LAURA T KESSLER portrait
  • S.J. Quinney Endowed Chair, College Of Law
  • Professor, College Of Law
  • Professor, College Of Law - Dean

Professional Service

  • National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). Author, White Paper on Abortion Law in Utah Post-Dobbs for the NACDL, 7/7/22. 06/08/2022 - 07/07/2022
  • Pro Bono Service. Brief of Amici Curiae Family Law Scholars in Support of Appellees and Affirmance, Dvash-Banks v. U.S. Dep’t of State, No. 2:18-cv-00523 (9th Cir. 2019), 12/19/19 (arguing that a foreign-born child to a married couple is eligible for derivative citizenship based on the marriage of his parents, a male same-sex couple). 12/19/2019 - 12/19/2019
  • Pro Bono Service. Brief of Amici Curiae Equal Rights Advocates and 47 Organizations in Support of Plaintiff-Appellant and Reversal, Freyd v. University of Oregon, Case No. 19-35428 (9th Cir. 2019), 9/30/19 (arguing, inter alia, that a system of awarding retention raises for reasons untethered to job performance in light of outside offers is not a valid factor “other than sex” under the Equal Pay Act). 09/13/2019 - 09/13/2019
  • American Bar Association (ABA). Member, Advisory Committee to the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, concerning the ABA rating of the Hon. Brett Kavanaugh, nominee to the United States Supreme Court (2018). 07/01/2018 - 09/29/2018
  • American Civil Liberties Union of Utah. Legal Advisory Panel(2001-2018). 07/01/2001 - 06/30/2018
  • Pro Bono Service. Role: Author. Brief of Amici Curiae Family Law Professors in Support of Plaintiffs-Appellees and Affirmance, Kitchen v. Herbert, No. 13-1478 (10th Cir. 2014), 4/4/14 (arguing that Utah’s same-sex marriage ban undermines rather than furthers the state’s interests in children and child welfare; co-authored Prof. Courtney Joslin (U.C. Davis) and Prof. Joan Hollinger (U.C. Berkeley)). 01/01/2014 - 04/04/2014
  • Williams Institute, UCLA Law School. Judicial Training on Same-Sex Couples, Utah Judicial Institute, 2006 Annual Judicial Conference (co-sponsored by the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, UCLA Law School, and the Administrative Office of the Utah Courts). 01/2006 - 01/2006. 01/2006 - 01/2006

Internal Service

  • Retention, Promotion, and Tenure Commmittee. Chair, 07/01/2021 - 06/30/2022. College service.
  • Office for Global Engagement, Fulbright Selection Committee. Member, 09/01/2019 - present. University service.
  • Programs Committee . Chair, 07/2015 - 06/2016. College service.
  • Faculty Development Committee. 07/2013 - 06/2015. College service.
  • University of Utah Graduate Council. 07/01/2013 - present. University service.
  • Retention, Promotion, and Tenure Committee. Member, 07/2012 - 06/2015. College service.
  • Faculty Recruitment Committee. Member, 07/2011 - 06/2012. College service.
  • Nominations Committee. Chair, 07/2010 - 06/2011. College service.
  • Admissions Committee. 07/2010 - 06/2011. College service.
  • Academic Misconduct Committee. Chair, 07/2005 - 06/2006. College service.
  • Journal of Law & Family Studies. Advisor, 07/2001 - 06/2013. College service.

Other Service

ACADEMY-WIDE
  • Law and Society Association (2001 to present)

                Co-Chair, Feminist Legal Theory Collaborative Research Network Meeting Planning Committee (2021-2022)

                Herbert Jacob Book Prize Committee (2020-2021)

                Early Career Workshop Planning Committee and Faculty (2016-2017)

                Law and Society Association, Article Prize Committee (2012-2013)

  •  Association of American Law Schools, Section on Women in Legal Education

                 Executive Committee (2006-2013)

                 Chair, Work-Life Committee (2010-2013)

  • Peer Reviewer for the Law & Society Review; Studies in Law, Politics & Society; NSF Law & Social Sciences Program; US-Israel Fulbright Commission; and other journals and programs.

UNIVERSITY

  • Graduate Council (2013-present)

                  Chair, Review of Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders (spring 2022)

                  Chair, Review of Asian Studies Program (spring 2021)

                  Chair, Review of the Master of Public Policy Program (fall 2017)

                  Chair, Review of School of Computing (spring 2017)

                  Chair, Review of Department of Communication (fall 2015)

                  Graduate Admissions Subcommittee (2014-2016)
 
  • Office of Global Engagement, Fulbright Selection Committee (2019-present).
  • Presidential Child Care Task Force (2008-2010) (appointed by University President)
  • Women’s Resource Center, Ambassadors Committee (2008-2014)
  • Tanner Humanities Center Faculty Advisory Board (2005-2011)
  • Employment Discrimination Complaints Hearing Panel (2001-2004)

Honors & Awards

  • Fulbright Senior Scholar Fellowship, University of Haifa, Israel 2018-2019. 01/01/2018
  • University of Utah Sexuality and Gender Studies Research Award. 01/2008
  • Visiting Scholar, Feminism & Legal Theory Project, Emory Law School. 11/2007
  • University of Utah Faculty Fellowship. 09/2007
  • Order of the Coif. 07/2001
  • Herman N. Finkelstein Research Fellow, Columbia Law School. 09/1997

Affiliations

  • Association of American Law Schools (AALS), Member, 08/2001 - present
  • Law and Society Association (LSA), Member, 08/2001 - present
  • Society of American Law Teachers (SALT), Member, 08/2001 - present
  • Feminism and Legal Theory Project, Emory Law School (FLTP), Affiliated Scholar, 08/1997 - present
  • Class Crits Working Group, Baldy Center for Law & Social Policy, Buffalo Law School (CC), Affiliated Scholar, 08/2007 - present

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