Janet E. Halley

Janet E. Halley is the Eli Goldston Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, part of Harvard University. Her expertise spans feminist legal theory, sex/sexuality/gender and the law, family law, law and humanities, and critical legal studies. She holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from UCLA and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

Her research focuses on intersections of law with gender, sexuality, and power, including work on Title IX enforcement, slavery legacies in academia, and international law on armed conflict. She has authored influential books like Split Decisions and contributed to volumes on governance feminism. Halley teaches courses such as Family Law and Feminist Legal Theory, emphasizing legal critique and interdisciplinary approaches.

Recent work includes analyses of queer legal studies and legal frameworks for gender-based violence. She advises on Title IX policies and collaborates on global legal reforms. Halley’s scholarship challenges conventional legal frameworks while advocating for equitable governance structures.