The Legal Studies program welcomed two new faculty this semester: Lauren McCarthy and Daniel LaChance. Professor LaChance and McCarthy's research represent both the growing international focus of the Legal Studies program, as well as its focus on the societal implications of law.

More specifically, Prof. LaChance's research examines the sources and implications of the "punitive turn" in the United States, the ratcheting up of incarceration and other forms of harsh punishment in the late 20th Century. His work has focused, in particular, on the revival and maintenance of capital punishment in the United States. He received a PhD in American Studies from the University of Minnesota and will be teaching courses on Law, Crime & Society. 

Prof. McCarthy's research focuses on laws and legal systems of countries around the world, especially Russia. She is currently investigating how law enforcement agencies (police and prosecutors) have implemented laws against human trafficking in Russia. She received a PhD in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and will be teaching Legal Systems Around the World, Human Rights and Wrongs, and Gods and Governments.