Charisa Kiyô Smith

Chariso Kiyô Smith was the William Hastie Fellow at Wisconsin Law School, where she received an LL.M., taught Introduction to Juvenile Justice, and lectured in the Family Court seminar prior to joining the CUNY Law faculty. A graduate of Yale Law School and Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Professor Smith teaches courses including Domestic Relations and the interdisciplinary, intersectional Family Law Practice Clinic. Her scholarship investigates themes such as personal capacity for decision-making and caregiving, moral and legal responsibility, harm, and remedy. Focusing on two broad areas—the criminalization of youth behavior and the threat to parental rights among those with mental disabilities—Professor Smith has published widely. She is the recipient of numerous distinctions including the Arthur Liman Public Interest Law Fellowship, the Schell International Human Rights Fellowship, the Michael Rockefeller Fellowship, and the Harvard History Essay Prize. Continuing her study of Zen Buddhism for over ten years, Professor Smith encourages mindful lawyering and balance in legal education. Read Chariso Kiyô Smith's full bio.