Ryan Fortson

Ryan Fortson teaches courses in the Law, Courts, and Politics program. He combines his legal and political science backgrounds in his teaching by incorporating both case law and academic sources into his courses. He is interested in jurisprudence, legal theory, and constitutional law. Prior to starting at the University of Michigan in Fall 2025, Prof. Fortson taught Legal Studies at the University of Alaska Anchorage for twelve years and as an adjunct instructor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. He has published articles on originalism, Alaska Native law, and family law, among others.