Dr. H Powell

Biography

H. Jefferson Powell joined the Duke Law faculty in 1989. His academic career includes visiting positions at Columbia University, Yale University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining the Duke Law faculty, he served as a professor of law at the University of Iowa and was associated with George Washington University Law School from 2010 to 2012. Powell has held various positions in federal and state government throughout his career, including significant roles at the U.S. Department of Justice from 1993 to 2000 and again in 2011-2012. In 1996, he was the principal deputy solicitor general and briefed and argued cases in federal and state courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States. In the early 1990s, he served as special counsel to the attorney general of North Carolina. His scholarship focuses on the history and ethical implications of American constitutional law, the powers of the executive branch, and the role of the Constitution in legislative and judicial decision-making. His recent books include 'Practice American Constitutional Law' (2022), 'Targeting Americans: Constitutionality of the U.S. Drone War' (2016), 'President as Commander in Chief: An Essay on Constitutional Vision' (2014), and 'Constitutional Conscience: The Moral Dimension of Judicial Decision-Making' (2008), co-authored with Duke Law Professor David Lange. Powell holds a bachelor's degree from St. David’s University College (now Trinity St. David) of the University of Wales, a master's degree and PhD from Duke University, and a Master of Divinity and JD from Yale University. He clerked for Judge Sam J. Ervin III of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and received numerous awards, including Duke University’s Scholar/Teacher Award in 2002. He currently serves as series editor for the Carolina Academic Press Legal History Series.

Research Interests