Juan F. Perea
Curt and Linda Rodin Professor of Law and Social Justice
Juan F. Perea is the Curt and Linda Rodin Professor of Law and Social Justice at Loyola University Chicago Law School. He has also served as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, University of Virginia Law School, University of Michigan Law School, and Boston College Law School, among others. Perea has written extensively on racial inequality, the legal history of race relations in the United States, and the civil rights of Latinos. His more recent work involves the study of the origins of structural racism, including slavery and conquest. He is the lead author of Race and Races: Cases and Resources for a Diverse America (West 4th ed. 2023), a leading textbook on Race and the Law used throughout the country. He is also co-author of Latinos and the Law (West 2005) and author/editor of Immigrants Out! The New Nativism and the Anti-Immigrant Impulse in the United States (NYU Press 1997). His articles have appeared in many fine law reviews, including those at Harvard, Michigan, California and NYU, among others.
Upon graduation from law school, he clerked for the Hon. Bruce M. Selya, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He was an associate at the Boston law firm Ropes & Gray, where he specialized in labor and employment law. In addition to his experience in private practice, he served as an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board (Region One). He has testified as an expert before the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
In other news, Professor Perea enjoys playing keyboards and walking his dog Maxx. His debut jazz album, Lightkeeper, is out on Zoho records and is available on CD through Amazon and on Spotify and other digital platforms. "Juan Perea is a seasoned pianist who knows his way around the keyboard and his versatility shines with indisputable brilliance on his debut release . . . the verdict on Lightkeeper is a unanimous thumbs up." Herb Boyd, Downbeat magazine, June, 2025
Education
BA, magna cum laude, University of Maryland
JD, magna cum laude, Boston College
Research Interests
Racial inequality, the legal history of race relations in the United States, and civil rights of Latinos
Specialty Area
Constitutional Law, professional responsibility, employment law, and race relations
Professional/Community Affiliations
American Law Institute
Order of the Coif
Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Kappa Phi
Courses Taught
Constitutional Law, Professional Responsibility, Critical Theory Seminar, Employment Law, and Race Relations