Dr. Lisa Washington

Biography

Professor Lisa Washington focuses on the intersections of family regulation law, the criminal legal system, and the immigration system. She teaches courses in criminal procedure, evidence, and family law. Her recent scholarship has been published in numerous prestigious journals, including the Yale Law Journal, Columbia Law Review, and Northwestern University Law Review. In 2025, UW law students honored Washington with the Classroom Teacher of the Year Award. Her essay titled 'Weaponizing Fear' won the 2024 Dukeminier Award from the Williams Institute at UCLA, and her article 'Time Punishment' earned her the 2025 AALS Emerging Scholar Award from the Family and Juvenile Law Section. Professor Washington's research interests are informed by her practice experience as a public defender in New York City. Prior to joining the University of Wisconsin, she worked with the Bronx Defenders, where she served as a staff attorney in family defense practice, and co-directed the Mainzer Family Defense Clinic at Cardozo School of Law. She received her law degree from Humboldt University in Berlin and attended Columbia Law School for her LL.M. degree. Additionally, she is a Hastie Fellow and has a background in comparative legal studies, having completed her Ph.D. studies summa cum laude at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. Being bilingual, she grew up in Germany and the United States.

Research Interests

Courses