B.A., with honors in history, Grinnell College, 1971; B.A., with first-class honors in philosophy, politics, and economics, Oxford University, 1973; J.D., cum laude, University of Chicago, 1977.

Formerly John Paul Stevens Professor of Law at Northwestern University, 1993-2003; Professor of law, 1986-93; associate professor of law, 1984-86; assistant professor of law, 1981-84; of counsel (1981-2003) and associate (1979-81) at Sidley Austin Brown & Wood. Law clerk, the Hon. Harry A. Blackmun, U.S. Supreme Court, 1978-79; and the Hon. David L. Bazelon, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 1977-78. From 1987 to 1990 served as deputy solicitor general in the Department of Justice, where he represented the United States before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Teaching and research interests include administrative law, property, and environmental law.

Publications include "Agency Rules with the Force of Law: The Original Convention," Harvard Law Review (with Kathryn Watts, 2002); "Property: Takings," (with David Dana, 2002); "Chevron's Domain," Georgetown Law Journal (with Kristin Hickman, 2001); "Optimal Standardization in the Law of Property: The Numerus Clausus Principle," Yale Law Journal (with Henry Smith, 2000); "The Landscape of Constitutional Property," Virginia Law Review (2000); "The Economics of Public Use" Cornell L. Rev. 1986 and "The Making of the Second Rehnquist Court" St. Louis L. J. 2003.