Pedro Cantisano

Pedro Cantisano is an Assistant Professor of Political Science in the Law and Society major at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, part of the City University of New York (CUNY). His research focuses on sociolegal histories of cities, social movements, and public health in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Latin America. He has published in English and Portuguese on topics such as slavery, legal reasoning under slavery, and the role of law in public health controversies like Brazil’s 1904 anti-vaccination revolt.

He holds a PhD (2018), MA (2014) in History, and an LLM (2009) from the University of Michigan, as well as an LLB from Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (2007).

His current book project, *Confronting the Common Good*, examines law, science, and protest in early-twentieth-century Rio de Janeiro, exploring how legal and scientific ideas shaped debates between individual rights and communal welfare. His work has been supported by the American Society for Legal History, Max Planck Institute, and Fundação Getulio Vargas.

Awards and Honors:

• Distinction, Preliminary Examinations, Department of History, University of Michigan (2014)
• Merit Award for Outstanding Performance in Critical Race Theory, University of Michigan Law School (2009)

Teaching and Professional Experience:

• Previously taught at FGV Law School (Brazil), Kenyon College (USA), and the University of Nebraska at Omaha (USA)
• Courses taught include Introduction to Law and Society

His research bridges legal history, urban studies, and public health, with a focus on Brazil’s legal and social transformations. He has contributed to prominent journals and book collections, including one that won Brazil’s Jabuti Book Prize in social sciences (2019).