Fernanda G. Nicola is Professor of Law at the Washington College of Law, American University, where she serves as Director of the Program on International Organizations Law and Development. As an accomplished scholar in European Union Law, Constitutional Law, Comparative Law, and Local Government Law, she has established herself as a leading expert in transnational legal theory and European integration. Professor Nicola earned her S.J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2009, an LL.M. from Harvard Law School in 2002, a Ph.D. from Trento University, Italy in 2006, a Law Degree from the University of Turin in 2000, and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Turin in 1996. Her research explores the intersection of European law with national legal traditions, constitutional development, and global governance structures. She examines how transnational legal frameworks interact with local governance systems, with particular attention to the Court of Justice of the European Union's jurisprudence. Her work often takes a critical perspective on legal theory, challenging conventional understandings of European integration and constitutionalism. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on the tensions between national sovereignty and supranational governance, with increasing attention to democratic backsliding, authoritarian challenges to rule of law, and the role of legal institutions in protecting democratic values. Her scholarship demonstrates a methodological diversity that combines historical, comparative, and critical approaches to legal analysis. Her notable awards and recognitions include: Mancini Prize in European Law Justice Welfare and Economics fellowship at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Fernand Braudel Senior Fellow at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence Professor Nicola is an active member of the American Society of Comparative Law (ASCL) and previously served as the AALS Chair of the EU law and Comparative law Sections. In 2017, she was a Visiting Professor at LUISS in Rome. She has organized significant academic events, including the Luxembourg forum at AUWCL that facilitated the official visit of the Court of Justice of the EU to the U.S. Supreme Court. Additionally, she contributed to the documentary film '70 years of the European Court of Justice,' demonstrating her commitment to public engagement with legal scholarship.
