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Michael Klarman

b. 1959

American historian

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About Michael Klarman

Born 1959. Michael Klarman is an American historian, university teacher and jurist.

Michael J. Klarman (born 1959) is an American legal historian and scholar of constitutional law. Currently, Klarman is the Kirkland & Ellis Professor at Harvard Law School. Formerly, he was James Monroe Distinguished Professor of Law, Professor of History, and Elizabeth D. and Richard A. Merrill Research Professor at the University of Virginia School of Law.

Early life and education Klarman grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, in a Jewish family. His father, Herbert E. Klarman, was a public health economist. He is the brother of investor Seth Klarman.

Klarman holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School, a D.Phil. from Oxford University (where he was a Marshall Scholar) and an M.A. and B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. His dissertation was titled "The Osborne Judgment: A Legal/Historical Analysis". After his graduation from law school, he clerked for then-Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg when she was on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Scholarship Klarman discusses the U.S. Constitution on its 222nd anniversary Klarman specializes in the constitutional history of race. He contends that the Supreme Court of the United States has historically been hostile to the rights of minorities and has not consistently enforced constitutional protections for them. Klarman argues that civil rights protections arise out of social mores from which the court takes its cue.

Awards 2005 Bancroft Prize

Works Preview. Discussion between Klarman and Michael W. McConnell regarding Brown v. Board of Education

Response to McConnell: Response to Klarman:

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Important facts

Born
1959
Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Oxford, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford Law School
Employers
Harvard University, University of Virginia
Awards
Bancroft Prize

People in Michael Klarman's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Michael Klarman's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Michael Klarman?

American historian

When was Michael Klarman born?

Michael Klarman was born in 1959.

What is Michael Klarman's occupation?

Michael Klarman is a historian, university teacher and jurist.

What nationality is Michael Klarman?

Michael Klarman is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Michael Klarman

· Wikidata: Q12061021

· DBpedia: Michael Klarman

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Michael Klarman. https://biography.guide/michael-klarman/

MLA: "Michael Klarman." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/michael-klarman/.

Chicago: "Michael Klarman." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/michael-klarman/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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