Deborah Anthony

Deborah Anthony is a Professor and Chair of the Legal Studies department at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS), serving since 2006. She also directs the UIS Pre-Law Center. Her legal education includes a B.S. in Philosophy (University of Utah), M.A. in Government (University of Texas at Austin), and J.D. (Georgetown University). Prior to academia, she practiced law, specializing in family law, domestic violence, civil rights, and housing advocacy for indigent individuals.

Her research focuses on modern and historical gender law, constitutional law, family law, employment discrimination, and U.S. Border Patrol practices. Recent work examines the legality of Border Patrol actions under the Fourth Amendment and gender disparities in legal prosecution. She has also explored historical constraints on women’s legal rights in English law and their influence on U.S. legal traditions.

Anthony collaborates with organizations like Project Corazon and Proyecto Dilley to support asylum seekers, particularly those affected by the Migrant Protection Protocol. She monitors compliance with humanitarian standards in Border Patrol facilities through the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law.

Her teaching spans constitutional law, poverty law, employment discrimination, and public advocacy. She has published extensively on topics such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and sex/gender-based family law issues.