Racquel Brown-Gaston

Racquel Brown-Gaston, J.D., is a tenured Associate Professor of Law & Ethics at the University of the District of Columbia's School of Business and Public Administration, where she has been teaching since 2018. She also serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at David A. Clarke School of Law since 2022. Previously, she was Assistant Dean of the School of Business from 2010-2018 and currently chairs multiple UDC committees including the Grievance Committee and Judicial Hearings Appeals Committee.

Her educational background includes a Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law, a Master of Science in Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Maryland Global Campus, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Boston University. She is a licensed attorney practicing since 2001 and is a member of the New York State Bar Association.

Brown-Gaston's scholarly work focuses on the intersection of business ethics, corporate governance, and contemporary legal challenges. She has published extensively on topics including the role of private equity in the U.S. housing crisis, antitrust issues in technology platforms, and ethical challenges in emerging technologies like military robotics. Her research often examines how regulatory frameworks differ across jurisdictions while addressing similar business challenges.

Her recent publications reveal a clear trajectory examining how traditional legal frameworks struggle to keep pace with technological innovation and disruptive business models. The articles show increasing focus on platform economy regulation, with particular attention to how different regulatory bodies (EU, U.S. FTC) approach similar challenges with divergent outcomes. Her work bridges theoretical legal scholarship with practical business implications.

• Distinguished Faculty, Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society (2024)
• Most Hardworking and Dedicated Award, UDC (2024)
• Caribbean Heritage Power 100, Caribbean News (2017)
• Distinguished Member, National Association of Collegiate Scholars (2016)
• Most Inspirational Faculty Award, Adafi Student Choice Award, City University of New York (2006)
• Outstanding Performance & Commitment to Students Award, City University of New York (2004)

As both an educator and practicing attorney, Brown-Gaston brings real-world legal experience into the classroom. She has served as a policy consultant for Virginia Union University (2021-2024) and coordinates UDC's Hospitality Management Program. Her community engagement extends to pro bono legal work for vulnerable populations and social justice education initiatives in Colombia, Brazil, Ghana, and Jamaica. She is also an active member of the Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals since 2003.

Beyond academia, Brown-Gaston is the author of the commercially successful novel 'Deadly Instincts,' which has received significant praise and is reportedly being developed into a film. Her dual career as both a legal scholar and creative writer demonstrates her commitment to exploring ethical dilemmas through multiple lenses.