Overview

Dean and Professor Todd Pettys is an expert in Constitutional Law. He is the author of The Iowa Constitution (Oxford 2018), the leading text on the subject, as well as many articles on free speech, gun laws, elections, judicial procedure, and other issues. The Iowa Supreme Court and federal courts frequently cite his scholarship, and he is a regular commentator for the media.  

Dean Pettys graduated first in his class from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he also served as the Editor in Chief of the North Carolina Law Review. He clerked on the Fourth Circuit for Judge Francis Murnaghan, Jr., and was a litigation associate for Perkins Coie LLP, in Seattle before joining the Iowa Law faculty in 1999. Dean Pettys was selected for the university-wide President & Provost Teaching Award as well as two Collegiate Teaching Awards. He also received two additional university-wide awards, the 2024 Regents Award for Faculty Excellence and the 2020 Michael J. Brody Award for Faculty Service. 

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Research areas

Dean Pettys writes primarily in the area of American constitutional law, paying particular attention in recent years to First Amendment issues concerning freedom of expression.

Teaching areas

When not serving as a full-time administrator, Dean Pettys teaches Iowa Law’s two required courses in constitutional law, as well as a seminar examining cases pending before the United States Supreme Court.

Professional affiliations and memberships

• Member, American Law Institute
• Member, Iowa State Bar Association
• Member, United States Supreme Court Bar