About
Nancy J. Knauer is the Sheller Professor of Public Interest Law at Temple University's Beasley School of Law, where she has established herself as an internationally recognized scholar at the intersection of law, policy, and politics. She founded and directed the Temple Law & Public Policy Program, an innovative educational initiative based in both Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia that combines theory, practice, and professionalism in legal education.
Professor Knauer earned her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. Her academic journey has positioned her as a leading expert in multiple legal domains, with particular emphasis on civil rights and democratic institutions.
Professor Knauer's research focuses on the critical intersection of law and social justice, with specializations in LGBTQ rights, elder law, disaster law, property law, and federalism. Her work consistently examines how legal frameworks impact marginalized populations, particularly LGBTQ elders navigating complex legal systems. She has pioneered research on the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals in aging, estate planning, and end-of-life decision making, bridging critical gaps between identity politics and practical legal solutions.
Her extensive publication record reveals an evolving scholarly trajectory from foundational work on marriage equality toward broader examinations of democratic institutions, political rhetoric, and the systemic challenges facing LGBTQ communities in contemporary America. Recent scholarship increasingly addresses the intersection of disaster response, federalism, and civil rights, with significant contributions on the legal dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Dukeminier Award and Stu Walter Prize (2010) for LGBT Elder Law: Toward Equity in Aging
- Friel-Scanlan Award for Outstanding Scholarship (2004)
- Outstanding University Faculty Service Award (2012)
- Featured in What the Best Law Teachers Do (2013)
- Multiple Temple University teaching awards including the George P. Williams, III, Memorial Award (awarded 1994, 1998, 2004, 2011)
As an educator, Professor Knauer has mentored countless law students through her innovative Law & Public Policy Program, which provides hands-on experience with policy making at federal, state, and local levels. Her leadership extends to co-founding the Aging, Law & Society Collaborative Research Network of the Law & Society Association and serving on the Executive Committee of the Family Law Institute of the National LGBT Association. She has also contributed to professional discourse as a peer reviewer for The Journal of Homosexuality and through service on various legal committees and advisory boards.
