THE SHARPENING of a SCHOLAR
By ANN HARRINGTON
Photo credit: University of Michigan
Professor Michael Stokes Paulsen speaks to University of Michigan Law School students about the paper he co-authored, “The Sweep and Force of Section Three.”
Professor Michael Stokes Paulsen is known for shining a light on obscure corners of constitutional history, often employing his irreverent wit in journal articles like “Is West Virginia Unconstitutional?” and “Let’s Mess with Texas.” Though Paulsen’s writing can be playful, he almost always has a serious purpose: To illuminate a neglected or misunderstood aspect of the law or our
with William Baude, about a little- known provision of the Fourteenth Amendment that disqualifies oath- taking insurrectionists from holding office, did all that, even before the article was officially published. Informed by thorough historical research and examination of the text as it was originally understood, the article is a testament to Paulsen’s determination to follow the truth wherever it leads.
constitutional history. Over his career, this approach has gained him respect among colleagues as an innovative thinker whose scholarship is grounded in careful analysis. But until now, none of his scholarly articles had fueled a national debate or spawned legal cases that went all the way to the Supreme Court. “The Sweep and Force of Section Three,” co-authored
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