Josh Gerstein

Josh Gerstein (Harvard College '91) is a senior legal affairs reporter for POLITICO, where he chronicles the increasingly seismic impact of the legal system on American politics and policy. In 2022, Gerstein co-authored POLITICO's award-winning exclusive on the Supreme Court's draft opinion overturning the federal constitutional right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade—a groundbreaking story widely credited with ushering in a new era in more aggressive, accountability-focused coverage of the nation's highest court. Gerstein has taken readers inside some of the most politically-charged trials and legal showdowns of the past several decades, including the four unprecedented criminal cases dogging former President Donald Trump as he tries to return to the White House. 

After cutting his teeth at the Crimson chasing candidates for the Harvard presidency and the occasional wayward Saudi prince, Gerstein spent the early part of his career working for CNN's investigative unit, as a national reporter for the New York Sun, and as a White House correspondent and China correspondent for ABC. He also spent almost a full year on the road as an embed for ABC on the 1996 presidential campaign of Sen. Bob Dole, and did several tours in Afghanistan after 9/11 reporting for Nightline and other programs.

Josh Gerstein's study group will examine the growing intersection between the legal and political system, both at the electoral level and in policy-making. His study group will take place on Thursdays, 5:00pm-6:00pm.