Thomas Mitchell

Professor Thomas Mitchell is the second holder of the Robert F. Drinan, SJ, Chair. In 2020, he was named a MacArthur Fellow (commonly known as the “Genius Grant”) in recognition of his work “reforming long-standing legal doctrines that deprive Black and other disadvantaged American families of their property and real estate wealth.” His areas of expertise include property law, land use, minority property ownership, and legal reform.

Mitchell received his BA from Amherst College, JD from Howard University, and LLM from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he later served on the faculty. He is a prolific writer with two books and dozens of articles, book chapters, essays, and policy briefs to his credit. His presentations at various conferences and symposia number more than 100. He was a principal drafter of the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act (UPHPA) of 2010.