Professor Cynthia Godsoe Elected as New Member of American Law Institute
Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Scholarship, Dean’s Research Scholar, and Professor of Law Cynthia Godsoe has been elected as a new member of the American Law Institute (ALI), the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize, and otherwise improve the law.
“Election to the ALI is a signal honor and, in Cynthia's case, a well-deserved recognition of her stature as one of the nation's leading scholars of family law and criminal justice,” said President and Joseph Crea Dean David D. Meyer.
The Institute—composed of leading lawyers, judges, and legal scholars from across the United States and around the world—drafts, discusses, revises, and publishes Restatements of the Law, model statutes, and principles of law that are influential in courts, legislatures, legal scholarship, and legal education. Membership in the ALI is by election only and is limited to a select group of legal professionals who have demonstrated excellence in their fields.
“The election of new members is among the most important responsibilities of the Institute because it renews and strengthens the exchange of ideas that makes our work possible,” said ALI President Wallace B. Jefferson in a press release. “As I welcome my first class of new members as President, I do so with optimism and appreciation for the perspectives they will bring to the Institute. I look forward to seeing the meaningful ways these distinguished lawyers, judges, and scholars will contribute to the Institute's projects, ensuring that ALI continues to serve the legal profession and the public.”
Godsoe, who serves as Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Scholarship and Dean’s Research Scholar, teaches courses in family law, criminal law, children and the law, legal profession, and sex crimes. A nationally recognized scholar of criminal law, family law, and juvenile justice, her research examines legal issues affecting children, families, and crime victims. Her recent and forthcoming work has appeared in leading journals including the UCLA Law Review, Michigan Law Review, Yale Law Journal Forum, and Tulane Law Review. She is also a Reporter for the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section Standards on Victims and chair of the Association of American Law Schools Criminal Law Section.
“I am honored to be elected to the American Law Institute and to join a distinguished community of judges, practitioners, and scholars committed to improving the law,” said Godsoe. “Throughout my career, I have sought to advance equity and justice through scholarship, teaching, and advocacy. I look forward to contributing those perspectives to the Institute’s important work and to engaging with colleagues who are shaping the future of criminal law and family law.”
Below is a full list of ALI members from Brooklyn Law School:
- President, Joseph Crea Dean and Professor of Law David D. Meyer
- Vice Dean and Stanley A. August Professor of Law William D. Araiza
- Anita and Stuart Subotnick Professor of Law Anita Bernstein
- Centennial Professor of Law Dana Brakman Reiser
- Gerald Baylin Professor of Law James A. Fanto
- 1901 Distinguished Research Professor Marsha Garrison
- Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Scholarship, Dean’s Research Scholar and Professor of Law Cynthia Godsoe
- David Dinkins '56 Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Center for Criminal Justice Alexis Hoag-Fordjour
- David M. Barse Professor of Law Edward J. Janger
- Professor of Law Brian A. Lee
- Professor of Law Samuel K. Murumba
- Les Fagen Professor of Law Alice Ristroph
- Herman Badillo ’54 Professor of Law Jocelyn Simonson
- Irwin and Jill Cohen Professor Aaron D. Twerski
- Professors Neil B. Cohen, William E. Hellerstein, Norman S. Poser, Elizabeth M. Schneider, Winnie F. Taylor, and Dean and President Emerita Joan G. Wexler