Cassese, born in 1935, graduated summa cum laude in law from the University of Pisa in 1956, where he also studied (1952–1956) at the prestigious Collegio of the Scuola Normale Superiore.

He was an assistant professor at the Universities of Pisa and Rome and, since 1961, has served as professor at the Universities of Urbino, Naples and Rome.

He worked for ENI, from 1958 until 1962, under the Enrico Mattei’s management. Moreover, he collaborated with Antonio Giolitti as a programming consultant, when the latter was a member of the government. He has been a member of several ministerial committees and of the governing body of the Italian Central Statistical Office, becoming a prominent figure in Italian politics.

Then, from 1993 to 1994, he was the Minister for Public Administration, in Carlo Azeglio Ciampi’s Government.
Later, when Ciampi became President of the Republic, Cassese was nomitated a constitutional judge.

Cassese is an important academic scholars, author of many manuals that are still used in law classes at university. He has also published copious articles and volumes on public enterprises, public property, credit systems, state intervention in the economy and administrative culture.