John R. Cencich

John R. Cencich is an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. With over 20 years of academic experience, he specializes in constitutional policing, organized crime, and international criminal law. Prior to academia, he spent 20 years in law enforcement, including collaboration with Scotland Yard, and served as a senior American war crimes investigator at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. He co-developed the joint criminal enterprise prosecution framework, pivotal in indicting a sitting head-of-state for atrocities. Currently, he directs the Pennsylvania Center for Investigative and Forensic Sciences, focusing on cold-case strategies and wrongful convictions.

• Education:
• JSD, Notre Dame Law School
• LLM, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
• LLM, Kent Law School, University of Kent at Canterbury
• MS, Virginia Commonwealth University
• BS, St. Paul's College

His research integrates legal theory with实战经验, addressing war crimes, terrorism, piracy, and transnational organized crime. Courses taught include International Criminal Law and the Law of Armed Conflict, covering topics like the crime of Aggression and jus in bello principles. His work bridges academic scholarship with real-world investigations, emphasizing accountability for atrocity crimes.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Pennsylvania Center for Investigative and Forensic Sciences, advancing research and consultation in criminal justice reform and investigative methodologies.