John Bessler

John Bessler is a Professor of Law at the University of Baltimore School of Law since 2009. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center since 2010. Bessler has taught at institutions including the University of Minnesota, George Washington University, and University of Aberdeen, and has held visiting scholar positions at the University of Minnesota Law School's Human Rights Center.

• M.ST., University of Oxford
• M.F.A., Hamline University
• J.D., Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington
• B.A., University of Minnesota

Bessler’s research spans Administrative Law, Antitrust, Civil Procedure, Contracts, Human Rights, and Torts, with a focus on Capital Punishment and its historical, philosophical, and legal implications. His work explores the influence of Cesare Beccaria and the Enlightenment on American law and criminal justice reform, including the intersections of Legal History, Constitutional Law, and International Human Rights Law.

Bessler has authored or edited 12 books, many addressing the death penalty, legal scholarship, and the Enlightenment’s impact on American law. His publications include award-winning works such as *The Birth of American Law* and *The Celebrated Marquis*, which trace the evolution of legal thought and human rights norms.

• 2015 Scribes Book Award
• 2018 University System of Maryland Board of Regents’ Faculty Award
• IndieFab Gold Winner (History, 2014)
• Next Generation Indie Book Award (Biography, 2018)
• Independent Publisher Book Awards Bronze Medals (World History, 2017; U.S. History, 2022)

Bessler advises the moot court program at the University of Baltimore and has held leadership roles in the National Moot Court Competition. His scholarship bridges legal practice and academic inquiry, with recent work addressing anti-death penalty advocacy networks and the historical foundations of the “cruel and unusual punishments” prohibition.