Dr. Seana Shiffrin

Biography

Seana Shiffrin is a distinguished professor of Philosophy at UCLA, where she serves as a co-director of the UCLA Law Philosophy Program. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley, where she graduated as the University Medalist, as well as a B.Phil. and D.Phil. in Philosophy from Oxford University. Additionally, she earned her Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School. Shiffrin has been a faculty member at UCLA since 1992, teaching courses on moral and political philosophy, contracts, freedom of speech, and legal theory. Her research focuses on the doctrinal and theoretical issues of freedom of speech, sincerity, truthfulness, contracts, torts, feminism, intellectual property, anti-discrimination, economic equality, reproductive rights, and family law, with a thematic emphasis on the social conditions necessary for the joint realization of equality and autonomy. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has received numerous awards, including the UCLA School of Law's Rutter Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2016. Shiffrin's notable publications include 'Speech Matters,' which examines the ethics of communication in relation to the moral prohibition against lying, and 'Democratic Law,' which explores the deep connections between law and democracy.

Research Interests