Michael Koby

Michael Koby, Professor of Practice, has taught at the law school since 2001. He also serves as Director of the Trial and Advocacy Program and previously served as Associate Dean for Graduate and International Programs. His teaching interests include evidence, trial practice and procedure, legal practice, constitutional law, and courses designed for foreign-trained lawyers, including Introduction to U.S. Law and Method.

Professor Koby has extensive experience teaching and working in both domestic and international legal settings. He has been a Fulbright Scholar in Slovenia and Spain and has held visiting professorships at universities in Italy, Portugal, Japan, and the Netherlands. Before joining Washington University, he directed the Lawyering Skills Program at The Catholic University of America, where he taught lawyering skills, advanced legal writing and research, externship seminar, and advocacy for the elderly clinic. He has also taught at The George Washington University, American University, and the International Law Institute, where he developed curriculum for foreign attorneys preparing for LL.M. study in the United States.

In addition to his academic work, Professor Koby has served in public-interest and legislative roles, including as Special Counsel to the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe and as Legislative Counsel for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. He represented Spanish-speaking indigent defendants in criminal matters as a pro bono attorney, gaining trial experience and advancing access to justice. He began his career teaching bilingual education in Los Angeles.