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Photograph of Louis Caldera

Louis Caldera Dist. Adjunct Professor WCL,Washington College of Law

Degrees
J.D., Harvard Law School 1986
M.B.A., Harvard Business School 1986
B.S., United States Military Academy 1978

Bio

Louis Caldera is a Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Law and a Senior Affiliate in the Program on Law and Government at American University Washington College of Law (WCL). Prior to joining WCL, Caldera taught courses in Legislation and Legislative Process, Election Law/Law of Democracy, State and Local Advocacy, and Corporate Governance at Loyola Law School, The University of New Mexico, and The George Washington University. He is particularly interested in the design and operation of democratic institutions and the participation of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in the political and policy-making process.



The former Secretary of the Army, Caldera has served in numerous public service, higher education, and nonprofit leadership roles, including as an Army officer, state legislator, university president and in two presidential administrations. He served in the California State Assembly from 1992 to 1997, representing a downtown Los Angeles based district. He served in two Senate confirmed positions in the Clinton Administration, including as Secretary of the Army, and in the Obama White House as an Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Military Office. His higher education career includes service as a vice chancellor for The California State University and as president of The University of New Mexico where he was also a member of the university’s law school faculty.

 

Caldera has served on numerous nonprofit and public company boards, and on a number of educational, foreign policy and national security commissions, task forces and study groups.  He co-founded and serves as the volunteer president of an alliance of higher education leaders concerned about U.S. immigration policy, The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. He writes, speaks about and is frequently interviewed in English and in Spanish on political and public policy matters. Born in El Paso, Texas and raised in Whittier, California, Louis Caldera is the proud son of Mexican immigrants.

Areas of Specialization
Election Law
Law and Government
Legislative Process
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.