David N. Schleicher
Professor of Law
(on leave, spring 2024)
David N. Schleicher is a Professor of Law at Yale Law School and is an expert in election law, land use, local government law, federalism, state and local finance, municipal bankruptcy, and urban development. His work has been published widely in academic journals, including the Yale Law Journal and the University of Chicago Law Review, as well as in popular outlets like The Atlantic and Slate.
FULL BIOGRAPHY
Contact Information
- Room 279
- 203-432-4933
- david.schleicher@yale.edu
Faculty Assistant
Jennifer Marshall
- 337
- 203-432-4956
- jennifer.marshall@yale.edu
Education & Curriculum Vitae
J.D., Harvard Law School, 2004
M.Sc., London School of Economics, 2001
A.B., Dartmouth College, 2000
Courses Taught
- Local Government Law
- Procedure I
- The State and Local Budget Crisis
- Property Law
David N. Schleicher is a Professor of Law at Yale Law School and is an expert in local government law, land use, federalism, state and local finance and urban development. His work has been published widely in academic journals, including the Yale Law Journal and the University of Chicago Law Review, as well as in popular outlets like The Atlantic and Slate. He is also the host of the hit podcast, “Digging a Hole: The Legal Theory Podcast.”
Professor Schleicher’s scholarship focuses on state and local elections, the relationship between local government law and agglomeration economics, and pathologies in land use politics and procedure. He has been called “the most important thinker we have on the subject of local government” and “ingenious” by National Review and one of the “most interesting writers on land use” by Washington Monthly. His work has been described as “great but old fashioned” by Vox, “interesting” by The Nation, “clever” by The Economist, “neat” by Slate, “prescient” by City Observatory, “excellent” by Forbes, and discussed extensively in The Atlantic, National Affairs, Reuters, and a number of other places.
Schleicher was previously an Associate Professor of Law at George Mason University School of Law, where he won the university’s Teaching Excellence Award. He has also taught at Georgetown, Harvard, and New York University. He is a 2004 magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School. He also holds an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and an AB in Economics and Government from Dartmouth College.
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Pandemic Aid for Public Schools Is Running Out. That’s Leaving Districts Under Pressure
Bloomberg
Professor of Law David Schleicher discusses the impacts of the end of federal aid received by public schools due to the pandemic.
Friday, September 15, 2023
Should District Residents Have Greater Independence?
CQ Research
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in a report outlining the arguments for and against Washington, D.C. statehood.
Monday, July 31, 2023
Building Better Defaults, with David Schleicher
Public Money Pod
Professor of Law David Schleicher discusses his new book, In a Bad State: Responding to State and Local Fiscal Crises.
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
The Basketball Court — A Commentary by David Schleicher and David Fontana ’05
The Slow Boring
David N. Schleicher is a Professor of Law at Yale Law School. David Fontana ’05 is the Samuel Tyler Research Professor at George Washington University Law School.
Monday, July 10, 2023
How Equalization Makes Canada Distinct From the U.S.: David Schleicher on the Persistence of Local Budget Crises
The Hub
Professor of Law David Schleicher discusses his book, In a Bad State: Responding to State and Local Budget Crises.
Saturday, July 8, 2023
David Schleicher on the Campbell Conversations
WVRO
Professor of Law David Schleicher discusses his book In a Bad State: Responding to State and Local Budget Crises.
Tuesday, June 13, 2023
When Your Local Government Goes Broke
City Journal
Professor of Law David N. Schleicher’s new book, In a Bad State: Responding to State and Local Budget Crises, is reviewed.
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
How Should Governments Respond to the Next Budget Crisis?
Governing
Professor of Law David Schleicher discusses his new book, In A Bad State: Responding to State and Local Budget Crises.
Monday, June 5, 2023
What Happens When Cities Run Out of Money
Slate
Professor of Law David N. Schleicher’s new book, In a Bad State: Responding to State and Local Budget Crises, is reviewed.
Sunday, June 4, 2023
The Era of Flush State Budgets Is Over — A Commentary by David Schleicher
The Atlantic
David N. Schleicher is a Professor of Law at Yale Law School.
Friday, June 2, 2023
Can States and Cities Dig Themselves Out?
City Journal
Professor of Law David N. Schleicher discusses his new book In a Bad State: Responding to State and Local Budget Crises.
Thursday, June 1, 2023
NIMBY Cities Are Using Your Tax Dollars To Lobby Against New Housing
Reason
Professor of Law David N. Schleicher discusses how cities craft ‘NIMBY’ policies using tax dollars.
Sunday, May 28, 2023
As debt ceiling negotiators finalize deal, the nation watches anxiously
The Washington Post
Professor of Law David N. Schleicher discusses public concerns about the debt ceiling negotiations.
Friday, May 5, 2023
What States and Cities Can Do about Debt
In his new book, Professor David N. Schleicher gives federal policymakers “a practical guide” for when states and cities cannot pay their debts.
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Disney Should Thank DeSantis for His Big Dumb Mouth
New York Magazine
Sterling Professor Robert Post ’77 and Professor of Law David N. Schleicher discuss First Amendment and contract law issues behind the legal battles between Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Nassau, Suffolk Struggle With ‘Alarming’ Employee Payouts
Newsday
Professor of Law David Schleicher comments what happens when local governments agree to contracts for public employees that include payouts for unused sick and vacation days.
Friday, December 23, 2022
Whose Boom Is It? City Cut Top Investors $166M Break In 2022
New Haven Independent
Clinical Professor Anika Singh Lemar and Professor of Law David Schleicher comment on how tax appraisals work in an analysis of the year’s largest commerical property transactions in New Haven.
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
Why Local Governments Need to Compete to Offer Citizens What They Want
Governing
A commentary on domestic migration in the U.S. cites scholarship by Professor of Law David N. Schleicher.
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Is the Rent Too Damn High?
City Journal
Professor of Law David N. Schleicher joins a panel on the housing market in New York City.
Friday, April 29, 2022
Florida’s Law Punishing Disney Has a Billion-Dollar Problem
Slate
Professor of Law Professor David N. Schleicher comments on the legal complexities of Florida’s special district for Disney property.
Monday, April 25, 2022
Community Input Is Bad, Actually
The Atlantic
Scholarship by Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an article about community input stalling local infrastruture projects.
Thursday, February 24, 2022
What Happens When Americans Stay in the Same House Forever?
Vox
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted about a decline in residential mobility in America.
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Why We Can’t Have Nice Place-Based Policies: A Review of David Wessel’s Only The Rich Can Play
Niskanen Center
Professor of Law David Schleicher reviews David Wessel’s book, Only The Rich Can Play.
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
New Jersey Is the Best-Run State in America
Slate
Professor of Law David Schleicher comments on New Jersey's state governance.
Monday, October 25, 2021
It’s His Town Now
New York Magazine
Professor of Law David Schleicher comments on the possible post-election plans of New York mayoral candidate Eric Adams.
Friday, September 24, 2021
How California Plans To Turn the Screws on Nimby Cities
Full Stack Economics
Professor of Law David Schleicher discusses how the state of California can put pressure on cities to accommodate more new homes.
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
We the People
The New York Times
Henry R. Luce Professor of Jurisprudence Samuel Moyn and Professor of Law David Schleicher contributed essays to a series exploring potential constitutional amendments.
Friday, July 23, 2021
How Blue Cities Became So Outrageously Unaffordable
The Ezra Klein Show
Papers by Professor of Law David Schleicher and Associate Professor of Law Zachary Liscow ’15 are discussed on the Ezra Klein Show.
Monday, July 12, 2021
COVID Didn’t Kill Cities. Why Was That Prophecy So Alluring?
The New York Times
Professor of Law David N. Schleicher comments about anti-urban sentiment in America during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
The Machine Man — A Commentary by David N. Schleicher
Slow Boring
David N. Schleicher is a Professor of Law at Yale Law School.
Thursday, June 17, 2021
The Company Eric Adams Keeps
New York
Professor of Law David N. Schleicher is quoted in a profile of a New York City mayoral candidate.
Friday, June 4, 2021
D.C. Statehood Could Cost More than $1 Billion. City Officials Aren’t Fazed.
The Washington Post
Professor David Schleicher is quoted in a news story about the cost of D.C. statehood.
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Who is the Racial Justice Case for Zoning Reform For?
Slow Boring
Professor of Law David Schleicher is mentioned in an article on the Slow Boring blog about residential zoning policy.
Friday, April 16, 2021
How Zoning Screws Up Everything
Model Citizen
Professor of Law David Schleicher was interviewed on the Model Citizen podcast about residential zoning.
Monday, March 29, 2021
A Fight over Housing Segregation is Dividing One of America’s Most Liberal States
Vox
A commentary by Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in Vox about Connecticut residential zoning restrictions.
Monday, March 22, 2021
“Home Rule” a False Argument on Housing — A Commentary by David Schleicher
Connecticut Post
David Schleicher is a Professor of Law at Yale Law School.
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
A Way to Tamp Down the Toxic Politics of National Identity
Governing
Scholarship by Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in a Governing commentary about national identity.
Friday, February 12, 2021
Nobody Knows How NYC’s New Voting System Will Affect the Mayoral Race
New York Magazine
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in New York Magazine about how ranked-choice voting may affect the New York mayoral race.
Friday, February 5, 2021
Covid-19 caused a recession. So why did the housing market boom?
Vox
Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in a Vox article about trends in the housing market during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Want More Infrastructure? Make It Cheaper to Build
Bloomberg
Professor of Law David Schleicher and Associate Professor of Law Zachary Liscow ’15 are mentioned in a Bloomberg commentary on how to make building more affordable.
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
A Piece of New York: Real Estate in NYC
WNYC / Here’s the Thing
Professor of Law David Schleicher was a guest on WYNC’s Here’s the Thing podcast where he discussed gentrification.
Friday, October 16, 2020
New Law School Workshop Explores Impact of COVID Across All Aspects of Law and Policy
The Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy has convened a weekly interdisciplinary workshop with leading experts from law, policy, economics, health, and governance to address issues related to all aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Monday, October 5, 2020
David Schleicher and Samuel Moyn Start New Legal Theory Podcast
Law School professors Samuel Moyn and David Schleicher have collaborated to create “Digging a Hole: The Legal Theory Podcast.”
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Ending Member Privilege
City Journal
Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in a City Journal article about how aldermanic privilege can block urban development.
Monday, August 10, 2020
David Schleicher on the Municipal Trilemma and its Implications for the Current Crisis
Mercatus Center / The Bridge podcast
Professor of Law David Schleicher was interviewed on The Bridge podcast about the historical role the federal government has played in responding to state and local budget crises.
Friday, July 17, 2020
State and local officials tussle over virus restrictions
The Associated Press
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in an Associated Press story about friction between state and local governments over mandates related to COVID-19.
Monday, June 29, 2020
The Latest Push Toward Statehood For Washington, D.C.
WAMU / 1A
Professor of Law David Schleicher was interviewed for a National Public Radio segment about the recent push for D.C. statehood.
Monday, May 11, 2020
Reasonable Conditions for State and Local Aid
The Niskanen Center
David Schleicher is Professor of Law at Yale Law School.
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Can States Declare Bankruptcy? Mitch McConnell Floated the Option But Experts Say Current Law Doesn't Allow It
Newsweek
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in Newsweek about whether or not states can declare bankruptcy.
Monday, April 27, 2020
Can states file for bankruptcy? Should they? What you need to know
PolitiFact
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in PolitiFact about whether states can declare bankruptcy.
Monday, April 27, 2020
The States Are Toast — A Commentary by David Schleicher
Slate
David Schleicher is Professor of Law at Yale Law School.
Friday, April 3, 2020
America has no federal response to this crisis
Vox
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in Vox about the lack of federal response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
To Fix Its Housing Crunch, One U.S. City Takes Aim at the Single-Family Home
Bloomberg Businessweek
Professor of Law David N. Schleicher is quoted about the new urban plan for Minneapolis that ends single-family zoning.
Friday, July 26, 2019
Dysfunctional Federalism
Vox
Professor of Law David N. Schleicher is interviewed on a podcast about why state and local politics don’t work anymore.
Monday, July 8, 2019
New York’s Socialist Revolution Isn’t What It Seems
The Atlantic
Professor of Law David N. Schleicher's work on how people vote in local elections is cited in an article about the rise of left-leaning candidates in New York State.
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Democrats are Learning the Wrong Lesson from Donald Trump
Vox
A paper by Professor of Law David N. Schleicher is referenced in an analysis of the Democrats' strategy for 2020.
Monday, July 1, 2019
2019’s Best- & Worst-Run Cities in America
WalletHub
Professor of Law David N. Schleicher is featured in a Q & A on what makes a city well run and other issues U.S. cities face.
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Chicago aldermen might be even more powerful than you think
Crain’s Chicago Business
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in an article about how aldermanic power in Chicago compares to other big cities.
Thursday, September 6, 2018
What ‘Adult Entertainment,’ Puerto Rico And Chapter 9 Bankruptcy Have In Common
Forbes
Scholarship by Professor of Law David Schleicher and Aurelia Chaudhury ’16 is cited in an article about municipal bankruptcy.
Thursday, August 30, 2018
The National Implications of Oklahoma’s GOP Primary
National Review
Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an article about Oklahoma’s recent GOP primary.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Cities In Distress: What Chicago's Bankruptcy May Look Like—A Commentary by Adam Levitin and David Schleicher
Law 360
Adam J. Levitin is the Agnes N. Williams Research Professor and Professor of Law at Georgetown University and David Schleicher is a Professor of Law at Yale Law School.
Thursday, June 21, 2018
The Wealthy Atlanta Suburb Fighting to Secede From Its City
Bloomberg Businessweek
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in an article about a wealthy Georgia suburb that wants to succeed from its city.
Thursday, June 7, 2018
The market for driverless cars will head towards monopoly
The Economist
Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an article about the market for driverless vehicles.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Town Hall: Divided Power: The Re-Emergence of Federalism and the 17th Amendment
National Constitution Center
Professor of Law David Schleicher took part in a forum where he discussed whether the 17th Amendment should be repealed.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
The housing crisis isn’t just about affordability—it’s about economic mobility, too
Curbed
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in an article about economic mobility.
Monday, April 2, 2018
2018’s States with the Best & Worst Taxpayer ROI
WalletHub
Professor of Law David Schleicher was interviewed about which states get the best value for their tax money.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Voting Booth To The Mailbox: Malloy Pushes For Electoral Reform
The Hartford Courant
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in an article about electoral reforms proposed by Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Getting America on the move requires Americans to move
The Washington Post
Scholarship by Professor of Law David Schleicher is the basis of an article about declining mobility in the United States.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Why driverless cars may mean jams tomorrow
The Economist
A study co-authored by Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an article about driverless cars.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Political Economy Podcast-Ep. 89: Our Stagnant Labor Market
Ricochet
Professor of Law David Schleicher is the guest on a podcast where he discussed his Yale Law Journal article: "Stuck! The Law and Economics of Residential Stagnation."
Friday, December 29, 2017
Should Mayoral, Council Candidates Have To Declare A Party Affiliation?
KJZZ
Professor of Law David Schleicher was interviewed about non-partisan elections.
Thursday, December 28, 2017
The Most Expensive Mile of Subway on Earth
The New York Times Magazine
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in a feature about the cost of transit projects in New York.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
What Happened to the American Boomtown?
The New York Times
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in an article about the current state of the American boomtown.
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
How the State Can Make Inequality Worse
The Nation Blogs
Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an article about how zoning can increase inequality through the location of new housing.
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
What Texas Can Teach Democrats About Defending Sanctuary Cities
Slate
Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an article about sanctuary cities.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
How Airbnb and Uber are redistributing wealth in America
Yahoo! Finance
Professor of Law David Schleicher was part of a panel about the sharing economy.
Friday, September 15, 2017
In Detroit, the end of blight is in sight
The Economist
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in an article about the rebuilding of Detroit.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
The Impact of Local Laws
David Schleicher received tenure and was appointed Professor of Law at Yale Law School on July 1, 2017. On the occasion of Schleicher’s promotion, we asked him a few questions about his research and teaching.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
A legal fight over New York City dog-sitters highlights a bigger problem in America
Yahoo Finance
Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in an article about regulation and the sharing economy.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Common Interpretation: The Seventeenth Amendment
National Constitution Center
Professor of Law David Schleicher took part in a written debate on the Seventeenth Amendment as part of the Interactive Constitution project.
Monday, May 22, 2017
David Schleicher on Local and State Regulation and Declining Mobility
Macro Musings with David Beckworth
Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher was a guest on a podcast where he discussed how government regulations have led to a significant decline in inter-state mobility.
Friday, May 19, 2017
America’s declining mobility has millennials feeling stuck
Curbed
Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in an article on the declining domestic migration rates among millennials.
Monday, April 24, 2017
If you really respect Trump voters, tell them the truth
Vox
Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an article.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Anatomy of a NIMBY
CityLab
Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an article about the consequences of restricting housing construction.
Friday, February 10, 2017
Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
American Interest
Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an article about the high cost of infrastructure projects in America.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Staying Put: Why Nobody’s Moving Right Now
WBUR/ On Point
Associate Professor of Law David Scheicher was a guest where he discussed mobility in America.
Thursday, February 2, 2017
America the Stuck
The Atlantic
Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in an article on mobility among American workers.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Make HUD Great Again: A Trump-friendly housing agenda that might actually help working- and middle-class families.
Slate
A study co-authored by Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an article about the potential for HUD reforms under Ben Carson, nominated for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Where the Second Avenue Subway Went Wrong
New Yorker
Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in an article on the costs of American infrastructure projects compared to those in other countries.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Second Avenue subway cost concerns transit experts
AM New York
Associate Professor of Law David N. Schleicher is quoted about construction efficiencies in urban areas.
Friday, October 21, 2016
Subtract and divide: Both economic hardship and racial divisions fuel support for Donald Trump
The Economist
Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an Economist article about the political polarization in America and abroad.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Moving vans more powerful than ballot boxes
USA Today
Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is mentioned in an article about barriers to inter-state migration.
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Getting People Where the Jobs Are—A Commentary by David Schleicher
Democracy
Professor Schleicher is an Associate Professor of Law at Yale Law School.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Editorial: Breaking the battle lines over housing
Daily Camera
Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is mentioned in an editorial about tax rebates for homeowners.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Are Prosecutors the Key to Justice Reform?
The Atlantic
Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is quoted in an article about the role of the prosecutor in the justice system.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Terms of enlargement
The Economist
Studies on urban planning by Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher are cited.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
This San Francisco council member has a clever idea to address the coastal housing shortage
Vox
Studies on urban planning by Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher are cited.
Friday, April 8, 2016
Why U.S. Infrastructure Costs So Much
Bloomberg View
A study co-authored by Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an article about the cost of infrastructure projects in the U.S.
Monday, January 11, 2016
How Old is Donald Trump?
The New Yorker
Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an article on Donald Trump.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Can ‘Planning’ Deregulate Land Use?—A Commentary by Roderick M. Hills and David Schleicher
Regulation Magazine
Roderick M. Hills Jr. is the William T. Comfort III Professor of Law at New York University School of Law and David Schleicher is an Associate Professor of Law at Yale Law School.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
If you want to understand Donald Trump, look to the success of the European far-right
Vox
A paper by Associate Professor of Law David Schleicher is cited in an article about the rise of Donald Trump from a global perspective.
Monday, March 2, 2015
David Schleicher to Join Yale Law School Faculty in July as Associate Professor of Law
Dean Robert C. Post ’77 has announced the appointment of David Schleicher to the Yale Law School faculty.