Penn Carey Law Faculty Dominates Top Legal Scholar Rankings
Seven faculty members from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School have been recognized among the nation’s most influential legal scholars in the 2025 rankings compiled by researchers at George Mason University. The ranking, based on citations to recent legal scholarship, highlights the significant impact of Penn Carey Law’s research on legal thought and policy.
Ranking Methodology and Key Findings
The “Top 100 Legal Scholars of 2025” list measures citations to articles published between 2019 and 2021, assessing the frequency with which these works are cited in law review articles. This metric provides a snapshot of the scholarship currently shaping academic and policy debates. The Penn Carey Law faculty recognized represent a broad range of legal fields, including corporate governance, civil rights, criminal law, regulation, and empirical legal studies.
Professors Jill E. Fisch and Elizabeth Pollman both ranked among the top 10 scholars nationally, making the University of Pennsylvania the only institution with two scholars in the top 10. Pollman and Dorothy E. Roberts as well ranked in the top 10 when adjusted for co-authorship.
“Abolition Constitutionalism” Leads in Citations
Professor Dorothy E. Roberts’ article, “Abolition Constitutionalism,” published in 2019, received the highest number of citations—379—of any article across all three years of the ranking. The 122-page article has consistently risen in prominence and continues to be a key resource for legal scholars and practitioners.
Dean Lee on Faculty Impact
“This recognition reflects the extraordinary impact of our faculty’s scholarship,” said Sophia Z. Lee, Dean and Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law. “Across a wide range of fields, Penn Carey Law is home to scholars who produce research that shapes legal thinking, informs policymaking, and advances public understanding of critical issues.”
Complete List of Ranked Penn Carey Law Faculty
Top 100 Scholars Ranked by Citations to Law Review Articles (2019-2021)
- Jill E. Fisch — #6
- Elizabeth Pollman — #8
- Dorothy E. Roberts — #14
- Herbert Hovenkamp — #19
- Sandra G. Mayson — #22
- Cary Coglianese — #38
- David A. Hoffman — #50
Top 100 Scholars Adjusted for Co-Authorship
- Elizabeth Pollman — #3
- Dorothy E. Roberts — #7
- Sandra G. Mayson — #13
- Herbert Hovenkamp — #14
- Jill Fisch — #15
- Cary Coglianese — #57
- David A. Hoffman — #85
Read the full list of the Top 100 Legal Scholars of 2025.