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Susan Thornton is a retired senior U.S. diplomat with decades of experience at the U.S. State Department, specializing in Eurasia and East Asia. She currently serves as a Visiting Lecturer in Law and Senior Fellow at the Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center. Thornton has held notable roles, including Acting Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Department of State in July 2018, where she was instrumental in shaping U.S. policy amid significant challenges such as North Korea's provocations and escalating trade tensions with China. Her career has included leadership positions in U.S. embassies in Central Asia, Russia, the Caucasus, and China, focusing on U.S. relations in these regions. She holds an M.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. from Bowdoin College, where she studied Economics and Russian. Additionally, Thornton is involved with nonprofit boards and speaks Mandarin and Russian fluently.
Yale Law School • New Haven, CT
Teaching courses on U.S.-China diplomacy and contemporary China.
Paul Tsai China Center, Yale Law School • New Haven, CT
Conducting research and analysis on U.S.-China relations.
U.S. Department of State • Washington, D.C.
Led East Asia policy-making during crisis periods.
Brookings Institution • Washington, D.C.
Contributing insights on international security and policy matters.
Department of Law offers the Master of Laws (LL.M.) program.