Joan Mahoney facts for kids
Joan Mahoney (born in 1943) is a very smart legal expert and a former leader of two law schools. She was the Dean (like a principal) at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, Michigan, from 1998 to 2003. She was the first woman to be a law school dean in Michigan. She was also one of the few women in the United States to lead two different law schools. Before Wayne State, she was the Dean of Western New England College School of Law in Springfield, Massachusetts, from 1994 to 1996.
Early Life and Activism
Joan Mahoney was born in New York City. Her parents were Beatrice Shishko and writer William B. Mahoney. She grew up in a family that cared a lot about fairness and social justice.
She earned her first two degrees (B.A. and M.A.) at the University of Chicago. Later, she studied law at Wayne State Law School and earned her law degree (J.D.) there. She also earned a PhD from Wolfson College, University of Cambridge in England.
While at the University of Chicago, Joan was part of a group called the Congress of Racial Equality. This group worked for equal rights for all people. She took part in peaceful protests called University of Chicago sit-ins with Bernie Sanders. Later, she also joined the important Selma to Montgomery marches in Alabama. These marches helped people get the right to vote.
Legal Career and Writings
Joan Mahoney is a respected legal expert. She has written many books and articles about important legal topics. These topics include fairness, rights, and the history of law. She also wrote about how different countries protect people's freedoms.
One of her books is MI 5, the Cold War, and the Rule of Law. She wrote this book with Dr. Keith Ewing and Andrew Moretta. It was published in 2020.
After she retired, Joan moved to the United Kingdom. But after a few years, she decided to teach again part-time at the University of Southampton. Her sister, Martha R. Mahoney, is also a law professor. She teaches at the University of Miami School of Law. Martha has written many works about important legal ideas like domestic violence and critical race theory.
