Linus Kafka

Linus Kafka is the Assistant Director for the Bachelor of Law and Master of Legal Studies Programs at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. In this role, he administers the BA in Law, MLS, and Legal Paraprofessional programs, mentors students on career opportunities, internships, and professional development, and builds community partnerships to enhance employment prospects for graduates. He serves as a Professor of Practice at the College of Law and holds a Professor of Practice appointment in Planning and Real Estate Law at the College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture (CAPLA), where he teaches courses in urban planning law and real estate development law. Kafka earned a PhD in history from UCLA with a focus on American intellectual and urban history, a JD from the University of Arizona, an MA from New York University, and a BA from Rutgers University.

Throughout his legal career, Kafka specialized in land use law and local government law, with additional practice in juvenile law and workers' compensation. After obtaining his JD, he clerked for Judge Mike Quigley at the Arizona Superior Court, served as a Deputy Pima County Attorney prosecuting land use code enforcement cases, and worked as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Tucson, including as Zoning Examiner handling rezoning and land use matters. He also engaged in city management, served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Arizona, and maintained a private practice. Kafka's historical research centers on the impact of cosmopolitan travelers on American artistic life and culture during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly regarding physical space and the built environment. He has received fellowships from UCLA, the Huntington Library, and the Massachusetts Historical Society, and interned with the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Archives Architectural and Cartographic Division. Kafka has taught history and law at UCLA, UC Irvine, Eastern Kentucky University, Pima Community College, and the University of Arizona. His areas of expertise encompass historic preservation law and policy, real estate law, urban history, zoning, and local planning law. Notably, he spearheaded the listing of the Orchard River Garden Park on the National Register of Historic Places.

Professional Email: lkafka@arizona.edu