Leslie P. Francis

Leslie P. Francis is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Law at the University of Utah, with adjunct roles in Political Science, Family & Preventive Medicine, and Internal Medicine. She holds a JD from the University of Utah (1981) and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Michigan (1974). Her research focuses on federalism and bioethics, disability law and ethics, philosophy of law, privacy, and public health policy. She previously directed the University of Utah Center for Law and Biomedical Sciences (2015-2022). She has served in leadership roles including President of the Pacific Division of the American Philosophical Association (2015-2016) and Secretary-General of the International Society for Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy (2015-2019).

Her notable works include States of Health: The Ethics and Consequences of Policy Variation in a Federal System (2024), Sustaining Surveillance: The Importance of Information for Public Health (2021), and The Patient as Victim and Vector (2010). She has authored over 200 scholarly works across bioethics, law, and public health. Her teaching includes courses like Legal Profession, Philosophy of Law, and Disability Law.
Awards include the Rosenblatt Prize (2000) and recognition for service to the judiciary. She actively participates in public service, including roles with the Utah Disability Law Center and state court committees addressing guardianship and legal access. Her grants include funding from the National Science Foundation and the Utah Humanities Council.