David A. Dana

Kirkland & Ellis Professor of Law
Professor of Real Estate, Kellogg School of Management (Courtesy)
Director, Program on Sustainability and Food and Animal Law


Biography

David Dana is a leading scholar in the fields of environmental law, property, land use, and professional responsibility. Before becoming a professor, he was a litigator in both the private (Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering) and public (U.S. Department of Justice) sectors.  He taught at Boston University before joining Northwestern, and has been a visiting professor at Harvard and Virginia as well several foreign universities.  His work on the Takings Clause has been very widely cited, as has his writing on the ethics of aggregate legal representation.  His current scholarly work focuses on a range of topics, including environmental and health risks posed by emerging technologies, climate change adaptation, the foreclosure crisis, and attorney fees and fee alternatives.


Areas of Expertise

  • Environmental Law
  • Property Law
  • Intellectual Property



Education

  • BA summa cum laude, Harvard University
  • JD magna cum laude, Harvard University

Prior Appointments

  • Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
  • Stanford Clinton Sr. and Zylpha Kilbride Clinton Research Professor of Law, Northwestern University School of Law
  • Associate Dean of Academic Affairs: Faculty & Research, Northwestern University School of Law
  • Associate Professor of Law and Professor, 1993-1998, Boston University School of Law
  • Attorney, 1991-1993, Environmental and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice
  • Associate, 1989-1991, Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering
  • Law Clerk, 1988-1989, Hon. Betty Fletcher, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Recent Consulting Activities

  • Legal Ethics consulting in the Enron litigation and a variety of malpractice, fee recovery, disqualification and class certification disputes
  • Pro bono environmental consulting for Environmental Law and Policy Center and other non-governmental organizations
  • Consultant, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Living Cities initiative

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