Swethaa Ballakrishnen

Swethaa Ballakrishnen is a Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. By courtesy, she also holds appointments in Sociology, Asian American Studies, and Criminology, Law and Society. Her research focuses on legal globalization, gender, and critical feminist and queer theory, with a particular emphasis on India and the Global South. She co-directs the Center for Empirical Research on the Legal Profession and the Law, Society, and Culture Emphasis. Ballakrishnen has authored acclaimed books, including *Accidental Feminism* (Princeton UP, 2021), which explores gender parity in India’s legal elite, and has received prestigious awards like the UCI Distinguished Early-Career Research Award. Her work bridges academia and practice, with insights featured in *Harvard Business Review*, *Bloomberg Law*, and others. She holds a PhD in Sociology from Stanford University, an LL.M. from Harvard Law School, and a BA/BL (Hons) from the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research.

Education: PhD (Sociology, Stanford University), LL.M. (Harvard Law School), BA/BL (Hons, National Academy of Legal Studies and Research).

Research Interests: Legal profession dynamics, gender inequality, critical feminist theory, globalization’s impact on law, and India’s legal and social frameworks. Her work interrogates how legal institutions perpetuate or challenge socio-economic stratification.

Awards: 2022 ASA Sociology of Law Distinguished Book Award (for *Accidental Feminism*), 2022 LSA Herbert Jacob Book Prize Honorable Mention, 2022 UCI Distinguished Early-Career Award, 2020 AALS Teacher of the Year.

Leadership Roles: Co-Director, Center for Empirical Research on the Legal Profession; Co-Convener, Socio-Legal Studies Workshop; Board Member, Law and Society Association; Affiliated Faculty, Harvard Law School’s Center on the Legal Profession.

Media and Outreach: Over 100 conference presentations, 50 invited talks, and contributions to *Above the Law*, *Law School Transparency Radio*, and *The Practice*. Legal opinions cited by U.S. and Indian courts.

Grants: NSF-funded project on diversity and networking in law schools (2022), AccessLex Visiting Scholar at the American Bar Foundation (2017–18).

Teaching: Courses include *GUILT: Gendered Understandings in Law* and *Socio-Legal Studies Colloquium*. Prior courses focused on legal education and critical approaches to equality.