Thomas O. McGarity
- William Powers, Jr. and Kim L. Heilbrun Chair in Tort Law
- Professor

Thomas McGarity '74 is a leading scholar in the fields of both administrative law and environmental law and also teaches torts at Texas Law. He has written seven influential books, including “Demolition Agenda,” published in 2022, and articles in several law journals. Additionally, Professor McGarity has held the position of president at the Center for Progressive Reform.
Featured Work
A former Articles Editor of the Texas Law Review, Professor McGarity is a leading scholar in the fields of both administrative law and environmental law. He also teaches torts. He has written seven influential books: Demolition Agenda (The New Press 2022); Pollution, Politics and Power (Harvard University Press 2018); Freedom to Harm (Yale University Press 2013); The Preemption War: When Federal Bureaucracies Trump Local Juries, (Yale University Press 2008), Bending Science: How Special Interests Corrupt Public Health Research, (Harvard University Press 2008) (co-author), Workers at Risk (Praeger, 1993) (co-author), The Law of Environmental Protection (West, 2nd ed., 1991) (co-author), and Reinventing Rationality: The Role of Regulatory Analysis in the Federal Bureaucracy (Cambridge, 1991). His recent articles include "Supplemental Environmental Projects in Complex Environmental Litigation, 98 Tex. L. Rev. 1405 (2020); "Deregulation Using Stealth 'Science' Strategies, 68 Duke L. J. 1719 (2019) (with Professor Wendy Wagner); and Deliberative Rulemaking: An Empirical Study of Participation in Three Agency Programs, 73 Ad. L. Rev. 609 (2021). He is a past president of the Center for Progressive Reform.
No publications or activities matching the current search and filters.
year-2006
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Article
Medical Malpractice Myths and Realities: Why an Insurance Crisis is Not a Lawsuit Crisis
Thomas O. McGarity, Douglas A. Kysar, Karen Sokol. “Medical Malpractice Myths and Realities: Why an Insurance Crisis is Not a Lawsuit Crisis.” In 39 Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, Page 785 (Aug. 2006). -
Article
Medical Malpractice Myths and Realities: Why an Insurance Crisis is Not a Lawsuit Crisis.
Thomas O. McGarity, Medical Malpractice Myths and Realities: Why an Insurance Crisis is Not a Lawsuit Crisis, 39 Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review 785 (Aug. 2006) (with DDouglas A. Kysar & Karen Sokol) -
Article
Resisting Regulation with Blue Ribbon Panels
Thomas O. McGarity, Resisting Regulation with Blue Ribbon Panels, XXXIII Fordham Urban Law Journal 1157 (2006). -
Book Chapter
Defending Clean Science from Dirty Attacks by Special Interests
Thomas O. McGarity, Defending Clean Science from Dirty Attacks by Special Interests, in Rescuing Science from Politics: Regulation and the Distortion of Scientific Research (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006) (Wendy E. Wagner & Rena Steinzor eds.).
year-2005
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Article
Regulation and Litigation: Complementary Tools for Environmental Protection
Thomas O. McGarity, Regulation and Litigation: Complementary Tools for Environmental Protection, 30 Columbia Journal of Environmental Law 371 (2005). -
Article
Federal Regulation of Mad Cow Disease Risks
Thomas O. McGarity, Federal Regulation of Mad Cow Disease Risks, 57 Administrative Law Review 289 (2005). -
Book Chapter
The Story of the Benzene Case: Judicially Imposed Regulatory Reform Through Risk Assessment
Thomas O. McGarity, The Story of the Benzene Case: Judicially Imposed Regulatory Reform Through Risk Assessment, in Environmental Law Stories 141 (R. J. Lazarus & O. A. Houck eds.; New York: Foundation Press, 2005).
year-2004
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Article
Talk Till Cows Come Home, But Beef Safety Takes Action
Thomas O. McGarity, Talk Till Cows Come Home, But Beef Safety Takes Action, Austin American-Statesman, Feb. 12, 2004, at A15. -
Article
Only an Independent Agency Can Safeguard Beef
Thomas O. McGarity, Only an Independent Agency Can Safeguard Beef, Dallas Morning News, Jan. 6, 2004, at 17A.
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Article
The Goals of Environmental Legislation
Thomas O. McGarity, The Goals of Environmental Legislation, 31 Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review 529 (2004). -
Article
Our Science is Sound Science and Their Science is Junk Science: Science-Based Strategies for Avoiding Accountability and Responsibility for Risk-Producing Products and Activities
Thomas O. McGarity, Our Science is Sound Science and Their Science is Junk Science: Science-Based Strategies for Avoiding Accountability and Responsibility for Risk-Producing Products and Activities, 52 Kansas Law Review 897 (2004). -
Article
MTBE: A Precautionary Tale
Thomas O. McGarity, MTBE: A Precautionary Tale, 28 Harvard Environmental Law Review 281 (2004).
year-2003
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Article
Legal Aspects of the Regulatory Use of Environmental Modeling
Wendy E. Wagner, Legal Aspects of the Regulatory Use of Environmental Modeling, 10 Environmental Law Reporter 10751 (2003) (with Tom McGarity).
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Article
On the Prospect of "Daubertizing" Judicial Review of Risk Assessment
Thomas O. McGarity, On the Prospect of "Daubertizing" Judicial Review of Risk Assessment, 66 Law & Contemporary Problems 155 (2003). -
Article
Beyond the Dirty Dozen: The Bush Administration's Cautious Approach to Listing New Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Future of the Stockholm Convention
Thomas O. McGarity, Beyond the Dirty Dozen: The Bush Administration's Cautious Approach to Listing New Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Future of the Stockholm Convention, 28 William & Mary Environmental Law & Policy Review 1 (2003) (with Pep Fuller).
year-2002
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Article
Professor Sunstein's Fuzzy Math
Thomas O. McGarity, Professor Sunstein's Fuzzy Math, 90 Georgetown Law Journal 2341 (2002). -
Article
Counting the Cost of Health, Safety, and Environmental Regulation
Thomas O. McGarity, Counting the Cost of Health, Safety, and Environmental Regulation [Symposium: The Impact of Civil Justice on the American Economy & Polity], 80 Texas Law Review 1997 (2002) (with Ruth Ruttenberg). -
Article
Beyond Buckman: Wrongful Manipulation of the Regulatory Process in the Law of Torts
Thomas O. McGarity, Beyond Buckman: Wrongful Manipulation of the Regulatory Process in the Law of Torts, 41 Washburn Law Journal 549 (2002). -
Article
Seeds of Distrust: Federal Regulation of Genetically Modified Foods
Thomas O. McGarity, Seeds of Distrust: Federal Regulation of Genetically Modified Foods, 35 University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform 403 (2002).
year-2001
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Article
Republicans Deal Workers a Setback
Thomas O. McGarity, Republicans Deal Workers a Setback, Dallas Morning News, Mar. 13, 2001, at 21A.
fall 2025
- Torts