Elizabeth Porter

  • James W. Mifflin University Professor of Law
  • Co-Director, Appellate Advocacy Clinic

Contact

Phone: (206) 616-7115
Email: egporter@uw.edu

Elizabeth Porter

Education

B.A. 1991, Brown University M.Ed. 1992, Harvard Graduate School of Education M.A. 2000, J.D. 2000, Columbia University

Curriculum Vitae

Areas of Expertise

Civil Litigation and Procedure — Visual Media and the Law — Federal Courts — U.S. Supreme Court — Torts

Recent Courses

Course Number Course Name
LAW A 504 Torts
LAW A 506 Legal Analysis, Research and Writing
LAW A 507 Constitutional Law I: Constitutional Structures of Government
LAW B 597 Journal Seminar
LAW E 519 Ninth Circuit Appellate Advocacy Clinic

Liz Porter is an Associate Professor and Charles I. Stone Professor of Law. Her research, which has been published in top journals including the Columbia Law Review, the New York University Law Review, and the Cornell Law Review, focuses on civil litigation. In particular, Professor Porter's scholarship reveals and analyzes the newly emerging role that visual media play in litigation documents from pleadings to judicial opinions. Her procedural scholarship focuses on the Supreme Court's dual role as the promulgator and the interpreter of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. In addition to her written work, Professor Porter co-founded and continues to organize the Civil Procedure Workshop.

Professor Porter teaches Civil Procedure I, Civil Procedure II, Complex Litigation, Torts, and Federal Courts. In 2014, she received a University-wide Distinguished Teaching Award. Within the Law School, she has been recognized five times with a Philip A. Trautman Professor of the Year awardin 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2017. Her teaching emphasizes both theory and the development of practical skills, especially legal writing.

Professor Porter has a J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a James Kent Scholar, a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and an Articles Editor for the Columbia Law Review. She also has a B.A. magna cum laude from Brown University, and an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Following law school, Professor Porter served as a law clerk for Judge Sidney R. Thomas at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. During OT 2002, she was a law clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the United States Supreme Court. After her clerkships, she practiced commercial litigation at Jenner & Block LLP in Washington, D.C.

Peer Reviewed Journals & Law Reviews


Books or Treatises


Book Chapters

  • Elizabeth Porter, The Socratic Method, in Building on Best Practices: Transforming Legal Education in a Changing World 101-10 (Deborah Maranville et al. eds., LexisNexis 2015).

Book Reviews


  • Panelist, Trump v. Anderson: Will He Stay on the Ballot? with Jeff M. Feldman, Lisa Marshall Manheim, Clark B. Lombardi, University of Washington School of Law (February 7, 2024)
  • Panelist, "An "Act of God," or Something Else? Legal Recourse after Earthquake-Induced Harms," 2d Annual Environmental Law Symposium. Before the "Big One": Readiness, Environmental Resilience, and Law for Megaquakes in the Pacific Northwest, University of Washington School of Law; University of Washington College of the Environment M9 (Magnitude 9); and Washington Journal of Environmental Law & Policy (January 20, 2017)
  • Moderator, "Forces of Change, School Choice and Charters," (May 1, 2012)
  • Speaker, "Judging Parents," Junior Scholars' Workshop, Columbia Law School (September 12, 2011)

Recent UW Law News

A Change in Presidential Administrations, Part Two

A Change in Presidential Administrations, Part Two

Published:

Faculty organized an expert panel to discuss topics focused on federalism, health care, international implications and tribal and natural resources.

Ninth Circuit at Gates Hall
An attorney in action at the Ninth Circuit hearing at UW Law.

Ninth Circuit at Gates Hall

Published:

A UW Law classroom became a live courtroom on Nov. 20 when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments on three cases.

Presidential Power
Dean Tamara F. Lawson

Presidential Power

Published:

Dean Tamara F. Lawson and the UW School of Law hosted “Presidential Power,” part of the Provost's "Democracy in Focus" lecture series leading up the 2024 Presidential Election.

Appellate Advocacy as a Capstone
Walker McCusick and Sally Walker

Appellate Advocacy as a Capstone

Published:

Walker McKusick, J.D. ‘24, and Sally Walker, J.D. ’24, reflect on their transformative journey through the Ninth Circuit Pro Bono Appellate Advocacy Clinic.

Faculty Panel on U.S. Supreme Court Case: Trump v. Anderson
Lisa Manheim speaks during the Trump V. Anderson panel.

Faculty Panel on U.S. Supreme Court Case: Trump v. Anderson

Published:

Professors Feldman, Manheim, Lombardi and Porter tackled a SCOTUS case involving former president Trump before a packed audience on Feb. 4.

Clinical Law Program, Fall Newsletter
Clinical Law Program News

Clinical Law Program, Fall Newsletter

Published:

Stay informed about the latest updates and successes from UW Law's Clinical Law Program, which provides students with real-world legal experience assisting clients and communities.

Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award
Dean Lawson and Arief Surowidjojo pictured about to shake hands.

Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award

Published:

UW Law Celebrates Arief Surowidjojo with an Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award and forges a new partnership with Jentera School of Law, advancing Indonesian legal education with an impact on policy.