David Gartner

David Gartner recently joined the faculty of the College of Law and the Center for Law and Global Affairs. He earned a law degree from Yale and a doctorate in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and followed in his father’s footsteps in becoming a lawyer, all of which might make you think he is a traditionalist. But Gartner sees the law as key to understanding and shaping a rapidly changing the world.
 

His current research focuses on the role of innovative international institutions and non-state actors in shaping international institutions and the response to global challenges in areas such as global health, development, education, and the environment. He teaches constitutional law, foreign relations law, international institutions, and global health law and policy.

“David Gartner adds to our considerable strength, both in international transactions and in health law and policy, and his commitment to both cutting-edge, policy-based scholarship and dynamic, interactive teaching will undoubtedly make him a major player at the law school for years to come,” said Dean Paul Schiff Berman.

Gartner came to ASU because of the work of the Center for Law and Global Affairs and the cutting-edge research of the law school faculty.

“There is a clear commitment to innovative thinking about the role of law in a global context and to bringing the expertise of lawyers into important international debates,” Gartner said. “There is an exciting new energy at ASU in applying interdisciplinary research to better understand and respond to many pressing global challenges.”

After graduating from law school, Gartner clerked for Judge Betty Binns Fletcher, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

“Judge Fletcher is an incredible judge, mentor, and teacher,” Gartner said. “From her, I gained a clearer sense of how legal argument and the role of judges profoundly affect people’s lives.”

Gartner subsequently worked on the staff of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and later became policy director and senior counsel for Global AIDS Alliance.

“I came to see the AIDS crisis as one of the defining issues of our time,” Gartner said.

When he is not working, he enjoys the natural beauty of Arizona.

“It’s wonderful to be connected to a place where you can take advantage of spectacular nature, mountains and canyons, all within just an hour or two,” Gartner said.