Melissa Smith

Melissa "Kat" Smith is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law, specializing in teaching U.S. common law analysis and writing to international LLM and exchange students. With over 15 years of collegiate teaching experience, she previously served as Chair and Associate Professor of Law at the American University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and taught in China. Her professional background includes a decade in criminology and public policy research, focusing on juvenile justice, housing/homelessness, TANF, food support, and unemployment compensation policies across Florida, Utah, and Michigan.

• Education:
  • JD, University of Minnesota
  • MS, Florida State University
  • BA in History, University of Montana
  • Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language, University of Montana

Her research interests span Law Education, Public Policy Analysis, and Criminology, informed by roles on committees like the AmCham Legal Committee in Cambodia and the Michigan Interagency Council on Homelessness. She also holds legal experience as a judicial law clerk and AmeriCorps attorney.