Professor Pettys joined the faculty in 1999. Before coming to the College, he served as a law clerk for Judge Francis Murnaghan, Jr., of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He then entered private practice, working for three years in the general litigation department of Perkins Coie, LLP, in Seattle, Washington. Before attending the University of North Carolina School of Law, he served as assistant director of the Capital Campaign for the Arts & Sciences at Duke University.

Professor Pettys' recent publications include "Serious Value, Prurient Interest, and 'Obscene' Books in the Hands of Children," in the William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal (2023), "Constructing Students’ Speech Rights, from College Admissions to Professional Schools" in the San Diego Law Review (2022), and "Hostile Learning Environments, the First Amendment, and Public Higher Education” in the Connecticut Law Review (2022). He has appeared on Iowa Public Radio, Bloomberg Law, and local media outlets, discussing Supreme Court cases and other legal developments. 

Professor Pettys’ courses include constitutional law, federal courts, and a seminar on pending supreme court cases.

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Practice and Teaching: 

• Constitutional Law 
• Federal Courts