Education
B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
J.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Areas of Expertise
Constitutional Law
Education Law
First Amendment
Law and Religion
Litigation Practice

Amanda Harmon Cooley is a Professor of Law, the former holder of the Vinson & Elkins Research Professorship, and the former holder of the Wayne Fisher Research Professorship. She has dedicated her professional life to engaged scholarship, innovative teaching, and meaningful service.

She has authored over 30 law review articles, peer-reviewed journal articles, and book chapters on constitutional law, education law, and commercial law. Her recent scholarship has been featured in a variety of leading law reviews, including the Baylor Law Review, BYU Law Review, Cardozo Law Review, Georgetown Law Journal, Ohio State Law Journal, University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, and San Diego Law Review. Several of these articles have been cited by amicus briefs filed in the United States Supreme Court.

In teaching, she seeks to mentor students to prepare them to enter the profession of law as reflective practitioners who serve their clients through exemplary work. She was recognized for her excellence in teaching as a recipient of the Association of American Law Schools Teacher of the Year Award for South Texas College of Law Houston (STCL Houston) in 2018, 2020, and 2022.

Her work with STCL Houston, the legal profession, and the community reflects her commitment to purposeful service. As the chair of the Faculty Scholarship Committee, she facilitated a culture of academic inquiry within the law school and spearheaded the creation of a faculty scholarship mentorship program. In 2024, she served on the AALS Scholarship Award Committee. She also regularly judges the National SCRIBES Best Brief and Law Review Award competitions; sits on the Houston Bar Association’s Lawyers for Literacy Committee; and volunteers in Houston-area public schools and non-profit organizations.

Before joining the faculty of STCL Houston, she was an Assistant Professor at the North Carolina A & T State University College of Business and Economics; an Associate in the Antitrust, Business Torts, and Intellectual Property group of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, LLP; and a law clerk to the Honorable Hayden Head, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. She earned her J.D. with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English with highest honors, graduating as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.