Derek Black is a Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he teaches Constitutional Law, Evidence, Education Law and Policy, and a Civil Rights Seminar. His current academic scholarship focuses on the intersection of constitutional law and public education, particularly concerning educational equality for disadvantaged students. Professor Black’s articles have been published and are forthcoming in the California Law Review, Northwestern University Law Review, Vanderbilt Law Review, Washington University Law Review, Minnesota Law Review, and William & Mary Law Review, among various others. He also authors the casebook titled Education Law: Equality, Fairness, and Reform. Professor Black’s work has been cited in the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals and by several briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Beyond teaching, Professor Black has been active as pro bono counsel in civil rights cases and as a consultant to civil rights campaigns. Additionally, he was a member of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team. Prior to teaching, Professor Black litigated issues relating to school desegregation, diversity, school finance equity, student discipline, and special education at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Professor Black received his J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.