Sara McDougall

Sara McDougall is Professor of History at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (City University of New York) and holds faculty appointments in Biography and Memoir, French, History, and Medieval Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center. Her research investigates gender, law, and societal structures in medieval France, with emphasis on women's encounters with legal systems, illegitimacy, marriage, and crime. She has held distinguished visiting positions globally, including at Oxford University and Paris II Panthéon-Assas.

Her research interests center on:

• Medieval law and legal anthropology
• Gender dynamics in religious and secular contexts
• Historical analysis of crime, punishment, and social deviance
• Cultural studies of marriage and family structures

Recent publications (2019–2021) demonstrate a strong focus on illegitimacy, infanticide, and women's legal agency in medieval France, utilizing archival sources from Troyes and other regions. These works reflect interdisciplinary engagement with legal history, gender studies, and social anthropology.

Notable recognitions include:

• Fellowship at the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers (NYPL, 2023-2024)
• Astor Visiting Professorship at Oxford University (2022)
• Golieb Legal History Fellowship at NYU Law School

She leads significant editorial projects, including a forthcoming six-volume reference work on global crime and punishment history, demonstrating broad scholarly impact beyond her monographs.