Jonathan Turley is arguably the most well-known legal commentator in America, as he is a paid contributor on Fox News and the Shapiro Chair for Public Interest Law at the George Washington University Law School (GW Law School). At 63 years old, this constitutional law scholar enjoys remarkable wealth from his dual career in law school and media commentary.
The Money Trail: Estimating Turley’s Net Worth
Even though exact figures are confidential, industry estimates on Jonathan Turley’s net worth in 2025 is approximately $2-5 million. This wealth has developed from his various income-generating avenues over a three-decade career.
As a full professor at George Washington University, Turley likely receives around $195,000 per year from his academic appointment, based on the university’s average full professor salary of $194,985 for the 2024 academic year. However, this has only been a fraction of his overall compensation.
Fox News Payday: The Media Compensation Game
Former Fox News contributors that worked in the Trump administration reported average contributor’s salaries of about $141,000—range of $31,336 to $569,423. Because Turley is now an established legal analyst, it is reasonable to assume he is a better-than-average contributor.
Turley has been with Fox News Media as a contributor for years, andhas appeared frequently on every type of news program and opinion show. Industry sources suggest legal analysts at Fox News can earn between $220,000 to $267,000 annually, with an estimated average of $244,532 for senior legal analysts.
Multiple Revenue Streams Building Wealth
In addition to his contract with Fox News and his salary from GW Law School, he earns income from multiple places:
Speaking Engagements: Turley commands significant fees as a keynote speaker, with booking agencies handling his appearances at corporate events and conferences.
Book Publishing: He wrote “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage” (Simon & Schuster, 2024) and is also publishing another book called “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.”
Column Writing: Turley also has a role as a contributor on USA Today’s Board of Contributors, and he regularly writes articles for The Hill, where he has published over 400 articles in national newspapers.
Legal Practice: As a lawyer, Turley practices with important and well-recognized clients, including representing workers from Area 51, serving as lead counsel in the 2014 Affordable Care Act’s challenge, and representing four former U.S. Attorney Generals in the Clinton impeachment litigation.
The Academic Foundation: GW Law School’s Youngest Chair
Turley joined the faculty of George Washington University Law School in 1990 and became the youngest professor with a chaired position in the school’s history, receiving the Shapiro Chair for Public Interest Law in 1998. In 2024, a dollar donor endowed “The Professor Jonathan Turley Public Interest and Public Service Summer Fellowship” in his name.
Turley’s academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago (1983) and Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law (1987), an honorary Doctorate of Law from John Marshall Law School (2008)
Media Evolution: From Liberal Critic to Conservative Voice
Since the mid-1990s Turley has worked as a legal analyst for NBC News, CBS News, BBC and Fox News covering significant events from the impeachment of President Clinton to many presidential elections. The Washington Post has described him as “the Dean” of legal analysts.
However, critics have noted a significant shift in Turley’s political positioning over the years, with some former colleagues questioning his transformation from a “civil libertarian who often constructively criticized liberal cant” to a frequent defender of conservative positions on Fox News.
Controversy and Criticism: The Price of Media Fame
Turley drew significant criticism for his testimony during Trump’s first impeachment hearings in 2019 when legal scholars alleged that he contradicted his prior positions during the 1998 impeachment proceeding for Clinton.
A 2022 Slate article referred to his transformation as “Republican sycophancy rendered in a sober scholarly tone”,and noted his change from respected academic to partisan commentator.
Legal publication The Nation called his impeachment testimony “shameless hypocrisy,” arguing that his conflicting statements between the Clinton and Trump hearings demonstrated “bad faith” testimony.
Personal Life and Background
Turley married his wife Leslie in 1997; they have four children. Turley was born in Chicago in 1961 to a politically active family. His father was an international architect and partner at the firm, Skidmore, Owens, and Merrill and his mother was a social worker who also served as president of Jane Addams Hull-House.
He worked in 1985 as an intern in the general counsel’s office at the National Security Agency and served as a House leadership page in 1977-1978 during the Reagan Administration.
Recognition and Rankings
Turley was the 38th ranked most cited “public intellectual,” and second most cited law professor in a study conducted by Judge Richard Posner in 2001. And, in 2008, he was ranked among the top 500 lawyers in the nation. He was named “2005 Single Issue Advocate of the Year” by The Week magazine and the Aspen Institute.
Current Standing and Future Prospects
Turley continues to be prolific and has had columns and appearances on Fox News covering major legal and political issues. His blog has been categorized as “one of the most popular legal blogs,” and in 2013 was inducted into the ABA Journal’s Hall of Fame.
While specific financial details are proprietary, Turley’s combination of academic credentials, visibility in the media, and sources of revenue leaves Turley as one of the more financially successful legal commentators working in America today.
Disclaimer: Estimates of net worth and salary rely on publicly available information, the standards of the profession, and financial disclosure statements for similar roles. Actual dollars could be significantly different than these estimates. The information presented in this article is for entertainment purposes only and not financial advice.