About Me
My passion in life is to create positive social change both big and small. It’s what inspired me to become a law professor and teach aspiring attorneys to become outstanding thinkers and advocates. It’s why I went to law school, dedicated years to lobbying to protect the environment and expand educational rights, and practiced voting rights law. And it’s the reason I wake up every morning excited for another day of fulfilling work as a law professor.
What keeps me busy
- I teach at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, where I serve as a Clinical Associate Professor and the Director of Artificial Intelligence Academic Integration
- I write scholarly publications, including law review articles, and I write on my blog
- I speak, engage in faculty service, and serve on organizations’ committees and boards
- I enjoy reading, traveling, comedy, games, and nature excursions
Faculty bio
Stephen Mortellaro is a law professor who joined Catholic Law in 2022. Professor Mortellaro teaches Professor Mortellaro also serves as Catholic Law’s Director of Artificial Intelligence Academic Integration, a role in which he assists the law school judiciously incorporate generative artificial intelligence into the curriculum. Professor Mortellaro’s scholarly research interests include legal reasoning, generative artificial intelligence and the law, the law of democracy, and civil rights. In 2025, Professor Mortellaro organized and chaired the Capital Area Legal Writing Conference, which brought together law faculty from across the nation to discuss legal writing pedagogy and scholarship. Professor Mortellaro has won multiple awards for his teaching.
Professor Mortellaro entered academia in 2017 at The George Washington University Law School. Professor Mortellaro also worked at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law, where in addition to teaching, he also directed the law school’s Legal Writing Center, co-developed a new lawyering skills curriculum, and managed adjunct and visiting faculty.
Before becoming a law professor, Professor Mortellaro practiced voting rights law at organizations including FairVote, Project Vote, and Voters Initiative. His work included enforcing the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, advocating for election reform legislation, and managing national voter education projects. He served on the Montgomery County Right to Vote Task Force from 2013 to 2015. In addition to his voting rights work, Professor Mortellaro was a Policy Associate for the Montgomery County Renters Alliance. Before entering law practice, he worked in educational and environmental lobbying in Florida. Throughout his career, he has served on several nonprofit and community organization boards and committees. Professor Mortellaro earned his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and his J.D. and LL.M. from The George Washington University Law School.
Let’s connect!
I enjoy meeting new people, sharing new experiences, and discovering new opportunities. If you would like to get in touch with me, click here.