Susan Tiefenbrun
Professor Emeritus
J.D., New York University School of Law;
Ph.D., Columbia University, magna cum laude;
M.S., University of Wisconsin, magna cum laude;
B.S., University of Wisconsin, magna cum laude
Professor Susan Tiefenbrun describes law as her second career. Prior to entering law school, she earned a Ph.D. in French from Columbia University, a master’s degree in French and Education and a bachelor’s degree in French, Russian and Education.
She spent several years teaching foreign languages and literature at various schools including Columbia University, Brooklyn College and also Sarah Lawrence College. Professor Tiefenbrun also spent many years mastering foreign languages and now speaks 10 fluently including Mandarin, French, Russian and Italian.
A fascination with legal discourse inspired Professor Tiefenbrun to enter New York University Law School in 1983, where she concentrated on international law.
In 1999, she joined the staff of Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and has taught a variety of courses since then, among them Business Associations, Business Planning, International Law and the Humanities, International Human Rights, International Intellectual Property and also Women’s International Human Rights. In 2003, the President of France, Jacques Chirac, awarded Professor Tiefenbrun France's most prestigious medal, the French legion of honor medal, for her work in fostering cooperation between France and the United States through legal education.
She specializes in international law and is the director of the school’s Center for Global Legal Studies. Additionally, she founded and continues to teach in two study abroad programs focused on international and comparative law in China and in France.
More information about Professor Tiefenbrun can be found here.
