, and government officials.

• McGlothlin Award for Exceptional Teaching (2022)
• Plumeri Award for Faculty Excellence (2011, 2013, 2017)
• William H. Cabell professorship

Zick has been a frequent commentator in national media outlets including The Atlantic, Slate, and U.S. News & World Report, and has been quoted in major publications such as The New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. He testified before Congress on the Occupy Wall Street protests and rights of free speech, assembly, and petition. His current work includes developing educational resources about executive power and free expression during the second Trump administration.