Daniel Platt

Daniel Platt is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Legal Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield, where he joined the faculty in 2020. He teaches courses including Introduction to the American Legal System, Religion and Politics, Law and Film, Capitalism and the Law, Labor Law, and Graduate Legal Studies. His academic background includes a PhD in American Studies from Brown University (2018) and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University at Buffalo School of Law.

His educational background:

• PhD in American Studies, Brown University, 2018
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University at Buffalo School of Law

Platt's research spans law, political economy, and political culture, with a focus on historical contexts. His areas of expertise include Criminal Justice, Civil Liberties/Civil Rights, History, Labor Relations, Legal Issues, Prisons, and Work. His first book, The Price of Misfortune (2023), examined struggles over debtors' rights in the late nineteenth century. Currently, he is researching religion and the prison abolition movement in the late twentieth century. His work often intersects with themes of social justice and historical change.

His recent publications reveal a trend towards interdisciplinary historical analysis of legal and economic systems, particularly focusing on marginalized groups and the evolution of rights. The articles span topics from credit regulation to the cultural history of publishing, demonstrating a broad engagement with American legal and social history.