Michael S. Cecil

Michael S. Cecil serves as Assistant Professor of Law at Gonzaga University School of Law, teaching Constitutional Law, Federal Courts, Legislation, Legal Theory, and Property. His scholarship addresses foundational legal principles within constitutional systems and structural disparities in liberty.

Education:

• Master of Laws (LL.M.), Legal Theory, New York University School of Law
• Juris Doctor (J.D.), Georgetown University Law Center
• B.A. Political Science and Journalism, California State University, Long Beach

Professor Cecil's research examines how legal principles operate in constitutional frameworks, federal courts' role in shaping human rights common law, and systemic mechanisms entrenching inequality in liberty distribution. His work bridges theoretical jurisprudence with practical constitutional challenges through critical analysis of legal structures.

His 2025 publications explore the Alien Tort Statute's relationship to legal integrity and constitutional mechanisms addressing unequal opportunity distributions, reflecting deep engagement with human rights jurisprudence and structural constitutional theory.

Scientific Awards:

• CLEC Scholar

Professor Cecil brings extensive practical experience from legislative counsel work in the New York State Senate, public interest practice in immigration and family law, and roles at the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, South African Human Rights Commission, and federal bankruptcy courts. His background informs both teaching and scholarship on legal systems' real-world impacts.