Fall 2026 Fellow
Jeffrey Toobin is one of the most recognized and admired legal journalists in the country. On television, in best-selling books, and in newspapers, magazines and podcasts, he has covered all of the most dramatic legal controversies of the past three decades. His tenth book, “The Pardon: The Politics of Presidential Mercy,” was published by Simon & Schuster in February 2025.
In 2025, Toobin joined The New York Times as a contributing opinion writer. He also writes for The New York Times Magazine and continues to offer commentary on CNN.
In 2024, NBC Universal released “Homegrown: OKC,” a podcast based on his book, “Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism.” Also in 2024, Toobin became an instructor at Harvard Law School in the Trial Advocacy Workshop.
Toobin’s work has also been the basis for major television events. His book, “The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson,” was the basis for the acclaimed ten-part limited series, “American Crime Story,” starring John Travolta and Cuba Gooding, Jr., on the FX Network, in 2016. In 2021, “American Crime Story” on FX Network featured a limited series based on his book, ”A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal that Nearly Brought Down a President.”
At CNN and previously at ABC News, where he won an Emmy Award, as well as in print, Toobin has been a leading figure in coverage of the Supreme Court. His book, “The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court,” was published in 2012 and was a New York Times best-seller. The Oath followed “The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court,” which was also a best-seller and earned the 2008 J. Anthony Lukas Prize for Nonfiction from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.
Toobin, who is also a noted lecturer, has written several other critically acclaimed, best- selling books, including “Too Close to Call: The 36-Day Battle to Decide the 2000 Election.” His most recent book, “True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump,” about the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Muller and the impeachment of President Trump, became an immediate New York Times best-seller. His previous book, “American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst,” was also a Times best-seller.
Previously, Toobin served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Brooklyn. He also served as an associate counsel in the Office of Independent Counsel Lawrence E. Walsh, an experience that provided the basis for his first book, “Opening Arguments: A Young Lawyer’s First Case—United States v. Oliver North.”
Toobin earned his bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He lives with his family in New York City.
Study Group: “Law and Politics: What’s the Difference (If Any)?”
Are law and politics really separate—or are they deeply connected? In this study group, you’ll explore how some of today’s biggest public issues sit right at the intersection of both. Questions like: What makes a law unconstitutional? When does a politician’s behavior become criminal? And how should the media report on these situations? Taught by journalist Jeffrey Toobin, who has spent his career covering high-profile legal and political stories, this study group breaks down how these two worlds influence each other. You’ll hear from guest speakers across law, politics, and journalism—each bringing different perspectives and debates into the conversation. By the end, you’ll have a sharper understanding of how power, law, and public opinion interact—and why the line between law and politics isn’t always so clear.
Study Group Time: Tuesdays, 4PM to 6PM
Study Group Dates:
September 15
September 22
September 29
October 6
October 13
October 20
October 27
November 3
November 10