Dr. Deborah Pearlstein

Biography

Deborah Pearlstein is the Director of the Princeton Program in Law and Public Policy and the Charles Marie Robertson Visiting Professor of Law and Public Affairs. Before joining Princeton, she was a Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Floersheimer Center for Constitutional Democracy at Cardozo Law School, Yeshiva University, and held visiting appointments at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Georgetown University Law Center. Her work focuses on the U.S. Constitution, international law, democracy, and national security, and has been published in leading law reviews and peer-reviewed journals like the Journal of American Constitutional History and Constitutional Commentary. Pearlstein authored the forthcoming book, 'Losing Law,' to be published by Princeton University Press in 2026. She has contributed to popular publications such as The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, and The Washington Post, and has testified before Congress on topics related to executive war powers and congressional oversight. She served as Chair of the AALS National Security Law Section and was a member of the ABA’s Advisory Committee on Law and National Security. Pearlstein is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School and clerked for Judge Michael Boudin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court. She has extensive experience in law practice and human rights litigation, including involvement in the 2000 Voting Rights Award by ACLU Southern California. Pearlstein has worked to address policy challenges in U.S. counterterrorism operations and has previously served as a Senior Editor and Speechwriter at the White House during the Clinton administration.

Research Interests