Dr. Kathryn Hendley

Biography

Professor Hendley's research focuses on legal economic reform in the Soviet Union. Her work explores ordinary Russians' experiences with the law within the context of Wisconsin's 'law in action' tradition. Current research examines the role of lawyers in Russia, grounded in a 2016 survey of 2000 law students at the cusp of graduation, funded by the National Science Foundation. She has published over 10 articles on various aspects of the Russian legal profession and is leading a collaborative project called Lawyers and Democratic Decline (LADD). This project unites scholars studying lawyers in countries experiencing democratic decline and full-fledged authoritarianism, including Russia, China, Poland, Brazil, and the United States. Hendley has co-published a monograph with Peter Solomon from the University of Toronto, titled Russian Courts (Oxford University Press, 2023), which analyzes the evolution of courts in Russia over the past century. Her earlier monograph, Everyday Law in Russia (Cornell University Press, 2017), is based on participant-observation research of newly created justice-of-the-peace courts and focus groups conducted in the summers of 2007 and 2008. Her research documents the dualistic nature of the Russian legal system and the willingness of Russians to utilize the formal legal framework. Hendley has received numerous grants from organizations such as the National Science Foundation and the Fulbright research award for her 2011-12 academic year spent in Russia. Additionally, she has a joint appointment in the Political Science department and teaches courses related to Russia and comparative legal studies.

Research Interests

Awards

Courses