John Bliss Visiting Scholar
John Bliss is an assistant professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. His research empirically examines lawyers’ public-interest and social-change aspirations. This includes qualitative, quantitative, and archival research in the areas of professional socialization in law school, rationales for pro bono in large law firms, and the efficacy of lawyers within social movements relating to fair housing, animal rights, and the protection of future generations. His work is published or forthcoming in leading legal and interdisciplinary outlets, including Law & Social Inquiry, Law & Society Review, Wisconsin Law Review, UC Davis Law Review, The Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics, and edited volumes on global pro bono and the emerging Chinese bar.
John is a graduate of Berkeley Law and holds a Ph.D. from the UC Berkeley Jurisprudence and Social Policy Program. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession. He belongs to several academic associations relating to the interdisciplinary study of law and the legal profession, including serving as co-director of the Legal Education Collaborative Research Network with the Law and Society Association. At Denver Law, he co-founded and co-directs a program for first year students who aspire to public-interest law careers.