Constitutional Scholar Carlos Bernal named the David Boies Distinguished Chair in Law
Tulane Law School has appointed internationally recognized constitutional law scholar Carlos Bernal to the David Boies Distinguished Chair in Law, bringing to campus a jurist and academic whose work spans constitutional interpretation, comparative constitutional change and human rights.
Bernal, a former Justice of Colombia’s Constitutional Court, currently serves as a Commissioner of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the IACHR’s Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for the 2022–2025 term. His selection to the regional human-rights body followed decades of scholarship and service in Latin America, Europe, Australia, and the United States.
“Professor Bernal is an extraordinary scholar and jurist whose global experience and deep commitment to constitutional democracy and human rights will elevate Tulane Law’s teaching and research."
Law Dean Marcilynn Burke
Burke added, “His appointment to the Boies Chair reflects both the caliber of his scholarship and Tulane’s dedication to preparing our students to engage with the most urgent legal challenges across the world.”
The Boies Chair has previously recognized scholars who have shaped the law through both teaching and advocacy. Tulane created the chair as part of a broader investment in academic excellence, and past holders have included leaders in complex litigation, alternative dispute resolution and public-interest work.
“I’m excited to join Tulane Law and to serve in the David Boies Distinguished Chair,” Bernal said. “Tulane’s commitment to comparative and international law, together with its vibrant community of scholars and students, provides a unique opportunity to advance research and teaching in constitutional interpretation and human rights. I look forward to contributing to this important mission.”
A global scholar of constitutional law
Bernal’s academic résumé includes professorships at the University of Dayton School of Law, at the Universidad de la Sabana (Colombia) and Macquarie Law School (Sydney, Australia). He has held senior research fellowships at Yale Law School, King’s College London, and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law (Heidelberg). Bernal also has taught or lectured widely, including at the Sorbonne, Paris Nanterre, Copenhagen, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and León (Spain).
His scholarship—published in multiple languages—focuses on the interpretation of constitutional rights, proportionality, judicial review, and comparative constitutional change. Recent editorial work includes co-editing Constitutional Interpretation in Edward Elgar’s Research Handbooks in Comparative Constitutional Law series (forthcoming 2025).
Jurist with regional impact
On Colombia’s Constitutional court, Bernal participated in decisions shaping the scope of constitutional rights and state obligations during a period of transitional justice and social transformation. At the IACHR, his portfolio includes oversight and promotion of disability rights across the Americas, reflecting a sustained commitment to ensuring constitutional principles and human rights -in particular, of the most vulnerable- are widely recognized and realized in practice.
The Colombian Government has awarded Bernal with several honors for his service: The Order of Boyaca, the highest peacetime decoration of Colombia given for exceptional service to distinguished military officers and civilians; and the Medal Jose Maria Cordova, a prestigious honor bestowed on members of the Armed Forces for acts of valor and gallantry.
Bernal earned his LL.B. from Universidad Externado de Colombia (1996), an S.J.D. from the University of Salamanca (2001), and both an M.A. (2008) and Ph.D. in Philosophy (2011) from the University of Florida. Before his judicial service, he taught and wrote extensively on constitutional theory and the philosophy of law, becoming a key voice in debates over transformative constitutionalism in the Global South. According to Google Scholar, he is one of the most cited researchers in the fields of constitutional theory and jurisprudence worldwide.
Bernal will begin his appointment in January, contributing to Tulane Law’s strengths in comparative, international, and public law while mentoring students engaged in rights-focused research and practice.
