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Doriane Lambelet Coleman

Thomas L. Perkins Distinguished Professor
School of Law
Duke Law School Room 4177, Duke Box 90362, Durham, NC 27708-0362
Duke Law School 210 Science Dr, Duke Box 90362, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Doriane Coleman is Professor of Law at Duke Law School, where she specializes in interdisciplinary scholarship focused on women, sports, medicine, and law. Her work, single- and co-authored, has been published in numerous U.S. and international journals, and she is regularly cited in the press on issues related to her scholarship. 

Her most recent work has centered on sex, its evolving definition, and the implications of this evolution for society and law. It includes a trade book, On Sex and Gender – A Commonsense Approach, law review articles including Sex Neutrality and Sex in Sport, and public commentary in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Quillette. 

She also regularly consults with international sports governing bodies on their eligibility rules for the female competition category and participates in public programs that model healthy dialogue and disagreement.

At Duke, Coleman chairs the Athletic Council and is co-director of the Center for Sports Law and Policy; a member of the Advisory Council of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University; and a Faculty Associate of the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine at the School of Medicine.

Coleman received her Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown Law (1988), and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University (1982). Before law school, Coleman ran the 800 meters in collegiate and post collegiate international competition. 

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Thomas L. Perkins Distinguished Professor · 2024 - Present School of Law
Professor of Law · 2007 - Present School of Law
Faculty Associate in the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities, & History of Medicine · 2005 - Present Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine, Institutes and Centers
Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society · 2017 - Present Duke Science & Society, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units

In the News


Published January 22, 2025
From Philosophy to the U.S. Court of Appeals, Duke Authors Cover Big Topics
Published April 11, 2024
Spring Books by Duke Authors: Meditations, Baseball, Rebels and Stomach Pains
Published March 19, 2024
Duke Awards 32 New Distinguished Professorships for 2024

View All News

Education, Training & Certifications


Georgetown University · 1988 J.D.
Cornell University · 1982 B.A.