Mary Ann Glendon

Mary Ann Glendon "is the Learned Hand Professor of Law. She teaches a course called Foundations of Western Legal Thought that explores how, and to what degree, modern civil law and common law systems were influenced at crucial stages of their development by political and philosophical thinkers, and a research seminar devoted to various aspects of international human rights.

"Much of her research for the past few years has been in the human rights area, as well as much of her pro bono work, especially that which consists of representing the Holy See at United Nations meetings dealing with poverty, development, and women's issues. Most of Mary Ann's research has been in the fields of comparative and international law, yielding several books and articles including her coursebook and Nutshell on Comparative Legal Traditions (co-authored with Gordon and Carozza), and her history of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, A World Made New: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"She has served as President of the International Association of Legal Science (UNESCO sponsored), and currently serves as President of a multinational think tank based in Rome, the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. After law school Mary Ann studied at the Free University of Brussels, and served as an intern at the headquarters of the European Common Market (now the EU). She has twice been a visiting professor in Rome and currently lectures abroad several times a year.“


 * National Advisory Council, Center for the Community Interest
 * Advisory Board, Common Good
 * Member, Advisory Committee on Democracy Promotion
 * Former Council member, President's Council on Bioethics
 * Former Board member, Ethics and Public Policy Center
 * Winner of the 2005 National Endowment for the Humanities: National Humanities Medal