Jayanth Krishnan

Jayanth Krishnan serves as the Milt and Judi Stewart Professor of Law at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and directs the Milt and Judi Stewart Center on the Global Legal Profession. Previously, he was a Professor of Law at William Mitchell College of Law (2006-2009), Associate Professor (2004-2006), and Assistant Professor (2001-2004), where he received the Teacher of the Year award for the 2003-2004 academic year. He has also held visiting positions at the University of Iowa's College of Law, the University of Edinburgh's Centre for South Asian Studies, and the Australian National University's College of Law.

His research interests span the legal profession, immigration law, law and globalization, access to justice, and legal education, with particular focus on the United States, India, Nigeria, Brazil, and other regions across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. His socio-legal research examines how these areas intersect across different national contexts.

Professor Krishnan's recent scholarly output demonstrates a strong emphasis on immigration law and the global legal profession, with numerous publications exploring the challenges faced by immigrants in the U.S. legal system, the role of lawyers in immigration proceedings, and the functioning of legal institutions across different national contexts. His work combines empirical analysis with theoretical frameworks to address practical challenges in legal systems worldwide.

• Elected to the American Law Institute (December 2019)
• Leon Wallace Teaching Award (2025, 2015)
• Indiana University Trustees' Teaching Award (2023, 2012)
• IU Black Law Students Association's Most Outstanding Interactive Professor Award (2023)
• Teacher of the Year for the 2003-2004 Academic Year at William Mitchell College of Law

As director of the Milt and Judi Stewart Center on the Global Legal Profession since 2014, Krishnan has led numerous research initiatives and public events examining legal professions worldwide. Previously, he co-directed the Center for Law, Society & Culture from 2011-2014 and served as Project Director for a Ford Foundation-funded study examining lower courts in India (2010-2014). His leadership has established the Center as a significant hub for comparative legal research with a particular focus on India, Nigeria, and other developing legal systems.