Jeffrey A. Cooper is a Professor of Law at Quinnipiac University School of Law , where he teaches courses in estate planning, wills and trusts, and taxation. He previously served as Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and is currently faculty adviser to the Quinnipiac Probate Law Journal . Education: AB from Harvard University, JD from Yale University, LLM from New York University Research Interests: His work focuses on tax policy , estate and gift taxation , and the intersection of federal tax law with state probate systems . He specializes in trust enforceability , uniform trust code , and historical analysis of tax legislation. Publications: Recent articles address perpetual trusts , state death tax decline , and curriculum reforms in estate planning education. His scholarship is widely published in national law journals and cited in casebooks. Scientific Awards: Academic Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) Faculty Scholar, Quinnipiac University Professional Background: Before academia, Cooper practiced law for over a decade as a principal at Cummings & Lockwood, senior officer at United States Trust Company, and special counsel to Shipman & Goodwin. He also served as a senior adviser to Fiduciary Trust Company International.
Prof. Dr. Alexander Stroh-Steckelberg is Professor of Political Science with a focus on African Politics & Development Policy at the University of Bayreuth since 2022. He serves as Deputy Head of the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS) until 2025 and has held prior roles as Junior Professor and Senior Fellow at BIGSAS (2015–2021). His academic career includes research associate positions at the GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies (2006–2015) and teaching roles at the Universities of Abomey-Calavi, Heidelberg, and Lüneburg. Stroh-Steckelberg’s research spans comparative democracy studies , judicial politics , electoral systems , political party dynamics , and development policy in Africa, with regional expertise in Francophone West Africa and Rwanda . His work emphasizes institutional diffusion, informal networks in courts, and the interplay between formal and informal governance structures. Recent publications reveal a focus on judicial appointment policies , electoral manipulation , and local governance challenges across Africa. He contributes to methodological advancements in comparative area studies and network analysis , particularly in non-Western democracies. Stroh-Steckelberg is actively involved in academic communities including the American Political Science Association , German Political Science Association , and Association for African Studies in Germany .
Professor Dan Meagher is a Chair in Law at Deakin University's Faculty of Business and Law, where he leads research in constitutional law and statutory interpretation. He serves as Director of Research at Deakin Law School and actively contributes to legal scholarship through publications, editorial work, and supervision of doctoral candidates. Doctor of Philosophy, University of New South Wales Master of Laws, Monash University Bachelor of Economics, Monash University Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Monash University His research focuses on constitutional law, statutory interpretation, and human rights protections. He explores the principle of legality, responsible government norms, and the interplay between common law and statutory frameworks, often advocating for enhanced rights protections through judicial interpretation. Professor Meagher's scholarly output highlights trends in Australian constitutionalism, including proportionality in secondary legislation, non-discrimination principles, and the evolution of common law rights. His work bridges doctrinal analysis with practical implications for legislative drafting and judicial review. Elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law Comments Editor for the Public Law Review Director of Research at Deakin Law School He supervises doctoral research on topics like human rights protection and legislative drafting models. His professional activities include co-editing major legal texts and contributing to debates on constitutional evolution and judicial interpretation.
Prof. Dr. Olena Palko is a historian specializing in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and Ukraine. She holds the SNSF Professorship at the University of Basel's Department of History, focusing on East European History. Her research emphasizes Soviet minority policies, cultural politics, and national identity formation in interwar Ukraine. She is a leading scholar with notable works including Making Ukraine Soviet (2021), awarded the 2023 Alexander Nove Prize. Her current SNF-funded project, Red Tower of Babel , examines Soviet minority experiments in Ukraine. Education: PhD from University of East Anglia (2017); Kandydat nauk from National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (2013). Research Interests: Soviet nationality policy, minority history, Ukrainian twentieth-century history, transnational border dynamics. Her work bridges archival analysis with transnational perspectives, addressing contested borderlands between Poland and the USSR. Key publications include co-edited volumes like Making Ukraine (2022) and Ukraine's Many Faces (2023). She actively contributes to academic governance roles, including co-convening the BASEES Study Group for Minority History and serving on the Scientific Advisory Council of the Council of Europe's history observatory.
Susan Fino is a Professor at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wayne State University. Her research focuses on public law, American constitutional law, administrative law, and the role of state supreme courts. She holds a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University, an M.A. and Ph.D. from Rutgers University. She has received the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her courses include American Government (PS1010) and Constitutional Law (PS5110/PS5120), taught across multiple terms from 2023 to 2025. Dr. Fino's research explores judicial federalism, state constitutional frameworks, and legal interpretations of rights. Her work analyzes topics like church-state relations, taxation provisions in state constitutions, and assisted suicide debates. She has written extensively on state supreme court dynamics, including landmark cases and institutional performance metrics. Her scholarship bridges legal theory with practical governance challenges at both state and federal levels. Her publications span over three decades, addressing evolving legal landscapes such as the Rehnquist Court’s federalism approach and technological impacts on criminal sentencing. She consistently engages with issues at the intersection of law, politics, and societal values.
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)United States
Jonathan N. Katz is the Kay Sugahara Professor of Social Sciences and Statistics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He holds a S.B. from MIT (1990), M.A. from UC San Diego (1992), and Ph.D. from UC San Diego (1995). His career includes roles as Assistant Professor (1995-98), Associate Professor (1998-2003), and Professor (2003-11) at Caltech, with subsequent appointments as Sugahara Professor (2012–present), Executive Officer for Social Sciences (2007), and Division Chair (2007–14). His research focuses on statistical methods in social sciences, electoral systems, and public policy. Key affiliations include the Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project and the Linde Institute of Economic and Management Sciences. Katz is Deputy Editor for Social Sciences at Science Advances and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2011) and the Society for Political Methodology (2008). Research interests span political methodology, formal theory, and American politics. Recent work addresses partisan fairness in electoral systems, statistical rigor in political modeling, and institutional dynamics in legislative and judicial contexts. Notable contributions include critiques of electoral college bias and audits of political behavior research methodologies. Awards: Career Achievement Award in Political Methodology (2024), Inaugural Fellow, Society for Political Methodology (2008). Grants/Labs: Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project, Linde Institute Directorship (2013–14).
Dr John Stanton is a Reader in Law at City St George's, University of London, with a focus on Constitutional Law and Comparative Constitutional Law. He has held academic roles since 2010, previously at Kingston University and City University, and is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Malta since 2018. PhD in Law (Kingston University London, 2010) LLB Law (University of Surrey, 2007) His research spans Maltese constitutional history , local government dynamics , democracy , and central-local relations . Recent projects include Law, Localism and the Constitution (2023) and co-editing The Constitution of Malta at Sixty (2024). John’s publications and conference presentations (e.g., at Melbourne and Texas) address themes like constitutional decay , autocracy , and democratic resilience . He contributes to journals such as Legal Studies , Public Law , and Environmental Law Review . Learning Enhancement Award for Teaching (2017) Fellow, Higher Education Academy He testified before the UK Parliament on devolution and is active in the Society of Legal Scholars , UK Constitutional Law Association , and the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple .
Professor Elaine Fahey is a leading scholar in EU law and global governance at the City Law School, City St George's, University of London, where she serves as Professor of EU Law and Deputy Head of Department (academic programmes). She is co-convener of the Institute for the Study of European Law (ISEL) and the UACES James Madison Trust EUFUtures initiative (2022–2025). Her academic career includes visiting professorships at Washington College of Law (American University), Keio University, and NYU, as well as fellowships at the European University Institute and the University of Graz. LLB, Trinity College Dublin LLM, Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge PhD, Trinity College Dublin Barrister-at-Law, Honorable Society of King’s Inns, Ireland Attorney-at-Law, State of New York Senior Fellowship, Higher Education Authority UK Her research focuses on the intersection of EU law with global governance, digital regulation, transatlantic relations, and the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. She explores how the EU navigates legal frameworks beyond the nation-state, particularly in digital trade, cybersecurity, and data protection. Her work critically examines the EU’s role as a global regulatory actor and its interactions with international institutions. Her extensive publication record includes the monograph The EU as a Global Digital Actor (Hart, 2022) and numerous articles on digital sovereignty, data transfers, and transatlantic cooperation. Recent research analyzes the EU–US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), the evolution of the Privacy Shield, and strategic litigation in digital rights. Her work reveals a strong trend toward understanding how soft law, institutional design, and judicial decisions shape EU external relations and digital governance. Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Chair in Law & Transatlantic Relations (2019–2022) Emile Noël Fellow, NYU Law School Max Weber Fellow, European University Institute Senior Land Steiermark Fellow, University of Graz Senior Fellowship, Higher Education Authority UK Professor Fahey has supervised multiple PhD students, including Isabella Mancini, Giulio Kowalski, and Christos Karetsos, on topics such as algorithmic collusion, digital markets, and investment law. She has led significant research projects, including the ESRC-funded TRILATTRADE grant and the Marie Curie ITN on EU and Transatlantic Investment and Trade (EUTIP). She previously held leadership roles as Associate Dean (International) and interim Associate Dean (Research) at the City Law School. She is an elected member of the EU Studies Association (EUSA) Executive (2021–2025). She has also contributed to public policy through briefings for the Welsh Parliament and reports on CJEU litigation in Ireland. She is associated with research initiatives such as the Institute for the Study of European Law (ISEL) and has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects on Facebook regulation, transatlantic relations, and EU technological sovereignty. Her work bridges legal scholarship, policy, and international academic collaboration.
David B. MacDonald is a full Professor of Political Science at the University of Guelph's Department of Political Science, housed within the College of Social & Applied Human Sciences. He holds an honorary academic position at the University of Auckland and previously taught at the University of Otago and ESCP Business School in Paris. His research focuses on Indigenous-settler relations, genocide studies, decolonization, and comparative politics in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. He has held significant grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), including principal investigator roles on projects like 'Complex Sovereignties' and 'Bi-Nationalism as Reconciliation.' Education: PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics (2001). Key publications include The Sleeping Giant Awakens (2019) and co-authored textbooks like Comparative Politics (2020). He is North American series editor for Palgrave Macmillan's Global Political Sociology. Research interests emphasize settler colonialism, Indigenous sovereignty, and truth and reconciliation processes. He has contributed to policy discussions, including advising the Canadian Senate on the National Council for Reconciliation. His work bridges academic scholarship with activism, aiming to address systemic inequalities and promote Indigenous rights. SSHRC Grants: Over $200k in grants since 2008, focusing on Indigenous self-determination and colonialism. Publications: 4 sole-authored books; 31 refereed articles; numerous edited volumes. Awards: Shortlisted for the John McMenemy Prize (2013, 2017).
Martin T. Wells is the Charles A. Alexander Professor of Statistical Sciences at Cornell University, with joint appointments in the Department of Statistical Science, Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology, Department of Social Statistics, and as Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Services Research at Weill Medical School. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the ASA-SIAM Book Series and Co-Editor of the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Weill Cornell Medical College Research Interests span applied and theoretical statistics, Bayesian methods, biostatistics, clinical epidemiology, and computational biology. His work bridges disciplines like finance, legal studies, and health services research. Article Trends highlight advancements in Bayesian modeling, quantum cognition machine learning, tensor analysis, and misclassification correction, with applications in genomics, finance, and public health. Fellow of the American Statistical Association Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society Contributions include developing statistical software (e.g., rTensor), methodological innovations in clinical trials, and empirical legal studies on civil rights and the death penalty.
Hasan Dindjer is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Law and the Blanesburgh Fellow and Tutor in Law at Balliol College. His research focuses on public law, philosophy of law, and related areas of moral and political philosophy. He has specialized in administrative law standards, particularly the 'reasonableness' standard, and has engaged with foundational questions in legal positivism. Education: BA and BCL (New College, Oxford) LLM (Harvard Law School, as a Fulbright Scholar) Previously served as Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford Research Interests: Public Law and Administrative Law Standards Philosophy of Law and Legal Positivism Moral and Political Philosophy in Legal Contexts Publications: Over a decade of scholarship includes journal articles, book chapters, and blog posts analyzing administrative law theory, constitutional principles, and debates over legal positivism. Recent work includes contributions to Modern Law Review and Legal Theory . Affiliations: Member of the Jurisprudence in Oxford Research Group and actively involved with blogs like the UK Constitutional Law Blog and ICONnect.
Gerald L. Neuman is the J. Sinclair Armstrong Professor of International, Foreign, and Comparative Law at Harvard Law School (HLS), where he serves as Director of the Human Rights Program. His expertise spans human rights, constitutional law, immigration law, and international legal frameworks. Previously, he taught at the University of Pennsylvania Law School (1984-1992) and Columbia Law School (1992-2006). Research Interests: Neuman's work focuses on: Human rights in populist and pandemic contexts Transnational constitutionalism Immigration law and extraterritorial constitutional rights Age discrimination as a human rights violation Impeachment's role in human rights protection Indirect discrimination analysis Selected Trends: His recent articles examine pandemic-era immigration policies ( Title 42 ), impeachment mechanisms for human rights violations, and age discrimination frameworks. Publications show consistent engagement with: Constitutional law intersections Comparative legal analysis Administrative law critiques Human rights treaty body applications Scientific Contributions: Neuman's work appears in leading journals like Harvard International Law Journal and Harvard Human Rights Journal . He has organized workshops on indirect discrimination related to: Sexual orientation/gender identity Chronological age Religious practice Disability rights Pandemic policy impacts He has served as a UN expert workshop organizer and contributed to international human rights literature through edited volumes and treaty analysis.
Janina Dill holds the Dame Louise Richardson Chair in Global Security at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. She is also a Professorial Fellow at Trinity College and Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict (ELAC). Her academic work focuses on the intersection of law, morality, and international relations in the context of war. Her research spans three interconnected strands: the legal requirements for military operations under international law; theoretical frameworks for understanding how international law serves as an instrument of morality in war; and empirical investigations into how moral and legal norms affect real-world military decision-making and public opinion in conflict zones. Professor Dill's work has particular relevance to contemporary conflicts, with extensive analysis of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. She has examined how international humanitarian law applies to these conflicts, the moral arguments employed by different parties, and the practical challenges of implementing legal constraints in complex warfare environments. Her research has been recognized with the prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize in 2021, which she has used to advance her work on the moral psychology of decision-making in war. She is currently leading multiple significant research projects, including a three-year ESRC/NSF-funded study on "Cumulative Civilian Harm" and an expert process with the ICRC on military objectives under international humanitarian law. Professor Dill is frequently consulted by international media outlets including The Guardian, The Economist, BBC, CNN, and major European publications. Her expertise is regularly sought on matters related to the laws and ethics of war, particularly regarding the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. She has received recognition for her contributions to the field through numerous speaking engagements, media appearances, and her influential research that bridges theoretical legal scholarship with practical applications in contemporary conflicts.
Sakari Melander is a Professor at the Faculty of Law , University of Helsinki, specializing in Criminal Law , with a focus on constitutionalization, Europeanization, and sentencing policies. His work bridges theoretical criminal law with practical legislative and policy challenges. Key research areas include EU criminal law, constitutional constraints on criminal legislation, and general doctrines of criminal law. He has extensive experience in parliamentary legal consultation, providing expert opinions to Finland’s Legislative Committees (e.g., on immigration control, anti-corruption directives, and digital evidence handling). Recent publications address topics like EU corporate sanction policies, constitutionalization of criminal law, and reforms in Finnish sentencing systems. His 2025 article in the New Journal of European Criminal Law explores balancing administrative and criminal sanctions in the EU. Scientific awards include: Hilkka ja Otto Brusiin Foundation Thesis Prize (2001) Magister Bonus – Good Teacher Award (2014) Primustohtori Award (2010) Year’s Teacher (2010) Year’s Opponent (2008) He leads research projects such as Criminal Law Under Pressure: Differentiation and Harmonization (2012-2015) and Assessment of Human Trafficking Sanction Practices (2021-2022), and supervises doctoral theses on criminal law topics.
Dr Borge Bakken is a Researcher affiliated with the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences at The Australian National University. His work focuses on Chinese governance, criminology, and socio-legal systems with particular emphasis on corruption dynamics, criminal justice reforms, and socio-political structures in modern China. He has conducted extensive research on topics including wrongful convictions, rural criminal networks, and institutional corruption mechanisms. Research Interests: Dr Bakken's expertise spans Chinese legal frameworks, socio-political governance, and criminological studies. His work critically examines how social norms intersect with punitive measures in contemporary China, particularly in areas like anti-corruption policies and judicial transparency. Recent studies include analyses of 'criminal villages' and evolving corruption forms within state-owned enterprises. Publications: His 2021 article on corruption in China explores land management and state asset misappropriation. Earlier works address wrongful convictions and the socio-legal challenges in rural crime networks. His research demonstrates a focus on institutional accountability and systemic governance issues. Labs/Teams: Not explicitly mentioned, but his collaborative work with co-author Wang, J. (2021) suggests interdisciplinary engagements within ANU's China studies networks.
