About

I Taught the Law is a collection of essays, reflections, interviews, and stories written by lawyers, law professors, law students, and law-adjacent folks. We are committed to writing frank, thoughtful, entertaining, and sometimes terrifying reflections on what American law looks like from the inside. Our goal is to introduce you to voices and perspectives you don’t normally hear, and to expose the gross, furry stuff on the underside of the justice system — the stuff you wouldn’t see otherwise.

TL;DR: It’s like Above the Law, but with no budget, and less BigLaw gossip.

Our principal editors and founders are:

Dr. JoAnne Sweeny is a Professor of Law at the University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. She teaches Lawyering Skills, Freedom of Expression, Comparative Human Rights Law, and Writing for Practice. She has a PhD from Queen Mary, University of London and a JD from the University of Southern California. JoAnne’s scholarship currently focuses on the intersection of freedom of expression, technology, and feminist jurisprudence. In addition to scholarly articles, she regularly publishes in Salon.com and LEO Weekly.

Dan Canon is an Indiana civil rights lawyer and a Professor of Law at the University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. Most notably, he served as lead counsel for the Kentucky plaintiffs in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, which established marriage equality in all 50 states. He writes on civil and criminal justice issues for a variety of regional and national publications. His book entitled PLEADING OUT is now available.