Dr. Lee Kovarsky

Biography

Lee Kovarsky is a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School, where he teaches and writes about civil and criminal procedure, criminal justice, federal jurisdiction, and conflicts law. His recent scholarly articles have appeared in prestigious law reviews, including the California Law Review, Chicago Law Review, and Harvard Law Review. Kovarsky is also the Co-Director of the Capital Punishment Center at the University of Texas School of Law, where he remains an active advocate, regularly representing death-sentenced prisoners. He has argued significant cases before the United States Supreme Court, notably Ayestas v. Davis, which was decided in favor of the capital prisoner. Kovarsky's scholarship has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court and several federal circuit courts, and he has co-authored a leading casebook on habeas corpus with Professor Brandon L. Garrett. He was elected to the American Law Institute in 2020 and frequently contributes to media outlets such as MSNBC and NPR. Prior to his current role, Kovarsky was an Acting Assistant Professor at New York University School of Law after spending a decade at the University of Maryland. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Yale University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was Articles Editor for the Virginia Law Review.

Research Interests

Experience