W. David Ball
Teaching Scholar at Santa Clara Law�s Center for Social Justice and Public Interest.
Research Fellow, Stanford Criminal Justice Center
Professor Ball's two main areas of research interest are in criminal law and Islamic law. Within criminal law, he is focused on what happens after sentencing: corrections, parole, and habeas. Within Islamic law, his long-term project is to help restore two foundations of Islamic legal thought: ikhtilaf (respect for minority opinions) and ijtihad (the use of reasoned discourse in developing the law).
Professor Ball's research project at Santa Clara will argue that the denial of parole on the basis of a prisoner's commitment offense violates the Sixth Amendment jury right as established in the Apprendi line of cases. He will teach two courses in Spring 2008: Islamic Legal Methodologies and the California Prison System.
Curriculum Vitae download (pdf format)
WBall@scu.edu
(408) 554-2766
Loyola Hall 112
EDUCATION
Professor Ball received his J.D. from Stanford in 2006, where he graduated with Academic Distinction. He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University from 1992-1994, where he received a BA/MA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. He was a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina, where he received a BA in History with Highest Distinction and Honors in Creative Writing.