PROFESSORS ANITA BERNSTEIN and Elizabeth Schneider have again been recognized as among the most-cited scholars in their fields, according to Brian Leiter’s Law School Reports, an influential legal blog. Bernstein was ranked eighth on the list of “Ten Most-Cited Torts/Products Liability/Insurance Law Faculty” and Schneider was ranked 18th on the list of “20 Most-Cited Critical Theories of Law (Feminist and Critical Race) Scholars in the U.S.” The lists draw upon data from a 2018 study examining the top law faculties for scholarly impact for the years 2013–2017. In that study, Brooklyn Law School placed 44th nationally on the list of Top 50 Law Schools Based on Scholarly Impact.
Bernstein’s many professional honors include being awarded the first Fulbright scholarship in European Union affairs given to a law professor. She is a member of the American Law Institute and a past chair of the Association of American Law School’s Executive Committee on Torts and Compensation Systems. Her writing has appeared in the law reviews of dozens of law schools, and her scholarship has been cited in decisions by federal courts (both trial and appellate) and the supreme courts of Pennsylvania and Texas.
The author of several books addressing torts, products liability, and the law of marriage, Bernstein has wide-ranging scholarly interests that extend to microfinance, diversity as a rationale for affirmative action, and comparative and international law. She also is the author of a series on legal malpractice for the New York Law Journal.
“Legal malpractice in the United States costs billions each year, almost as much as medical malpractice,” said Bernstein of her interest in the field. “And it’s an occupational risk in fields that many Brooklyn Law School graduates pursue—especially real estate, personal injury, business transactions, and matrimonial law.”
Schneider is an international expert in the fields of federal civil litigation, procedure, gender law, and domestic violence. She has lectured to judges and lawyers in many countries around the world. She is the author of the prize-winning book, Battered Women and Feminist Lawmaking (Yale University Press, 2000) and co-author of several other books in this area. She also has written prolifically on civil rights, civil procedure, domestic violence and women’s rights, and she is a highly sought-after commentator on such issues in print and broadcast media. She also founded and directs the Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Law Fellowship Program at Brooklyn Law School.
Schneider is also a member of the American Law Institute. She has been honored by numerous organizations such as the National Organization of Women-NYC and the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
“Women’s rights are always important public matters, but have been especially important recently,” said Schneider. “I went to law school to do this work, and I am honored that my scholarly work, teaching, and advocacy have been recognized. I am lucky to have wonderful colleagues and students at Brooklyn Law School whose interest in this field supports and inspires me.”