Susan Schmeiser

Professor Susan Schmeiser is a faculty member at the University of Connecticut School of Law, where she has taught since 2005. Her academic career includes a visiting assistant professorship at UConn Law (2002-2004) and teaching at American University’s Washington College of Law (2004-2005). She holds a JD from Yale Law School and a PhD in English literature from Brown University, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to legal scholarship.

• Current Role: Professor of Law
• Past Role: Associate Dean for Student Life (2010-2012)
• Education: JD (Yale), PhD (Brown), BA (Brown)

Research Focus: Schmeiser’s scholarship examines intersections of law and mental health, emphasizing psychoanalysis, criminal behavior, and the death penalty. Her work explores the evidentiary status of psychotherapeutic materials, unconscious guilt in criminal punishment, and historical connections between law, medicine, and sexuality. She has presented at institutions like Harvard Law School, Princeton University, and the American Society of Criminology.

Teaching Areas: Courses include family law, sexuality and gender law, health law, mental health law, criminal law, and torts. Her pedagogical background in English literature informs her unique legal analysis.

Professional Background: Prior to academia, she clerked in the U.S. District Court for D.C. and worked as an associate at Shea & Gardner (later merged with Goodwin Procter). She also served as a reporter for Connecticut Governor Malloy’s Sandy Hook Advisory Commission.

Contact: susan.schmeiser@uconn.edu | Office: Hosmer 209 | SSRN Profile