Rachel M. Janutis

Rachel M. Janutis is a Professor of Law at Capital University Law School, where she has served since 2002. She held significant administrative roles including Dean of the Law School (2014-2020), Associate Dean of Academic Affairs (2010-2014), and Director of Faculty Development (appointed 2007), while maintaining active teaching and scholarship.

Her educational background includes:

• J.D., summa cum laude, Order of the Coif, University of Illinois College of Law
• B.S., Northwestern University

Professor Janutis specializes in civil procedure, remedies, and complex litigation with particular expertise in jurisdictional issues, venue determination, and punitive damages frameworks. Her research critically examines constitutional limitations on multi-defendant litigation and the historical evolution of tort reform, often bridging doctrinal analysis with practical litigation strategy. As co-author of the nationally adopted casebook Cases and Problems on Remedies, she has shaped remedies pedagogy across law schools.

Her publication trajectory reveals sustained engagement with federal jurisdiction and remedies, evolving from foundational venue analysis (2004) to contemporary examinations of separation of powers in Grable-related jurisprudence (2008) and transactional thinking in remedies education (2013). Recent work maintains focus on punitive damages apportionment while incorporating historical perspectives on Progressive-era tort law.

As Director of Faculty Development, she actively supported scholarly growth and teaching excellence among law faculty, facilitating research initiatives and pedagogical innovation through institutional mentoring programs.