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Robert J. Pushaw

James Wilson Endowed Professor of Law
Caruso School of Law
310.506.6318

Biography

In law school, Robert Pushaw served as Notes Editor of the Yale Law Journal and received an Olin Foundation Fellowship. After graduation, he clerked for Judge James Buckley of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, then worked as an employment lawyer for Davis Wright Tremaine in Seattle.

Joining the University of Missouri School of Law faculty in 1992, Professor Pushaw taught Constitutional Law, Federal Courts and Contracts. In 1998, he won the Blackwell Sanders Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award as the law school's top teacher. In 2000, Pushaw received the William Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence, the University of Missouri's highest teaching honor. He came to Pepperdine in 2001, and won the School of Law's Annual Teaching Award in 2007.

Professor Pushaw's scholarship studies the influence of eighteenth-century Anglo-American political and legal theory on the development of the modern law governing the Constitution (especially the Commerce Clause and War Powers) and the federal courts (particularly the justiciability doctrines and inherent judicial powers).

Professor Pushaw is a prolific author. His scholarly writings have appeared in the Yale Law Journal, Michigan Law Review, California Law Review, Cornell Law Review, Northwestern University Law Review, Georgetown Law Journal, Notre Dame Law Review (three times), Iowa Law Review (twice), University of Illinois Law Review, Constitutional Commentary, Georgia Law Review (twice), BYU Law Review, Florida Law Review, Harvard Journal on Legislation, Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, and the Election Law Journal, as well as in symposium issues published by the principal law reviews at Alabama, North Carolina, William & Mary, Florida State, Pepperdine, Missouri, Arkansas, Lewis & Clark, and Chapman.

At the University of Missouri, he twice earned the Shook Hardy & Bacon Excellence in Research Award. At Pepperdine, he received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Scholarship in 2017.

Professor Pushaw served as Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development from 2012-2015. He is the faculty advisor for the Pepperdine Law Review.

Education

  • J.D., Yale University, 1988
  • B.A., La Salle College, 1980, summa cum laude

 

Articles

  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., The Court Continues to Confuse Standing: The Pitfalls of Faux Article III "Originalism", 31 GEO. MASON L. REV.  893 (2024) SSRN 
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Defending Dobbs: Ending the Futile Search for a Constitutional Right to Abortion,  60 SAN DIEGO L. REV.  265 (2023) SSRN HeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., & Charles Silver, The Unconstitutional Assertion of Inherent Powers in Multidistrict Litigations, 48 B.Y.U. L. REV. 1869 (2023) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr.,  The Original “Market” Understanding of the Commerce Clause:  Insights From Early Federal Practice and Precedent, 48 BYU L. REV.  535 (2022) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., "Originalist" Justices and the Myth that Article III "Cases" Always Require Adversarial Disputes, 37 CONST. COMMENT. 259 (2022) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw, Jr., Playing with Words: Amar’s Nationalist Constitution, 80 WASH. & LEE L. REV. ONLINE 55 (2022) SSRNW & L L. Rev. Online
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Comparing Literary and Biblical Hermeneutics to Constitutional and Statutory Interpretation, 47 PEPP. L. REV. 463 (2020) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Do Foreign Nations Have Constitutional Rights?, 88 FORDHAM L. REV. ONLINE 142 (2019) SSRN FLR Online
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Analyzing Justice Cardozo's Opinions on the Constitutionality of the New Deal, 34 TOURO L. REV. 335 (2018) (symposium issue) HeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Talking Texualism, Practicing Pragmatism: Rethinking the Supreme Court's Approach to Statutory Interpretation, 2016 GA. L. REV. 121 (2016) HeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr. & Grant S. Nelson, The Likely Impact of National Federation on Commerce Clause Jurisprudence, 40 PEPP. L. REV. 975 (2013) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Fortuity and the Article III "Case": A Critique of Fletcher's The Structure of Standing, 65 ALA. L. REV. 289 (2013) SSRN HeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., The Paradox of the Obamacare Decision: How Can the Federal Government Have Limited Unlimited Power?, 65 FLA. L. REV. 1993 (2013) HeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., ObamaCare and the Original Meaning of the Commerce Clause: Identifying Historical Limits on Congress's Powers, 2012 U. ILL. L. REV. 1703 SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Health Law: Bad Policy, but Constitutional, NAT'L L.J., July 18, 2011
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Explaining Korematsu: A Response to Dean Chemerinsky, 39 PEPP. L. REV. 173 (2011) (symposium) HeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Limiting Article III Standing to "Accidental" Plaintiffs: Lessons from Environmental and Animal Cases, 45 GA. L. REV. 1 (2010) HeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Justifying Wartime Limits on Civil Rights and Liberties, 12 CHAP. L. REV. 675 (2009) (symposium issue) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Creating Legal Rights for Suspected Terrorists: Is the Court Being Courageous or Politically Pragmatic?, 84 NOTRE DAME L. REV. 1975 (2009) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Partial-Birth Abortion and the Perils of Constitutional Common Law, 31 HARV. J. L. & PUB. POL'Y 519 (2008) HeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., A Neo-Federalist Analysis of Federal Question Jurisdiction, 95 CAL. L. REV. 1515 (2007) HeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., The "Enemy Combatant" Cases in Historical Context: The Inevitability of Pragmatic Judicial Review, 82 NOTRE DAME L. REV. 1005 (2007) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Bridging the Enforcement Gap in Constitutional Law; A Critique of the Supreme Court's Theory that Self-Restraint Promotes Federalism, 46 WM. & MARY L. REV. 1289 (2005) (symposium issue) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., The Medical Marijuana Case: A Commerce Clause Counter-Revolution?, 9 LEWIS & CLARK L. REV. 879 (2005) (symposium issue) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Does Congress Have the Constitutional Power to Prohibit Partial-Birth Abortion?, 42 HARV. J. ON LEGIS. 319 (2005) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Defending Deference: A Response to Professors Epstein and Wells, 69 MO. L. REV. 959 (2004) (symposium issue) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Methods of Interpreting the Commerce Clause: A Comparative Analysis, 55 ARK. L. REV. 1185 (2003) (symposium issue) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Judicial Review and the Political Question Doctrine: Reviving the Federalist "Rebuttable Presumption" Analysis, 80 N.C. L. REV. 1165 (2002) (symposium issue) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr. & Grant S. Nelson, A Critique of the Narrow Interpretation of the Commerce Clause, 96 N.W.U. L. REV. 695 (2002) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Bush v. Gore: Looking at Baker v. Carr in a Conservative Mirror, 18 CONST. COMMENT. 359 (2001) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., The Inherent Powers of Federal Courts and the the Structural Constitution, 86 IOWA L. REV. 735 (2001) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., The Presidential Election Dispute, the Political Question Doctrine, and the Fourteenth Amendment: A Reply to Professors Krent and Shane, 29 FLA. ST. U. L. REV. 603 (2001) (symposium issue) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr. & Grant S. Nelson, Rethinking the Commerce Clause: Applying First Principles to Uphold Federal Commercial Regulations But Preserve State Control Over Social Issues, 85 IOWA L. REV. 1 (1999) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Congressional Power Over Federal Court Jurisdiction: A Defense of the Neo-Federalist Interpretation of Article III, 1997 BYU L. REV. 847 (1997) SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Justiciability and Separation of Powers: A Neo-Federalist Approach, 81 CORNELL L. REV. 393 (1996) HeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Article III's Case/Controversy Distinction and the Dual Functions of Federal Courts, 69 NOTRE DAME L. REV. 447 (1994) HeinOnline
  • Note, Labor Relations Board Regulation of Parochial Schools: A Practical Free Exercise Accomodation, 97 YALE L.J. 135 (1987) HeinOnline

Book Reviews

  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Ulysses S. Grant and the Lost Opportunity for Racial Justice, 33 CONST. COMMENT. 331 (2018) (reviewing RON CHERNOW, GRANT (2017)) SSRN HeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Politics, Ideology, and the Academic Assault on Bush v. Gore, 2 ELECTION L.J. 97 (2003) (book review). SSRN
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr. & Tracey E. George, How is Constitutional Law Made?, 100 MICH. L. REV. 1265 (2002) (book review). SSRNHeinOnline
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Why the Supreme Court Never Gets Any "Dear John" Letters: Advisory Opinions in Historical Perspective, 87 GEO. L.J. 473 (1998) (book review). HeinOnline

Book Chapters

  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., American Constitutional Developments Since 1980, in AMERICAN GOVERNANCE (Stephen Schechter ed. 2016) Worldcat
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Justifying Wartime Limits on Civil Rights and Liberties, in NATIONAL SECURITY, CIVIL LIBERTIES, AND THE WAR ON TERROR 79 (M. Katherine B. Darmer & Richard D. Fybel eds. 2011) WorldCat
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., The Enemy Combatant Decisions, in NATIONAL SECURITY, CIVIL LIBERTIES, AND THE WAR ON TERROR 366 (M. Katherine B. Darmer & Richard D. Fybel eds. 2011) WorldCat
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr. & Alan E. Untereiner, A Short History of Federal Preemption Law, in THE PREEMPTION DEFENSE IN TORT ACTIONS: LAW, STRATEGY, AND PRACTICE (2008) Worldcat
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Article III: The Judicial Vesting Clause, in THE HERITAGE GUIDE TO THE CONSTITUTION (Edwin Meese, David F. Forte & Matthew Spalding eds. 2005 & 2014) Worldcat

Presentations

  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Why Interpretation of Literary and Religious Texts Is Great Preparation for Law School, Wheaton College, 2019 Kamm Memorial Lecture on Jurisprudence, April 24, 2019
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Annual Constitution Day Lecture, "Interpreting Our Constitution," UCLA Center for Liberal Arts & Free Institutions, Sept. 22, 2016
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Louis Brandeis: An Interdisciplinary Perspective" (with Felice Batlan, Anita Bernstein, Vincent Blasi, Robert Cochran, Barry Cushman et al.), Touro Law Center, Mar. 31, 2016
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Supreme Court Cases to Watch," 2016 Central District of California U.S. Judicial Conference (with Barry McDonald & Deanell Tacha), Apr. 16, 2016
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Moderator, "Doing Justice Without Doing Harm," Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law Nootbaar Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics, Mar. 12, 2016
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Conference on Originalism and the Good Constitution," University of San Diego School of Law (with Vik Amar, Stephen Gardbaum, John McGinnis, Bernadette Meyler, Lawrence Rosenthal, & Amanda Tyler), Apr. 11, 2014
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Lecture, "The 'Unitary' Commerce Clause," University of Alabama School of Law, Mar. 6, 2014
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Symposium: The Structure of Standing at 25," University of Alabama School of Law (with William Fletcher, Heather Elliott, Andrew Hessick, Tara Groce, Tom Rowe et al.), Feb. 22, 2013
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist," Limited Federal Power and the Commerce Clause", Co-sponsored by the Templeton Foundation and the Federalist Society (with Tom McAffee, John McGinnis, Andrew Hessick, Randy Kozel, Kurt Lash et al.), Las Vegas, NV, Jan. 25-26, 2013
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Debate, "Federalism and the Supreme Court", Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law (with Ilya Shapiro), Oct. 17, 2012
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Supreme Court Review" (with Jennifer Chacon, Erwin Chemerinsky, Marcia Coyle, & Rick Hasen), UC Irvine School of Law, July 17, 2012
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Presenter, Originalism Works-in-Progress Conference (with Jack Balkin, Kurt Lash, & John Mikhail), University of San Diego Law School Originalism Center, Feb. 4, 2012
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Whither the Court" (with Katherine Stone, Eugene Volokh, Jonathan Varat, & Adam Winkler), UCLA School of Law, Aug. 29, 2011
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Debate, "The Constitutionality of Obamacare", Loyola Law School (with Adam Winkler), Mar. 9, 2011
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Detention, the War on Terrorism, and the Federal Courts," Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law Judicial Clerkship Institute (with Akhil Amar, Judith Resnik, and Judges Paul Friedman and Harris Hartz), 2010
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Lecture, "Standing in Environmental Law;" Arizona State University Law School, 2010
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Faculty Workshop, "Limiting Standing to 'Accidental' Plaintiffs;" University of California-Davis School of Law, 2009
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Lincoln's Constitutionalism in Time of War: Lessons for the War on Terror?;" Chapman Law Review Symposium (other panelists were Marjorie Cohn, Katherine Darmer, and Roger Pilon), 2009
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Habeas Corpus and the War on Terror;" AALS Annual Meeting, Federal Courts Section, San Diego (fellow speakers included Richard Fallon, Trevor Morrison, Judith Resnik, and Stephen Vladeck), 2009
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Lecture, "Judicial Review and the "Enemy Combatant' Cases;" Villanova University School of Law, 2008
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panel Discussion, "The 2008 Election and Reproductive Rights;" UCLA School of Law (other panelists were Kim Buchanan and Adam Winkler), 2008
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Faculty Colloquium, "Creating Legal Rights for Suspected Terrorists: Is the Court Being Courageous or Pragmatic?;" Seton Hall University School of Law, 2008
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Detention and Trials of Suspected Terrorists: Questions for the Next Administration;" Meeting of the Libertarian Law Council and The Federalist Society (Los Angeles Lawyers Chapter), 2008
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Presentation, "The Supreme Court and the War on Terrorism;" Vanderbilt University Law School, 2008
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Lecture, "Judicial Review in War Powers Cases;" University of Illinois College of Law, 2007
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Presentation, "The Partial-Birth Abortion Decisions: Implications for Congressional Power and Constitutional Privacy Rights;" Faculty Workshop Program, Villanova University School of Law, 2007
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Conference in Honor of Paul Mishkin;" University of California-Berkeley School of Law (with Janet Alexander, Jesse Choper, Roger Cramton, Daniel Farber, Martha Field, John Harrison, John Jeffries, James Pfander, Robert Post, Scot Powe), 2006
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Commentator, "The Supreme Court: Past and Prologue;" Symposium at the Cato Institute Center for Constitutional Studies, Washington, DC (with Randy Barnett, Dale Carpenter, Walter Dellinger, Martin Flaherty, Allison Hayward, Larry Ribstein, Ilya Somin), 2006
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Respondent, "The Rookie Year of the Roberts Court;" Symposium at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law (with Akhil Amar, Erwin Chemerinsky, Elizabeth Garrett, Douglas Kmiec, and Kenneth Starr), 2006
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Faculty Colloquium, "The Commerce Clause After Raich: The Wisdom of a Neo-Federalist Approach;" Duke Law School, 2006
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Lecture, "Does Congress Have the Constitutional Power to Ban Partial-Birth Abortion?;" Faculty Speakers' Series, UCLA Law School, 2005
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Analyzing the Supreme Court's 2004-05 Term;" Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law, Judicial Clerkship Institute (fellow participants were Erwin Chemerinsky and Kenneth Starr), 2005
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Dual Enforcement of Constitutional Norms;" William & Mary School of Law (with Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Justices Shirley Abramson, Hans Linde, Ellen Peters, and Randall Shepard, and Professors James Gardner, Daniel Rodriguez, Jim Rossi), 2004
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Fear and Risk Assessment in Times of Democratic Crisis;" Symposium at University of Missouri School of Law (with Cass Sunstein, Lee Epstein, Tracey George, Chris Guthrie, Rachel Moran, and Geoffrey Stone), 2004
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Golf, the Right to Exclude, and Private Country Clubs;" AALS Section on Law and Sports, AALS Annual Meeting, Atlanta (other speakers were Anita Bernstein, Alfreda Robinson, and Kim Yuracko), 2004
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003: Perspectives on the Commerce Power, the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Separation of Powers;" AALS Annual Meeting, Atlanta (with William Araiza, Teresa Collett, Allan Ides, Ann Massie, David Smolin), 2004
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Lecture, "The Recent Liberal Rejection of Supreme Court-Centered Constitutional Interpretation;" Distinguished Faculty Workshop Series, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, 2003
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "The Commerce Clause: Past, Present and Future;" Conference at the University of Arkansas Law Center (other panelists included Randy Barnett, Mark Brandon, Jesse Choper, Barry Cushman, James Ely, Richard Friedman, Grant Nelson, John Yoo), 2002
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Combating Terrorism and the Impact on Civil Liberties;" Federalist Society of Los Angeles (with Abraham Sofaer, Karl Manheim, and Steve Rhode), 2002
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Lecture, "Reconciling Inherent Judicial Powers with Constitutional Principles;" Notre Dame Law School, 2001
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Debate with Laurie Levenson, "The Future of Constitutional Law;" Federal Bar Association Annual Judges' Appreciation Night, Riverside, CA, 2001
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Baker v. Carr: A Commemorative Symposium;" University of North Carolina School of Law (other participants were Guy-Uriel Charles, James Gardner, Heather Gerken, Richard Hasen, Pamela Karlan, Sanford Levinson, Burt Neuborne, Nathaniel Persily), 2001
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "The Law of Presidential Elections: Issues in the Wake of Florida 2000;" Symposium at the Florida State University College of Law (other panelists were Richard Briffault, Guy Charles, James Gardner, Elizabeth Garrett, Heather Gerken), 2001
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Discussant, "Transcending Boundaries: The Constitution, Families, Federalization, and Federalism;" Joint Session of the AALS Sections on Constitutional Law, Family Law, and Federal Courts, AALS Annual Meeting, San Francisco, 2001
  • Robert J. Pushaw Jr., Panelist, "Viewing the Constitution Through A Social-Choice Lens;" Law & Society Conference, Miami (other panelists were Evan Caminker, Barry Friedman, and Maxwell Stearns), 2000

Topics

  • Constitutional Law
  • Criminal Law and Procedure

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