Alison Dundes Renteln

Alison Dundes Renteln is a Professor of Political Science and Anthropology at the University of Southern California (USC), with affiliations in Public Policy and Law. She holds joint appointments at the Gould School of Law and the Sol Price School of Public Policy. Her roles include former Vice-Chair of Political Science and Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics.

Education: J.D. (USC, 1991), Ph.D. in Jurisprudence and Social Policy (UC Berkeley, 1987), M.A. (UC Berkeley, 1985), B.A. in History and Literature of Modern Europe (Harvard, 1981).

Research focuses on international law, human rights, comparative legal systems, and cultural rights. She has lectured globally on the 'cultural defense' in legal contexts and served on California judicial and legal reform committees. Her work integrates anthropological methods with legal analysis.

Publications include International Human Rights: Universalism Versus Relativism (2013) and edited volumes on cultural law and bioethics. Recent presentations address climate justice litigation, extended case methods in constitutional ethnography, and global cultural heritage governance.

Awards include the USC Raubenheimer Award (2022–23) and recognition for teaching and mentoring. She advises pre-law organizations and chairs the American Political Science Association's Ethics Committee.