Jesse H. Choper

Jesse Herbert Choper is an American constitutional law scholar and a former Dean of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where he serves as the Earl Warren Professor of Public Law Emeritus.

Biography Choper was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to Dorothy Resnick and Edward Choper. He attended Wilkes University, receiving a B.A. in 1957. He then studied at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, graduating Order of the Coif in 1960 while teaching courses at the Wharton School. After law school, he clerked for Chief Justice Earl Warren of the Supreme Court of the United States during the 1960 Term.

Following his clerkship, in 1961 Choper joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota Law School. In 1965, he began teaching constitutional law, corporate law, and other subjects at UC Berkeley School of Law, and served as dean from 1982 to 1992. During his career, Choper has served as visiting professor at Harvard Law School, Fordham Law School, and several European universities. In November 2015, he retired from teaching.

Other Choper has co-authored two case books on constitutional law, and one on corporate law called Choper, Coffee, Gilson. He is widely cited in the press as an expert on free speech and the constitution.

Choper is a member of the American Law Institute. In 2012, he was awarded the Bernard E. Witkin Medal by the California State Bar.

Since 2006, he has served as a member of the California Horse Racing Board.

Personal life Choper is married to Mari Smith Choper. They have two sons and one grandson.