Louis Fisher

Scholar in Residence, The Constitution Project

Louis Fisher is Scholar in Residence at the Constitution Project and a Visiting Professor at the College of William and Mary Law School. He worked for four decades at the Library of Congress as a Senior Specialist in Separation of Powers for the Congressional Research Service, and as a Specialist in Constitutional Law for the Law Library. During his service with Congressional Research Service, he was research director of the House Iran-Contra Committee in 1987, writing major sections of the final report. Fisher has taught at Queens College, Georgetown University, American University, Catholic University Law School, Indiana University, Catholic University, and Johns Hopkins University. His books include Presidential War Power (2d ed. 2004), Congressional Abdication on War and Spending (2000), Military Tribunals and Presidential Power: American Revolution to the War on Terrorism (2005), In the Name of National Security: Unchecked Presidential Power and the Reynolds Case (2006), and The Constitution and 9/11: Recurring Threats to America’s Freedoms (2008). He has received numerous awards for his publications and service, including the Louis Brownlow Book Award, the Dartmouth Medal, the Neustadt Book Award, the Walter Beach Pi Sigma Alpha Award from the National Capital Area Political Science Association, and the Hubert H. Humphrey Award from the American Political Science Association. Dr. Fisher has been invited to testify before Congress more than 50 times on such issues as war powers, state secrets privilege, NSA surveillance, and CIA whistleblowing, and covert spending. He received his Ph.D. from the New School for Social Research in 1967.

Conferences