Biography
I am a legal scholar and political scientist. Currently, I am a doctoral candidate (ABD) at Vanderbilt University and a graduate affiliate of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions at Vanderbilt University.
My research interests include bureaucratic politics, administrative law, and immigration law.
My dissertation project examines when Congress and the president are willing to invest in bureaucratic capacity and how neglect of agencies affects bureaucratic performance. Much of my scholarship examines judicial deference to agency interpretations of law, such as Chevron‘s constraining effect on political ideology and efforts to curtail the Chevron doctrine. My scholarship has appeared in a number of law reviews and specialty journals, including George Washington Law Review, Minnesota Law Review, Vanderblit Law Review: En Banc, and Yale Journal on Regulation: Notice & Comment.
Prior to enrolling at Vanderbilt University, I earned my juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2016. During law school, I represented asylees before the Executive Office of Immigration Review (“EOIR”) and Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). Following law school, I clerked for Judge Tracy Smith of the Minnesota Court of Appeals (2016-2017) and Chief Judge John R. Tunheim (2017-2018) of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. I earned my BA in Political Science and History from the University of Minnesota in 2012. I also earned a Certificate in Irish Politics from University College Cork.
When I am not cleaning data or running regressions, I spend my time cycling, hiking, and woodworking. I collect board games and comic books, and I am always happy to make a recommendation. I also maintain reef aquariums.
Contact
E-Mail: nicholas.r.bednar@vanderbilt.edu
Twitter: @NicholasBednar
