Sujit Choudhry, a noted expert in comparative constitutional law, has become the first Indian-American dean of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, a top US law school.
Born in Delhi and raised in Toronto, Choudhry, 44, who was the Cecelia Goetz Professor of Law at New York University School of Law and founder of its Centre for Constitutional Transitions, began a five-year term as Berkeley Law’s 12th dean Monday.
Berkeley Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Claude Steele has called Choudhry a “brilliant scholar, professor, and mentor,” who would inspire and lead with “big ideas” during a time of rapid change in the legal profession.
In an interview with Berkeley Law’s annual Transcript magazine, Choudhry called his new job “the opportunity of a lifetime”.
“What’s distinctive about Berkeley Law is its culture,” he was quoted as saying.
“It’s got hustle and drive and innovative people willing to experiment and try new things, which seems very much rooted in Berkeley’s identity as a public university.”
Choudhry’s recent work has had an international focus that dovetails closely with the university’s global outreach and scholarship, the Berkeley Law announcement said.