Dr. Shaun Ossei Owusu

Professor

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Biography

Shaun Ossei-Owusu is an interdisciplinary legal scholar with expertise in legal history, criminal law procedure, civil rights, and the legal profession. He held fellowships and visiting professorships at prominent institutions including Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, the University of Chicago, and the University of Southern California. His work sits at the intersection of law, history, and sociology, focusing on how governments meet legal obligations to provide protections and benefits to marginalized populations, particularly poor people and racial minorities. His research critically engages with the stratification of legal education and the legal profession. At the University of Pennsylvania, he teaches courses covering criminal law, professional responsibility, antidiscrimination law, social welfare law, and business law. Ossei-Owusu has received awards from various social science and humanities organizations, including the American Bar Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. His scholarly work has been published or is forthcoming in prestigious journals such as the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and the Virginia Law Review. His public writing has appeared in outlets including the ABA Journal and the Boston Review. He is currently working on two book projects, one of which is titled "Law Trial: Unlikely Insider Reckons Legal System" and is set to be published in 2026, alongside another project titled "Steps to Equality: Multiracial History of Legal Organizing" scheduled for publication in 2027.

Research Interests

Experience

Presidential Professor

2018-01-01 — Present

University of Pennsylvania Law School • Philadelphia, PA

Teaching and conducting research in legal history, criminal law, civil rights, and related fields.

Litigator

— Present

Sidley Austin LLP • Washington, D.C.

Focused on public benefits appeals and managed healthcare enforcement law.

Loaned Associate

— Present

Barbara McDowell Appellate Advocacy Project, Legal Aid Society • District of Columbia

Worked on appellate advocacy for public benefits cases.

Awards

#

Various Awards

Requirements for University of Pennsylvania

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.6
GRE General
Verbal
Required:162
Quantitative
Required:162
Overall
Required:162
GMAT
Total Score
Required:728
Overall
Required:728
TOEFL
Total
Required:115
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or equivalent Strong quantitative background
Application Checklist
  • Academic Transcripts
  • Letters of Recommendation (2-3)
  • Resume/CV
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Essays
Specialization Notes

Wharton Doctoral programs cover fields like Finance, Marketing, Management, and Operations, Information and Decisions.