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Dahlia Lithwick

ダリア・リスウィック

Dahlia Lithwick

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Nationality
Canadian, American
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism
Residence History
Ottawa (birthplace) → Reno, Nevada → New Haven (Yale) → Palo Alto / Stanford area (Stanford)

Career

Occupations
Lawyer, Editor, Commentator, Journalist, Author
Active Years
1990-
Affiliations
Slate (contributing/senior editor), Newsweek (contributing editor)

Education

Yale University
College of Arts and Sciences / English
Degree: BA
Period: 1986–1990
Year of Graduation: 1990
Country: United States
Member of the Yale Debate Association; active on the parliamentary debate circuit.
Stanford Law School
Law School / Law (J.D. program)
Degree: J.D.
Period: 1993–1996
Year of Graduation: 1996
Country: United States
After graduation clerked for a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Awards

Hillman Prize (Opinion & Analysis Journalism)
2018
Category: Opinion & Analysis Journalism
Organization: Sidney Hillman Foundation
Result: 受賞
Online News Association Award (online commentary)
2001
Category: Online Commentary
Organization: Online News Association
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America

2022 Non-fiction (law, society)

An examination of the American judiciary through the lens of women and the law, combining history, recent cases, and commentary on the state of justice in the U.S.

JudiciaryWomen's rightsCivil rightsCase commentary

Me v. Everybody: Absurd Contracts for an Absurd World

2003 Essays / Humor

A collection of essays using absurd contract scenarios to comment humorously on modern life.

HumorContractsSocial satire

Building a National Immunization System: A Guide to Immunization Services and Resources

1994 Practical guide / Public health

A guide to immunization services and resources for building a national immunization system.

Public healthPolicyPractical guidance

I Will Sing Life: Voices from the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

1992 Non-fiction / Documentary

Voices from participants at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp collected in a documentary-style book.

VolunteeringChild supportCommunity

Bibliography

  • Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America
  • Me v. Everybody: Absurd Contracts for an Absurd World
  • Building a National Immunization System: A Guide to Immunization Services and Resources
  • I Will Sing Life: Voices from the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Clear, argument-driven essays grounded in legal analysisExplanatory prose mixing humor with sharp observation
Recurring Motifs
Explaining judicial mechanismsContextualizing case lawIssues of civil rights and liberties

Legacy

Widely recognized as a leading commentator on the U.S. Supreme Court and judicial issues, she has been highly regarded in journalism. Through work such as the 'Amicus' podcast she brought legal discussion to a broader public.

Archives

  • Slate (article archives)
  • Newsweek (contributor archives)

Quotes

  • "She has been the nation's best legal commentator for two decades."
    Source: Sidney Hillman Foundation (Hillman Prize citation) (2018)

Trivia

  • Debated at Yale and was runner-up for national Team of the Year with Austan Goolsbee.
  • Hosts the podcast 'Amicus'.
  • Has stated she keeps a kosher household.
  • Clerked for Judge Procter Ralph Hug Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit after law school.