{"id":234592,"date":"2025-08-28T15:57:50","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T19:57:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=234592"},"modified":"2025-08-29T09:37:34","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T13:37:34","slug":"five-uconn-law-faculty-members-honored-with-named-professorships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2025\/08\/five-uconn-law-faculty-members-honored-with-named-professorships\/","title":{"rendered":"Five UConn Law Faculty Members Honored with Named Professorships"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">UConn School of Law Dean Eboni S. Nelson has named five faculty members to professorships, honoring their contributions to fields ranging from administrative law and corporate finance to law and technology, employment law, and animal law.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI am thrilled to recognize these exceptional faculty members for their scholarly achievements, innovative teaching, and meaningful service,\u201d said Dean Eboni S. Nelson. \u201cEach of them brings academic rigor, creativity, and a deep commitment to justice that enriches our academic and broader community and inspires our students.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Meet the honorees:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Professor Anya Bernstein: Jesse Root Professor of Law<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-234602 size-medium img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998726-anya_bernstein-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Anya Bernstein headshot\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998726-anya_bernstein-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998726-anya_bernstein-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998726-anya_bernstein-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998726-anya_bernstein-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998726-anya_bernstein-420x420.jpg 420w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998726-anya_bernstein-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998726-anya_bernstein-275x275.jpg 275w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998726-anya_bernstein-665x665.jpg 665w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998726-anya_bernstein.jpg 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/300;\" \/><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Bernstein is known for her interdisciplinary approach to legal scholarship, bringing her background in sociocultural anthropology to the study of judicial opinions and administrative practices. She teaches administrative law, civil procedure, legal interpretation, and the cultures of bureaucracy.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Bernstein\u2019s recent articles, \u201cJudicial Accountability\u201d in The Georgetown Law Journal and \u201cWorking with Statutes\u201d in the Texas Law Review, continue to shape the field. Her work has also appeared in The Yale Law Journal, The University of Chicago Law Review, and the Cornell Law Review.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8220;It\u2019s an honor to have my scholarship on governments and courts recognized with the Jesse Root professorship, which will help me launch the next stage of my research on administration,\u201d Bernstein said.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Kiel Brennan-Marquez: Wallace Stevens Professor of Law<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-234604 size-medium img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998729-kiel_brennan_marquez-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Kiel Brennan-Marquez headshot\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998729-kiel_brennan_marquez-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998729-kiel_brennan_marquez-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998729-kiel_brennan_marquez-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998729-kiel_brennan_marquez-275x275.jpg 275w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998729-kiel_brennan_marquez.jpg 360w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/300;\" \/><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">With research focusing on how artificial intelligence and machine learning are reshaping legal institutions, Brennan-Marquez examines what, if anything, is lost when human decision-makers are replaced by automated systems. His most recent published works include \u201cMicro-Costs\u201d in The Georgetown Law Journal and \u201cJudging Demeanor\u201d forthcoming in the Minnesota Law Review.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI&#8217;m delighted to receive this honor, not least because Wallace Stevens is one my favorite poets,\u201d Brennan-Marquez said. \u201cI became enchanted with his writing as a law student, so this professorship has a &#8216;full circle&#8217; feel.&#8221;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Brennan-Marquez teaches courses in constitutional law, civil and criminal procedure, evidence, and law and technology.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Professor Minor Myers: Zephaniah Swift Professor of Law<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-234605 size-medium img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998730-minor_myers-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Minor Myers headshot\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998730-minor_myers-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998730-minor_myers-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998730-minor_myers-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998730-minor_myers-275x275.jpg 275w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998730-minor_myers.jpg 360w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/300;\" \/><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Myers is a recognized expert in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance, with his work being cited in major Delaware court decisions and informing legislative reforms. His insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, as well as many journal articles, including \u201cIncentive Awards for Plaintiffs: Law, Economics, and Policy\u201d in the Vanderbilt Law Review.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt\u2019s an honor to be named the Zephaniah Swift Professor of Law,\u201d Myers said. \u201cReceiving the professorship connects me to the distinguished colleagues who have previously held it, and, more broadly, it makes me feel part of an unbroken chain of influential legal scholarship in Connecticut that traces back to Zephaniah Swift himself, who, among other things, authored a pioneering early treatise on American law.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Myers teaches business organizations, private equity and hedge funds, and corporate finance.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Professor Sachin S. Pandya: Roger Sherman Professor of Law<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-234606 size-medium img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998732-sanchin_pandya-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Sachin S. Pandya headshot\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998732-sanchin_pandya-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998732-sanchin_pandya-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998732-sanchin_pandya-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998732-sanchin_pandya-275x275.jpg 275w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998732-sanchin_pandya.jpg 360w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/300;\" \/><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pandya\u2019s research spans employment law, anti-discrimination, and the use of computational tools in legal analysis. He teaches courses on labor and employment law and is currently leading several innovative projects, including software-based detection of wage-and-hour violations, studies on bias in jury selection, and mixed-method research on hate crime prosecutions.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In addition to his academic work, Pandya contributes to legal advocacy by writing briefs for federal and state appellate courts. His published work includes \u201cThe <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Braidwood<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Exploit: On the RFRA Declaratory-Judgment Class-Action and Title VII Employer Liability\u201d in the University of Richmond Law Review and \u201cBayesian Detection of Bias in Peremptory Challenges Using Historical Strike Data\u201d in The American Statistician.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI appreciate the honor and, even more, the law school&#8217;s commitment to supporting serious research without fear or favor,\u201d Pandya said.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Associate Dean Jessica Rubin: J. Agnes Burns Professor of Law<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-234603 size-medium img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998727-jessica_rubin-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Jessica Rubin\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998727-jessica_rubin-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998727-jessica_rubin-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998727-jessica_rubin-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998727-jessica_rubin-275x275.jpg 275w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/770998727-jessica_rubin.jpg 360w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/300;\" \/><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Rubin is the Associate Dean for Experiential Education and the Director of UConn Law School\u2019s Animal Law Clinic. She was instrumental in creating Desmond\u2019s Law, which allows Connecticut courts to appoint advocates in animal cruelty cases. She has published scholarly articles about that law, including \u201cDesmond\u2019s Law: Early Impressions of Connecticut\u2019s Court Advocate Program for Animal Cruelty Cases\u201d in the Harvard Law Review.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Rubin supervises students and appears in court to advocate for justice in cases of animal cruelty. She also trains students for national and international negotiation competitions and co-founded the annual UConn Business Law Negotiation Competition in partnership with the School of Business.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI am grateful for the recognition of and continued support for my work in our experiential programs,\u201d Rubin said. \u201cThis support enables us to do more for our students and community members who are involved in our clinical, field placement, pro bono, and legal practice programs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>These appointments celebrate individual contributions while affirming UConn Law\u2019s dedication to shaping the future of law and justice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":226,"featured_media":234595,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1857],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2651],"class_list":["post-234592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-law"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-22 12:00:04","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/226"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234592"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234592\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":234609,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234592\/revisions\/234609"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/234595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234592"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=234592"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=234592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}