University of Pittsburgh School of Law Associate Professor, Jessie Allen, has been appointed to the Pennsylvania Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, as approved by the Commission on Dec. 4, 2020. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan agency established by Congress in 1957 to focus on matters of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.
The Commission has established advisory committees in each state and the District of Columbia that inform it about civil rights issues of state and national concern related to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, voting rights, or equal protection of the law in the administration of justice. The Committees forward advice and recommendations to the Commission about matters they have studied.
Professor Allen teaches jurisprudence, legal ethics, property and a course on rights theory and practice. Her current scholarship considers how traditional legal authorities and practices might contribute to a distinctive rule of law, other than by determining substantive legal outcomes. Professor Allen’s writing and teaching is informed by her experience as a litigator and civil rights advocate.