About
Michelle Madden Dempsey is Professor of Law and Harold Reuschlein Scholar Chair at Villanova University, joining the faculty in 2009 after teaching at the University of Oxford. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute and Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, with scholarly leadership including chairing AALS sections on Jurisprudence and Scholarship.
Her educational credentials include:
- DPhil (PhD) from University of Oxford
- LLM from London School of Economics
- JD from University of Michigan Law School
- BA from University of Illinois
Dempsey's research pioneers intersections of criminal law, feminist theory, and legal philosophy, particularly in domestic violence prosecutions and consent frameworks. Her award-winning book Prosecuting Domestic Violence: A Philosophical Analysis established foundational critiques of legal responses to gender-based violence, while her co-founded Villanova Law Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation drives practical anti-trafficking initiatives.
Recent publications reveal evolving focus on philosophical dimensions of criminal liability, examining concepts like "response-ability," regret, and the normative voice of criminal law across 2024-2025 publications in Criminal Law & Philosophy and other leading journals, consistently bridging theoretical rigor with real-world legal practice.
Her scientific recognition includes:
- Society of Legal Scholars Peter Birks Award (Second Prize)
- Consecutive Villanova Law Student Bar Association Faculty Member of the Year Awards (2019, 2021)
- Diane Ambler Scholarship Impact Award (2022)
- American Law Institute membership
- American Bar Foundation Fellowship
Administratively, Dempsey served as Associate Dean for Faculty Research (2013-2017) and co-directed the Robina Institute's Criminal Law Theory Program (2009-2016). Her practice background as a domestic violence prosecutor and civil litigator—securing record verdicts including $10.62M in medical malpractice and $3.5M against Chicago Police—complements her scholarship through the Illinois State Bar and federal trial bar memberships.
She actively shapes legal discourse through co-editing Criminal Law & Philosophy, founding The Collective: Women in Legal Philosophy, and directing the Villanova Law Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation, demonstrating sustained commitment to transforming both legal theory and practice.
