Matthew H. Charity is a Professor of Law. Prior to joining the CUNY Law faculty, Professor Charity was on the faculty of Western New England University in Springfield, MA, where he supervised the international and comparative law concentration, taught courses in international law (public international law, human rights, criminal law), federal criminal law, and contracts, and advised the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court team. He earned his undergraduate degree from Princeton University, and his Juris Doctorate from Columbia Law School, where he was on the Board of the Public Interest Law Foundation, the staff of the Human Rights Law Review, and focused his studies in international law and governmental responsibility.
Prior to becoming a faculty member, Professor Charity was a commercial litigator, focusing on business crimes, internal investigations, antitrust, and appellate advocacy. His pro bono work included prisoners’ rights and asylum cases. While a student, Professor Charity interned with political and legal offices in city, state, federal, and international bodies. He is admitted to the Bars of the State of New York, the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, the 2nd and 3rd Circuit Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme Court.
Professor Charity has served on the Board of Governors of the Society of American Law Teachers, of which he was co-President in 2018 and 2019. He has chaired American Association of Law Schools Sections on both International Law and Africa, and has served on the Executive Committee of the AALS Section on Law and South Asian Studies. He has served on the Drafting Committee of the International Criminal Court Committee of the American Branch of the International Law Association.
While living in Amherst, MA, Professor Charity served as a Human Rights Commissioner, and Chaired the Amherst Human Rights Commission (working on inclusivity programming and mediating concerns regarding discrimination). While teaching at Western New England, he also represented Law Faculty for a number of years in the University Senate.
