Rachel Rothschild

Rachel Emma Rothschild is an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan Law School. She holds a J.D., cum laude, from NYU School of Law, where she was a Furman Academic Scholar, and a Ph.D. in history from Yale University, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. She earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from Princeton University. Before joining the Michigan Law faculty, she was a legal fellow at the Institute for Policy Integrity, where she remains an affiliated scholar.

Rothschild’s scholarship sits at the intersection of law, history, and policy. She is the author of Poisonous Skies: Acid Rain and the Globalization of Pollution (University of Chicago Press, 2019), and has written numerous articles and essays on pollution problems for academic journals and media outlets. Her recent research examines the regulation of toxic substances and efforts to address climate change.

In addition to her scholarship, Rothschild maintains an active pro bono practice and works to bring her historical expertise to bear on contemporary legal issues in partnership with environmental non-profits and scientific organizations. She lives in Ann Arbor with her husband and two children.