Dr. Steven Wright

Biography

Steven Wright teaches and writes about criminal law, voting civil rights, race law, and appellate practice policy. He has expertise in race, criminal practice, procedure, and civil rights. His work has appeared in major media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, and NBC News, as well as international channels like the Australian Broadcasting Channel and Japan's Asahi Shimbun. Professor Wright has contributed essays related to race, criminal justice, and election law to various publications such as the Washington Post and CrimeReads. Before joining the University of Wisconsin, he served as a trial attorney in the Voting Section of the United States Department of Justice, where he litigated cases to enforce the Voting Rights Act and other civil rights laws. He has clerked for the Honorable Lavenski Smith on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. As a clinical associate professor, he founded the Constitutional Litigation, Appeals, and Sentencing Project and co-directed the Wisconsin Innocence Project, which seeks to exonerate the innocent. He has taught courses on first-year criminal law, federal appellate practice, postconviction litigation, and appellate advocacy.

Research Interests

Experience