Board of Governors Distinguished Public Service Professor and
Alfred C. Clapp Distinguished Public Service Professor of Law.
(Contracts; Education Law.) Professor Tractenberg earned his B.A. from
Wesleyan and his J.D. from the University of Michigan, where he was
associate editor of the Law Review. He joined the faculty in
1970 after being associated with two major New York City law firms, the
Peace Corps, and the Governor's Committee to Study New York Human
Rights Laws. He is the author of numerous books, articles, and papers
on education law; a frequent lecturer; and consultant and adviser to
many national, regional, and state organizations and agencies. In 1973,
he established the Education Law Center, a public interest law project,
and served as its director for three years. He is involved in a number
of landmark constitutional cases about public education, especially Abbott v. Burke,
which New Jersey judges and lawyers voted overwhelmingly the most
important state court decision of the 20th century. In September 2000,
Professor Tractenberg established and is directing the Institute on
Education Law and Policy, an interdisciplinary research project. In his
spare time, Professor Tractenberg is an avid long-distance bicyclist.
