Over 4,000 legal scholars cite her work. Courts across America reference her articles when making major decisions. Law students at top universities study from her textbooks. Linda Mullenix has spent five decades shaping how the United States handles some of its most complex legal cases.
She holds the Morris and Rita Atlas Chair in Advocacy at the University of Texas School of Law. Her expertise in class action lawsuits and mass tort litigation has made her one of the most respected voices in American legal education. When major news outlets need expert commentary on complex litigation, they call her.
Born October 16, 1950, in New York City, Mullenix built her career from the ground up. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude from City College of New York in 1971. She earned her Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University in 1977, then her law degree from Georgetown University in 1980.
Linda Mullenix
Linda Mullenix stands out in legal education for good reason. She’s authored 27 books and published over 100 scholarly articles. Her work appears in the most prestigious law journals in the country, including Harvard Law Review, Stanford Law Review, and Michigan Law Review.
Federal and state courts throughout the United States cite her scholarship regularly. Since 2000, she’s consistently ranked among the top ten most cited civil procedure scholars in America. She’s also ranked among the top 250 legal scholars across all fields of law.
Her path to becoming a leading legal authority started in New York City, where she was born to Andrew Michael and Roslyn Marasco. She excelled academically early on, earning recognition as a New York State Regents Scholar from 1967 to 1971. This foundation launched her into decades of teaching, research, and consulting work that continues today.
Students voted her 1L Professor of the Year for 2024-2025. This award shows she hasn’t lost touch with classroom teaching despite her impressive research output and consulting work. She makes complex legal concepts understandable for first-year law students.
Academic Career and Teaching
Mullenix joined the University of Texas School of Law faculty in 1991 as the Bernard J. Ward Centennial Professor. Ten years later, she was named to the Morris and Rita Atlas Chair in Advocacy, a position she still holds today.
Her teaching career began much earlier, in 1974. She worked her way through various academic positions at multiple universities. She taught at Catholic University Law School in Washington, D.C., from 1983 to 1990, rising from assistant professor to full professor.
Before landing at Texas, she also taught at Loyola University Law School in Los Angeles, American University, and George Washington University. Right after law school, she practiced appellate litigation in Washington, D.C., which informed her teaching and research.
She teaches federal civil procedure, mass tort litigation, and various courses on class action lawsuits. Her international teaching experience includes visiting professorships at Harvard, Michigan, Southern Methodist, and Oxford universities. In 2007, she held the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Law in Trento, Italy.
From 1989 to 1990, she served as a Supreme Court Fellow at the Federal Judicial Center. During this fellowship, she conducted important research on how federal courts handle asbestos claims and school asbestos litigation. This work gave her deep insight into how complex cases move through the court system.
She’s also served as the Katherine Ryan Distinguished Professor at the Institute on World Legal Problems in Innsbruck, Austria. These international positions show how her expertise extends beyond American borders.
Legal Scholar and Author
Mullenix’s writing output is remarkable. Her most recent books include “Outgunned: The New Era of Firearms Accountability,” published in 2025, and “Public Nuisance: The New Mass Tort Frontie,r” published in 2024, both by Cambridge University Press.
Her textbook “Mass Tort Litigation” is now in its fourth edition. Law schools nationwide use it to teach students about complex legal cases involving multiple plaintiffs suing the same defendant. The book covers landmark cases like Agent Orange, the Dalkon Shield, DES, asbestos litigation, breast implants, and tobacco cases.
She contributes regularly to “Moore’s Federal Practice,” a comprehensive reference work that lawyers and judges consult when handling federal litigation. New releases of her sections come out quarterly, keeping the material current with the latest court decisions and rule changes.
For over 35 years, she’s written analyses for “Preview of Supreme Court Cases.” This publication helps lawyers and judges understand what’s at stake in upcoming Supreme Court decisions. She’s published hundreds of these analyses, covering federal procedure and complex litigation issues.
She was also a regular columnist for the National Law Journal for three decades. Her columns explained important legal developments in civil procedure and class actions.
She served as an Associate Reporter for the American Law Institute’s Restatement of the Law Governing Lawyers. This role involved helping draft authoritative guidance on legal ethics and professional responsibility. She was also a consultative member of the ALI’s Complex Litigation Project and Transnational Rules of Civil Procedure.
Expertise in Class Action and Mass Tort Litigation
Class action lawsuits allow many people with similar complaints to sue together in one case. Mass tort cases involve many individual lawsuits against the same defendant that get coordinated for efficiency. Mullenix knows both areas inside and out.
She’s worked as a consulting expert on numerous prominent federal and state class action cases. Her experience spans many types of litigation: breast implant cases, pacemaker lead failures, Baycol pharmaceutical cases, asbestos claims, medical monitoring cases, employment discrimination suits, securities fraud, antitrust violations, insurance disputes, and consumer class actions.
She doesn’t just work with one side. She’s consulted with plaintiffs trying to certify class actions, defendants fighting certification, and objectors challenging proposed settlements. This varied experience gives her a balanced perspective on how these cases work.
Her expertise extends beyond American courts. She’s worked on Canadian class actions and cases under the Brazilian Consumer Protection Act. She’s participated in London arbitrations involving mass tort settlements. She’s advised lawmakers in Sweden and Finland on proposed class action legislation.
She gives lectures on class action and mass tort litigation around the world. She’s spoken in Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Germany, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Her work influences how other countries structure their own collective litigation procedures.
She served as Reporter for an American Bar Association Task Force on Class Actions from 1995 to 1997. She’s been a frequent lecturer at the ABA Class Action Institute. She’s also participated in numerous academic conferences on cutting-edge issues in class action litigation.
Professional Recognition and Honors
Mullenix belongs to several prestigious legal organizations. She’s an elected life member of the American Law Institute, which drafts model laws and legal principles that courts and legislatures often adopt. She’s also an elected life fellow of both the American Bar Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation.
She’s an elected member of the International Association of Procedural Law. This membership connects her with scholars worldwide who study how courts handle civil cases.
In 2012, the Travis County Women’s Law Association named her a “Pathfinder.” This award recognizes women who use their law degrees in ways that inspire others. The association specifically cited her outstanding service to the legal community and her role as a trailblazer.
She was a scholar-in-residence at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Study and Conference Center in Italy in 2002. This prestigious residency gives scholars time and space to focus on major research projects.
She holds dual citizenship with both the United States and Italy. She was a founding member and board director of the Austin Fulbright Alumni Association. She served as vice-president of the Fulbright Italian Interest Group.
Media Presence and Public Commentary
Major media outlets regularly seek Mullenix’s expert commentary. She’s appeared on National Public Radio to discuss legal issues. Journalists from The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, National Law Journal, and The Guardian in the UK have quoted her in articles.
Bloomberg News has interviewed her about litigation finance and mass torts. Yahoo Finance has featured her commentary on legal cases affecting major corporations. CNN Opinion has published her analysis of important court decisions.
Her ability to explain complex legal concepts in plain English makes her valuable to journalists. Most people don’t understand the intricacies of class certification or multidistrict litigation. She can break down these topics so general audiences understand what’s happening and why it matters.
This media work extends her influence beyond academic circles. Her insights reach millions of people who read major newspapers or listen to NPR. She helps the public understand how the legal system handles large-scale disputes.
Personal Life and Family
Mullenix has three sons: Robert Bartholomew, John Theodore, and William Joseph. She’s also a grandmother to six grandchildren. Despite her demanding career, she’s maintained close family connections.
She grew up in New York City, the daughter of Andrew Michael and Roslyn Marasco. Her early education in New York’s competitive academic environment prepared her for the rigorous demands of graduate school and law school.
She earned a National Defense Education Act Fellowship from 1971 to 1974 while pursuing her graduate degrees at Columbia University. She completed her M.Phil. in 1974 and her Ph.D. in political science in 1977 as a President’s Fellow.
She practiced appellate litigation in Washington, D.C., after graduating from Georgetown University Law Center in 1980. This practical experience gave her insights that inform her academic work. She was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar in 1981, the Texas Bar in 1991, and the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1986.
Advocacy for Equal Pay
In December 2019, Mullenix filed a federal lawsuit against the University of Texas Law School. She alleged sex discrimination, retaliation, and violation of the Equal Pay Act. The complaint stated she was paid $134,449 less than her male colleague, Robert Bone, over three years.
The lawsuit detailed how she and Bone had the same above-average teacher evaluation ratings. She had almost a decade more teaching experience, three times as many publications, and more professional honors. Yet he earned significantly more.
The complaint also alleged retaliation. Despite her requests, she wasn’t appointed Associate Dean for Research or placed on the prestigious Budget Committee. Instead, she was assigned to committees with little governance impact. New professors were reportedly told to stay away from her and that she was “poison.”
The lawsuit pointed out broader patterns. For at least three years, the law school paid tenured female professors an average of over $20,000 less than tenured male professors.
The case went through federal court proceedings. In June 2021, a judge rejected her retaliation claim but allowed her sex discrimination and Equal Pay Act claims to proceed. In June 2022, the court ruled a trial was necessary on her Equal Pay Act claim.
The case settled in November 2022. The settlement terms weren’t publicly disclosed. The case brought attention to gender pay gaps in legal education. Her willingness to sue despite potential professional consequences showed her commitment to equity.
Recent Work and Current Projects
Mullenix continues producing scholarship at a remarkable pace. In 2024 and 2025, she published multiple articles analyzing pending Supreme Court cases. These included analyses of foreign arbitration awards, firearms liability cases, and federal jurisdiction questions.
Her 2024 book “Public Nuisance: The New Mass Tort Frontier” examines a new legal approach to mass harm cases. Plaintiffs are using public nuisance theory in cases involving lead paint, environmental pollution, opioids, firearms, and vaping products. This theory could reshape how courts handle mass tort litigation.
She participated in the final meeting of the Comparative Procedural Law and Justice Project in Luxembourg in July 2024. This multi-year international research collaboration examines how different countries handle civil disputes. The project is sponsored by the Max Planck Institute for Procedural Justice.
She mentors junior scholars through the Harvard Law School Culp Colloquium and federal courts junior scholarship workshops. She helps the next generation of legal scholars develop their research and teaching skills.
She continues updating her contributions to Moore’s Federal Practice. New releases come out every few months with the latest developments in federal civil procedure.
She gave keynote speeches and presentations at conferences throughout 2024 and 2025. These included talks at the Ontario Bar Association Annual Meeting, the University of California at Irvine Law School, and Southwestern University School of Law.
Legacy and Impact on Legal Education
Mullenix has influenced how law schools teach civil procedure and complex litigation for decades. Her textbooks have educated thousands of law students who now practice across the country. Many of these former students became judges, law professors, and leading practitioners.
Her scholarship has shaped court decisions on class actions and mass torts. When judges write opinions on certification questions or settlement approval, they often cite her articles. These decisions affect millions of people involved in large-scale litigation.
She’s trained the next generation of legal scholars through her mentorship programs. Junior professors benefit from her guidance on research, writing, and navigating academic careers. She’s served on numerous hiring and promotion committees, shaping law school faculties.
Her work on comparative procedural law has influenced legal systems internationally. Countries developing their own class action procedures have consulted her research. Her lectures abroad have helped shape how other nations think about collective litigation.
After 50 years in legal education, she shows no signs of slowing down. She continues teaching, writing, consulting, and mentoring. Her enduring contributions make her one of the most important figures in modern American civil procedure scholarship.
Students sitting in her classroom today learn from someone who has literally written the books on mass tort litigation. Courts deciding tomorrow’s cases will cite articles she’s writing now. Her influence spans generations of lawyers and continues growing.
