Bio

Alan Hirsch

I am currently in my fifth year as Visiting Professor of Legal Studies at Williams College as well as a trial consultant, expert witness, and freelance attorney. Since receiving my B.A. from Amherst College (1981) and J.D. from Yale Law School (1985), I have engaged in various professional activities that developed my expertise in researching and writing appellate briefs, including:

• Law Clerk to Judge Edward Becker, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit: A clerkship provides fabulous first-hand exposure to the appellate process, including the kinds of briefs that persuade judges.
• Senior Attorney/Writer at the Federal Judicial Center: At the FJC I worked directly with judges on assorted projects, enhancing my understanding of various aspects of the legal system and the ways judges think.
• Legal Scholar: At the Federal Judicial Center and on my own, I have authored or coauthored seventeen books, monographs and scholarly articles on the law, providing extensive experience with legal research and writing. I’ve also written more than twenty law-related op-eds and magazine articles appearing in The Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Washington Times, and Newsday, among other publications.
• Expert Consultant and Witness: For the last several years, I have served as an expert consultant in the area of false confessions (see www.truthaboutfalseconfessions.com). This work, while primarily occurring at the trial level, provides direct exposure to the workings of the criminal justice system.
• Professor of Legal Studies and Constitutional Law: Prior to my arrival at Williams College, I taught constitutional law and other law-related subjects at Bennington College and Hartwick College.