Nicholas Bagley is an expert in administrative law and health law. In 2020 and 2022, he served as special counsel and then chief legal counsel to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. His academic work has been published widely, including in the Harvard Law Review and the Columbia Law Review, and he contributes frequently to popular outlets, including The New York Times and The Atlantic.

Before joining Michigan Law, Bagley was an attorney with the appellate staff in the Civil Division at the US Department of Justice, where he argued a dozen cases before the US Courts of Appeals and acted as lead counsel in many more. 

Before entering law school, he joined Teach For America and taught eighth-grade English at a public school in New York City. 

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Areas of Interest

Education
  • Yale University, BA, English
  • New York University School of Law, JD, summa cum laude

    • Clerkships

    • US Supreme Court, Justice John Paul Stevens
    • US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the Hon. David S. Tatel

    Featured Scholarship

    Health Care Law and Ethics

    • Health Law

    "A Texas Judge Just Invalidated The Preventive Services Mandate. What Happens Next?"

    Health Affairs
    WWW
    • Health Law

    "Delegation at the Founding: A Response to the Critics"

    Columbia Law Review
    HEIN
    • Constitutional Law
    • Legal History

    "Delegation at the Founding: A Response To The Critics"

    Columbia Law Review
    MLaw Repository HEIN
    • Constitutional Law
    • Legal History
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    News and Events

    Nick Bagley giving a lecture to Michigan Law students.
    News

    Bagley Elected to Membership in American Law Institute

    Supreme Court (Decorative)
    News

    SCOTUS Cites Michigan Law Faculty in 2024 Opinions

    Nick Bagley, Professor of Law
    News

    5Qs: Bagley on Ohio v. EPA, SCOTUS Citation, and the Future of the Administrative State

    News

    Walker, Bagley, and Mortenson Receive ABA Awards

    Nicholson Price Thumbnail
    News

    Bagley Appointed to Administrative Conference of the United States

    Class of 2026 meet in the Law Quad
    News

    23 in ’23: Notable Stories from the Michigan Law Community

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