Georgetown University Law Center welcomed five new faculty members for the upcoming academic year.

The five new professors are Kristelia García, professor of law; Michele Bratcher Goodwin, Linda D. and Timothy J. O’Neill Professor of Constitutional Law and Global Health Policy; Llezlie Green, professor of law; Aisha Saad, associate professor of law; and Gregory Shaffer, Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of International Law. The professors have expertise in a variety of practice areas, including civil justice, constitutional law, corporate governance and international trade law.

Georgetown Law Dean William Treanor said each new member of the law faculty went through a comprehensive hiring process, starting with reviews from specialized committees and culminating in full faculty votes.

“Four of the five new faculty members were drawn from a ‘lateral hire’ track. Typically, these are legal scholars who are invited to come to Georgetown based on their distinguished scholarly and teaching records at other law schools,” Treanor wrote to The Hoya. 

“One of our hires was an ‘entry-level hire’ — a category of up-and-coming legal scholars, typically attorneys with significant practice, clerkship, or fellowship experience, and often with doctorates in affiliated disciplines, such as economics, history, or sociology,” Treanor added. 

One new professor, García, specializes in intellectual property law. Prior to teaching at the University of Colorado Law School and participating in a fellowship at the George Washington University Law School, García practiced law for nearly a decade in the music industry. She started as outside counsel to Napster at Quinn Emanuel and most recently worked in digital strategy as Director at Universal Music Group.

García said she is excited to join Georgetown Law because of its dedicated students and faculty, as well as its location where policy is made in Washington, D.C.

“Georgetown Law is a top-tier institution in a city that is a veritable playground for law,” García wrote to The Hoya. “I’ve been lucky enough to snag the tech law policy colloquium this spring, where I’ll have the opportunity to bring a roster of amazing scholars to campus to talk about their work on content and platforms.”

“I always try to move my students from an understanding of ‘this is how the law is’ to asking ‘how should the law be?’” García added. “I aim to bring my practice experience into the classroom by helping students understand not only the law, but also the various factors that play a role in whether and when and how lawsuits arise, and what influences outcomes.”

García said she hopes to explore new areas of intellectual property law, including the intersection of copyright and antitrust law, once she settles into her new role at Georgetown.

“As a new faculty member, I am currently just trying to figure out how the classroom tech works,” Garcia wrote. “Once I master that, I hope to contribute to what is already a very deep bench of IP talent — both in the classroom and through my research.”

Shaffer also joins Georgetown Law as a Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of International Law — a professorship focused on justice initiatives and research. He is an expert in international trade law, and his publications also include ten books and over 100 book chapters and articles. At Georgetown Law, Shaffer will teach a class in international trade and investment law this fall and an introductory elective in public and private international law in the Spring 2024 semester.

Shaffer said his extensive background practicing law in Europe will help him teach many Georgetown Law students who are focusing on international law.

“Given the diversity of the Georgetown student body, its fabulous international law tradition, its current faculty, and its centers, I look forward to bringing my experience to enhance the opportunities that Georgetown Law provides for its students,” Shaffer wrote to The Hoya.

Similarly to García, Shaffer joined Georgetown Law because of the diverse opportunities available in D.C. for his students to put information from his courses into practice.

“Georgetown Law is the leading law school in the world in international law, with a specialization in international economic law,” Shaffer wrote. “Georgetown Law also is in the nation’s capital where there are a wealth of opportunities to link teaching with practice, including people from private practice and from government.”

According to Treanor, the other professors will bring their own achievements and experiences to enhance Georgetown Law as well. For example, Professor Green will use her clinical knowledge to launch the new Civil Justice Clinic in the Spring 2024 semester, in which student attorneys will be able to represent low-income clients in civil matters and help with their legal problems.

García said she cannot wait to both teach and learn from the Georgetown community this year.

“Going forward, I hope to continue bringing thought-provoking programming to Georgetown Law through a mix of conferences and workshops. I’m especially looking forward to immersing myself in a community of thinkers and doers, and learning something new every day,” García wrote.