Solangel Maldonado

Solangel Maldonado is an Associate Professor at Seton Hall University School of Law, specializing in family law, race, and gender. She serves as an Associate Reporter for the American Law Institute’s Restatement of the Law, Children and the Law, and authored The Architecture of Desire (2024). Her research addresses intersections of law, race, and family structures, with a focus on systemic inequality and policy reform.

Education:

• J.D., Columbia Law School (1996), Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
• B.A., Columbia University (1993), Political Science

Research Interests: Maldonado examines how legal frameworks perpetuate racial and gender disparities in family law. Her work critiques policies affecting adoption, child custody, and nonmarital families, advocating for equitable solutions. She emphasizes marginalized communities, particularly Latinas and families of color, through casebooks like Family Law in the World Community and editorial roles at Family Law Quarterly.

Recent Work Trends: Her 2020s scholarship focuses on restatement proposals for child law, de facto parenthood rights, and systemic barriers in education and parental support. Earlier works analyze racial bias in custody disputes and legal stigma against nonmarital children.

Awards:

• Elected American Bar Foundation Member (2022)
• Seton Hall Faculty Researcher of the Year (2019)
• Eleanor Bontecou Chair (2017)
• American Law Institute Member (2011)

Advising & Grants: Maldonado’s grants and leadership roles include organizing the National People of Color Legal Scholarship Conference and advising the New Jersey Law and Education Empowerment Project (NJ LEEP), which supports underserved students.

Labs/Teams: Active in legal education through editorial roles and conference leadership, she collaborates with scholars on interdisciplinary projects addressing family law reform and equity initiatives.