Dr. Ruth Coffey

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Ruth Coffey is a Lecturer in Law and a Senior Research Scholar at Yale Law School, having joined the faculty in 2020. She was appointed as a recorder (part-time judge) in 2018, sitting at the Crown Court for the Midland Circuit in England and Wales, where she hears cases involving general crime and serious sex offenses. Coffey was called to the Bar in England and Wales in 2004 and has extensive experience in criminal law, having prosecuted and defended cases in the courts of London. She also has served as an in-house government prosecutor for the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and was seconded to the Judicial Office of the Ministry of Justice as a legal advisor in criminal law under the Lord Chief Justice. Prior to her time at Yale Law School, Coffey was a research fellow and lecturer at Harvard Law School after moving to the U.S. in 2015. Her scholarly work includes the paper, “Fight, flight, freeze…or lie? Rethinking principles of res gestae evidence in light of revival,” published in the International Journal of Evidence & Proof.

Research Interests

Experience

Lecturer in Law

— Present

Yale Law School • New Haven, CT

Lecturer and Senior Research Scholar specializing in criminal law.

Research Fellow and Lecturer in Law

— Present

Harvard Law School • Cambridge, MA

Conducted research and taught courses in criminal law.

Recorder

— Present

Crown Court Midland Circuit • England & Wales

Part-time judge hearing cases in general crime and serious sex offenses.

Government Prosecutor

— Present

U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs • London

Worked as an in-house prosecutor.

Courses

Comparative Criminal Law: Fair Trials Comparative Sentencing: Theory Practice Criminal Law Theory: Homicide

Requirements for Yale Law School

Master Program
Requirements
TOEFL
Total
Required:100
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree
Application Checklist
  • LSAC LLM CAS registration
  • TOEFL scores
  • Two to four letters of recommendation
  • Official transcripts
  • Two required essays (1,000 words and 250 words)
  • Curriculum vitae
Specialization Notes

Department of Law offers the Master of Laws (LL.M.) program.