معرفی
Cynthia Godsoe is a Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship at Brooklyn Law School, where she contributes significantly to legal scholarship and academic leadership. Her work bridges criminal law, family law, juvenile justice, and professional ethics, with a strong commitment to social justice and systemic reform.
- A.B., Harvard University, magna cum laude with distinction
- J.D., Harvard Law School, cum laude
Professor Godsoe’s research centers on the intersections of criminal and family law, particularly how legal systems impact children, families, and marginalized communities. Her expertise includes juvenile justice, prosecutorial ethics, parental rights, and the criminalization of poverty and gender-based behaviors. She critically examines how legal doctrines perpetuate inequality and advocates for transformative legal reforms grounded in dignity, equity, and human rights.
Her recent scholarship, published in top law reviews like Michigan Law Review, UCLA Law Review, and Yale Law Journal Forum, reveals a consistent focus on dismantling carceral logics in both criminal and family policing systems. Themes across her work include prosecutorial accountability, abolitionist praxis, racial and gender justice, and participatory legal defense models. She challenges conventional legal binaries—such as victim/offender and parent/child—to propose more humane and equitable frameworks.
- Skadden Public Interest Fellow
Professor Godsoe has trained prosecutors and public defenders on juvenile justice issues and serves as a Reporter for the ABA Criminal Justice Section Standards on Victims and chair of the AALS Criminal Law section. She has represented children in impact litigation and continues to engage in pro bono work on family and criminal law matters. While no formal student advising list is provided, her leadership in research and scholarship suggests active mentorship of emerging legal scholars.
She is affiliated with Brooklyn Law School’s centers on Criminal Justice and Public Service Law, contributing to interdisciplinary efforts aimed at legal reform and community engagement.
