Dr. Cynthia Alkon

Biography

Cynthia Alkon is a Professor of Law and the Director of the Criminal Law, Justice & Policy Program at Texas A&M University School of Law. She specializes in criminal law and procedure, international law, dispute resolution, negotiation, and mediation. Alkon has a robust educational background, having earned an LL.M. in Dispute Resolution from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law and a J.D. from U.C. Hastings College of Law. Throughout her career, she has held various academic positions, including Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Texas A&M University School of Law and faculty roles at other law schools. Alkon has extensive experience as a deputy public defender in Los Angeles County, where she represented clients facing a range of criminal charges. She has also engaged internationally in rule of law development initiatives across Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, working with organizations like the American Bar Association and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Her research interests focus on criminal dispute resolution—particularly plea bargaining—and comparative criminal procedure, as well as law reform in the context of justice systems.

Research Interests

Experience