(DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)Beginning this fall, the College of Law will host Northwestern Pritzker School of Law's Zachary D. Clopton as the inaugural Clifford Scholar-in-Residence. In this role, Clopton will participate in classes and faculty activities within his areas of expertise, culminating in a presentation to the entire DePaul community that will feature a response from a visiting senior commentator.
Zachary Clopton is DePaul's inaugural Clifford Scholar-in-Residence.
Clopton's scholarly work explores recent developments in the law of civil procedure that have undercut court access and private enforcement in federal courts. His work considers its implications for state courts, public enforcement and newer forms of mass dispute resolution. Clopton has built on his research to file amicus briefs, consult on legislation and rulemaking, and publish articles for public audiences on these topics.
“One of my goals is to use my scholarship to contribute to public policy, and the Clifford Scholar-in-Residence program will be a great platform from which to do that," he says.
The multi-day visitorship complements the annual Clifford Symposium on Tort Law & Social Policy, which has brought together civil justice scholars for the past quarter century to share their ideas and publish their work, and it continues the tradition of developing up-and-coming civil justice scholars.
Prior to joining the faculty at Northwestern, Clopton was an associate professor at Cornell University and a public law fellow at the University of Chicago. He also clerked for the Honorable Diane Wood, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, including as a member of the NATO Chicago Summit Task Force.