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The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is pleased to announce that Sam Bookman will be a Visiting Assistant Professor with the Law School for the Fall 2025 semester and he was also selected to serve as a Haub Visiting Scholar. While at Pace Haub Law, he will teach Climate Change Law and Constitutional Law.

Professor Bookman is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard’s Project on the Foundations of Private Law. He also works as the Senior Staff Attorney in the Environment Program of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, an initiative of the New York City Bar Association. In this role he regularly advises and represents clients before courts and tribunals, and manages complex multijurisdictional legal research. He has taught climate law at several law schools, and has acted for a range of international clients, including several United Nations officers and agencies. His prior teaching or research appointments include NYU, Boston College, and the University of Melbourne. He has also consulted on several projects related to constitutional drafting and design.

“Professor Bookman’s research, scholarship, and teaching brings a unique approach in the areas of climate law, litigation, social movements, and all aspects of environmental rights,” said Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Dean Horace E. Anderson Jr. “He is an active scholar and brings not only an academic lens to the classroom, but also a practical one, having advised and represented clients before both national and international courts and tribunals. Pace Haub Law is excited for him to bring his expertise to both our classrooms and community.”

Professor Bookman’s work is widely published in prominent national and international law reviews. He has also authored many book chapters, blog posts, and contributed to numerous research reports and collaborations. His work has been published in a wide range of journals, including the Utah Law Review, Modern Law Review, Environmental Law, Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, and Nature Sustainability. His work is also forthcoming in the University of Colorado Law Review and the German Law Journal. Professor Bookman’s academic work and professional research has been cited by the International Court of Justice and Supreme Court of Pakistan. His research explores issues related to constitutional design, climate litigation, and social movements, as well as environmental human and nonhuman rights. He received his SJD from Harvard Law School in 2025.

"I am thrilled to be joining Haub Law as a Visiting Assistant Professor and a Haub Visiting Scholar this fall,” said Professor Bookman. “I am passionate about continuously learning, researching, and teaching, specifically areas that relate to environmental law, constitutional law, and their intersection. The Pace Haub Law Environmental Law Program is comprised of the top faculty, students, and alumni. I look forward to learning from this community and sharing my research.”

In addition to his role as a Visiting Assistant Professor, Professor Bookman will serve as a Haub Visiting Scholar. Haub Visiting Scholars collaborate with faculty, guest lecture classes, and work closely with students in the Environmental Law Program and others. Funding for the Haub Visiting Scholars was made possible by a gift from the Haub family in recognition of the essential role of environmental science, informatics and other technology and allied fields towards formulating environmental policy and law.

"Professor Bookman is a leading scholar on environmental rights and we're excited to have his expertise as we build the Pace New York Environmental Rights Repository, which seeks to support application of the environmental rights added to the New York State Constitution in 2022," shared Faculty Director of the Environmental Law Program and Haub Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, Katrina Fischer Kuh. The Pace New York Environmental Rights Repository provides a resource to advocates, litigators, courts and scholars seeking to interpret, apply, and understand Article I section 19. It houses documents relating to the amendment’s legislative history; briefs and decisions in cases implicating the Article I, section 19; materials shedding light on the public context in which the amendment was adopted; and relevant legal scholarship.

I was born and raised in Kolkata, India—a city that shaped my curiosity, drive, and ambition. From an early age, I dreamed of studying computer science in the heart of New York City. That dream came true when I was accepted into Pace University’s MS in Computer Science program, supported by a merit-based scholarship that recognized both my industry experience as a software engineer and my portfolio of national and international research publications.

At 25, I began my journey at Pace, stepping into a fast-paced and ambitious academic environment on Pace’s New York City Campus. There, I was taught by some of the finest professors in the country.

But the journey was far from easy.

At one point, I wanted to drop out. I faced immense adversity, including a months-long hospitalization. Yet I refused to give up. Drawing strength from within and encouragement from faculty, I pushed forward. One of my professors told me, “You’re already in the top 20 percent. Now step out of your comfort zone and get into the top 5 percent.” That line stayed with me.

Against the odds, I graduated early, completing my degree in May 2023.

I credit my success to thorough preparation, guidance from multiple professors, and support from Pace’s Career Services.

Immediately after graduating, I began an internship at a multimillion-dollar tech firm. But I was hungry for more. In 2024, I secured a senior software engineer role at Wells Fargo—one of the largest and most prestigious financial institutions in the United States, consistently ranked among the top banking firms by Forbes. The company serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10 percent of small businesses, with operations spanning banking, investment, and technology.

At just 27, I became the youngest senior software engineer on a major federal project within Wells Fargo. During my interview, I was told I stood out among 12 other experienced candidates. They were surprised by the depth of my answers, especially given my age. I credit my success to thorough preparation, guidance from multiple professors, and support from Pace’s Career Services.

Fear ends where learning begins.

Beyond academics and career milestones, I also stepped up as a leader. Today, I lead cross-functional teams that include professionals from different nationalities and age groups. Thanks to Pace’s International Buddy Program and its diverse community, I learned how to connect with people from all walks of life. That experience has helped me tremendously in the workplace.

I hope my story inspires aspiring engineers to take the leap. I’ve never been scared of failure, because I’ve always believed: Fear ends where learning begins.

Pace’s sixth annual Social Justice Week is taking place the week of October 26. This week of learning and reflection is designed to offer an ongoing memorial for Pace student Danroy “DJ” Henry, and to further commit Pace University to social justice and anti-racism.

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A community-driven effort, the week aims to offer original programming that adheres to values of equity and justice and engages the campus community in learning activities and dialogue centered on the issues of social justice. Social Justice Week seeks to create brave spaces that challenge white supremacy among other forms of oppression and to create a starting point from which meaningful dialogue and action can be created for the entire Pace Community.

Get Involved!

This week consists of events hosted by the Pace Community, including students, staff, faculty, departments, and student organizations across the three Pace campuses. If you are interested in hosting an event, you can learn more and apply here. The deadline to apply is September 26. If you would like to be considered for funding for your event, please apply by September 22.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please email socialjusticeweek@pace.edu.