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Elected Member

Professor
Mortimer
Newlin Stead
Sellers

Location
Baltimore, MD, USA
Affiliation
University of Baltimore School of Law
Education
Harvard College
Harvard Law School

Mortimer Sellers is Regents Professor of the University System of Maryland and director of the University of Baltimore Center for International and Comparative Law. Mr. Sellers has written numerous books and articles on international law, constitutional law, the philosophy of law, comparative law, and legal history. He is the co-editor (with Mark Agrast) of the Cambridge University Press book series ASIL Studies in International Legal Theory and co-editor (with David Gerber) of the Cambridge series ASCL Studies in Comparative Law .  He is co-editor (with Stephan Kirste) of the IVR Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Law.

In addition to his academic work, Mr. Sellers has practiced law in Philadelphia and Washington, served as clerk to the Hon. James Hunter III of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and studied as a Rhodes Scholar and Frank Knox Fellow at University College, Oxford. He has been a visitor at Oxford University, Cambridge University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Academy of International Law in The Hague, and Georgetown University Law Center.

Mr. Sellers is the President of IVR, the International Association for the Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy and an associate member of the International Academy of Comparative Law.  He is a member of the Middle Temple and is admitted to practice before the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the United States Supreme Court bars.

Member News

Traynor on Liberty, Law, and Democracy

In his essay "Liberty, Law, and Democracy: Are There Grounds for Realistic Optimism?" Michael Traynor, former President of The American Law Institute, reflects on the challenges facing American democracy amid political polarization and institutional strain. He examines threats to the balance between liberty and law, citing dysfunction across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, while drawing on historical context and recent scholarship to frame these concerns.

Despite his sober assessment, Traynor maintains a guarded optimism rooted in America’s resilience, civic traditions, and individual potential to effect change. He highlights positive actions within the legal community, nonprofit organizations, and among engaged citizens, while outlining five practical steps Americans can take to strengthen democracy: improving civic education, demanding accountability, fostering open debate, participating in elections and local governance, and resisting simplistic solutions.

Traynor concludes that democracy is “stubborn work,” incremental, imperfect, and ongoing, but expresses confidence that Americans have the resolve to preserve it.

Read the full article The New Nationalist

Michael Traynor is senior counsel at Cobalt LLP in Berkeley California. He served as ALI President from 2000 to 2008, and as Chair of the Council from 2008 to 2011. He is also a recipient of ALI's Distinguished Service Award. Mr. Traynor is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.   He received the John P. Frank Outstanding Lawyer Award from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is an honorary life trustee of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and of Earthjustice and a past President (1973) of the Bar Association of San Francisco.