Bruce H. Mann is a distinguished Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, specializing in American Legal History. Mann’s extensive academic career includes teaching positions as a permanent or visiting faculty member at several prestigious institutions across the United States, such as Washington University, the University of Connecticut, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Houston. As a dedicated legal historian, his research focuses on analyzing the intricate relationship between economic, social, and legal transformations in early America. His published works include the books Neighbors and Strangers: Law and Community in Early Connecticut and the highly acclaimed Republic of Debtors: Bankruptcy in the Age of American Independence. The latter earned multiple honors, including the SHEAR Book Prize, the Littleton-Griswold Prize, and the J. Willard Hurst Prize. Mann has also contributed numerous articles to history journals and co-edited the volume The Many Legalities of Early America with Christopher Tomlins.
Education and Early Life
Born on April 27, 1950, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Mann graduated from Hingham High School in 1968. He earned both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Brown University. He went on to attend Yale University, where he completed an extensive academic program, receiving a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.), a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.)—allowing him to practice law in Connecticut starting in 1975—and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in 1977. His doctoral dissertation was titled Rationality, Legal Change, and Community in Connecticut, 1690–1760.
Academic Career
Mann has enjoyed a long and distinguished teaching career across numerous prestigious U.S. universities:
Early Career: He taught at the University of Connecticut School of Law and Washington University in St. Louis. He also held positions at the universities of Houston, Michigan, and Texas at Austin, and in the history department at Princeton University.
University of Pennsylvania (Penn Law): He began teaching at Penn Law in 1987, where he was highly regarded for teaching Legal History, Property, and Trusts & Estates. He was famously described by his students as being worthy of a “platinum medal” if teaching were an Olympic event. He received four of his five career teaching awards from Penn Law, including the university’s highest recognition, the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching.
Harvard Law School: Mann joined the faculty at Harvard Law School in 2006, where he currently serves as a Professor of Law, specializing in American Legal History.
He is also an elected member of the American Antiquarian Society, a Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and served as President of the American Society for Legal History from 2011 to 2013.
Major Written Works
Mann’s research focuses on the intricate links between legal, social, and economic change in early America. His major publications include:
Neighbors and Strangers: Law and Community in Early Connecticut (1987)
Republic of Debtors: Bankruptcy in the Age of American Independence (2002), which received three prestigious awards: the SHEAR Book Prize, the Littleton-Griswold Prize, and the J. Willard Hurst Prize.
He co-edited The Many Legalities of Early America (2001) and has served as an editor of the Law and History Review.
Personal Life of Bruce H. Mann
Bruce H. Mann married U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren in 1980, after they met at a law professors’ conference in Florida. Upon their marriage, he became the stepfather to her two children, Amelia and Alex Warren. He is a steadfast supporter of his wife’s political career and often accompanies her on campaigns. They reside in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Net worth of Bruce H. Mann
The estimated net worth of Bruce H. Mann is about $3 million.