Austin Sarat
Encyclopedia
Austin Sarat is William Nelson Cromwell professor
of Jurisprudence
and Political Science
at Amherst College
in Amherst, Massachusetts
. He is also a Five College
Fortieth Anniversary Professor. He has written, co-written, or edited more than fifty books in the fields of law and political science. Professor Sarat received a B.A.
from Providence College
in 1969, and both an M.A.
and Ph.D from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1970 and 1973, respectively. He also received a J.D.
from Yale Law School
in 1988.
Sarat's primary research interest is the use of the death penalty, which he refers to as "state killing."http://www.amherst.edu/~facultyprofiles/sarat_austin.html He believes that the death penalty, due to the extreme nature of its punishment, provides a unique opportunity to examine American values and beliefs and how they are manifested in the American legal system. His most recent book, Mercy On Trial: What it Means To Stop an Execution, investigated the use of executive clemency, particularly Illinois
Governor George Ryan
's decision to commute all impending death sentences in the Illinois state penitentiary system.
Due to his extensive knowledge on this subject, he was widely consulted by the popular media during the coverage of the Stanley Williams
execution in 2005. His research more broadly studies the intersection of law and culture and the ways in which law may be said to be socially organized.
Sarat's seminar, "Murder", has been profiled in the New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F60614FA3C5B0C7A8DDDAA0894DD494D81. He also teaches another popular course at Amherst entitled "The Social Organization of Law".
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
and Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
in Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...
. He is also a Five College
Five Colleges
Five Colleges may refer to:*Five Colleges *Five Colleges of Ohio* The Claremont Colleges in Claremont, California....
Fortieth Anniversary Professor. He has written, co-written, or edited more than fifty books in the fields of law and political science. Professor Sarat received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
in 1969, and both an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
and Ph.D from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1970 and 1973, respectively. He also received a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
in 1988.
Sarat's primary research interest is the use of the death penalty, which he refers to as "state killing."http://www.amherst.edu/~facultyprofiles/sarat_austin.html He believes that the death penalty, due to the extreme nature of its punishment, provides a unique opportunity to examine American values and beliefs and how they are manifested in the American legal system. His most recent book, Mercy On Trial: What it Means To Stop an Execution, investigated the use of executive clemency, particularly Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
Governor George Ryan
George Ryan
George Homer Ryan, Sr. was the 39th Governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1999 until 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. Ryan became nationally known when in 2000 he imposed a moratorium on executions and "raised the national debate on capital punishment"...
's decision to commute all impending death sentences in the Illinois state penitentiary system.
Due to his extensive knowledge on this subject, he was widely consulted by the popular media during the coverage of the Stanley Williams
Stanley Williams
Stanley Tookie Williams III was the co-founder of the Crips, a notorious American street gang which had its roots in South Central Los Angeles in 1969. In 1979 he was convicted of four murders committed in the course of robberies, sentenced to death, and eventually executed...
execution in 2005. His research more broadly studies the intersection of law and culture and the ways in which law may be said to be socially organized.
Sarat's seminar, "Murder", has been profiled in the New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F60614FA3C5B0C7A8DDDAA0894DD494D81. He also teaches another popular course at Amherst entitled "The Social Organization of Law".
External links
- https://cms.amherst.edu/people/facstaff/adsarat
- "A Course Called 'Murder' (And It's Tough, Too)", New York Times