UM Law Faculty Member Wins National Award

MISSOULA – The Association of American Law Schools recently awarded University of Montana faculty member Anna Conley the 2023 Mark Tushnet Prize in Comparative Law. This prestigious award is given for the year’s best article on comparative law.

Conley is an assistant professor with UM’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law. She has litigated many large-scale complex cases, participated in several rule of law initiatives and published extensively in international and comparative law.

Comparative law is the study of legal systems across the world. Conley’s article is an analysis of aspects of judicial power in civil and common law systems.

“Legal systems may have different histories and cultural values underlying their laws,” she said. “We look underneath the rule in comparative analysis to look at more than the law itself. We need to consider this when determining whether laws can be harmonized across systems.”

Comparative law is a fascinating topic for Conley.

“How we do it in the U.S. legal system is just one way of many,” she said. “There is a rich mosaic of legal systems in the world we can study and learn from.”

Her dedication to comparative law ultimately gives Montana law school students the chance to work directly with an expert in this field.

“I’m grateful to get to work with students to share my knowledge with future legal practitioners, judges, policymakers and global citizens,” Conley said. “I get to pass on skills and a passion for comparative analysis.”

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Contact: Phil Stempin, director of events, marketing and communications at the Alexander Blewett III School of Law, 406-243-6509, phil.stempin@umontana.edu.