معرفی
Kaaryn Gustafson is a Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, where she serves as Director of the Center on Law, Equality and Race. Her academic career focuses on the intersection of law with issues of inequality, particularly examining how legal systems both address and reinforce socioeconomic disparities.
Professor Gustafson's research expertise spans welfare and economic policy, criminal law and procedure, and interdisciplinary research on race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic inequality. Her scholarly work has particularly focused on the expanding administrative overlap between welfare and criminal justice systems, the criminalization of poverty, and the historical regulation of African American families. Her research demonstrates how legal frameworks often treat poverty itself as a criminal matter, subjecting low-income individuals to surveillance and punishment.
Gustafson's recent publications reveal consistent themes across her scholarship, particularly examining how welfare policies have increasingly incorporated criminal justice approaches, resulting in the surveillance and punishment of poor populations. Her work spans legal doctrine, historical analysis, and empirical examination of policy implementation, with particular attention to how race, gender, and class intersect in legal frameworks.
- 2024 Law and Society Association Award
- 2023 American Bar Foundation Fellows Outstanding Scholar Award
- UCI Inclusive Excellence Term Chair
Professor Gustafson actively engages in clinical legal education through the UCI Law Appellate Litigation Clinic, which achieved recognition when their Astor-White v. Strong case was named a top 10 copyright ruling of 2018. She has supervised numerous students in real-world legal practice while advancing her research agenda. Her teaching portfolio includes courses such as Criminal Procedure, Critical Identity Theory, and Race & Lawyering in California, reflecting her commitment to integrating theory with practical legal skills.
Gustafson maintains an active presence in both academic and public discourse, frequently participating in panels on critical race theory, the 1619 Project, and welfare policy. Her work bridges academic scholarship with practical legal advocacy and public education about systemic inequality.
