Dr. Franciska Coleman

Biography

Franciska Coleman is an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin Law School and serves as the Associate Director of the East Asian Legal Studies Center. Coleman is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work integrates political theory and critical discourse analysis with constitutional law. She is particularly interested in the changes necessary within the constitutional framework to facilitate the United States' transition from a dysfunctional liberal democracy to a well-functioning multiracial and interclass democracy. Her current research focuses on defining the prerequisites for such a democracy and expanding her work on the social regulation of speech. Coleman explores the socio-legal challenges of public opinion and will-formation in modern democracies, with a specific emphasis on academic freedom and the distortions caused by affective polarization. Her scholarship has been published in reputable journals and she frequently presents her work on social speech regulation, commonly referred to as 'cancel culture', to various audiences including state bar associations and community groups. Additionally, she offers commentary on these issues in the media.

Research Interests