Paula Franzese


Paula Ann Franzese is an American legal scholar based in New Jersey who focuses on government ethics and property law. She is the Peter W. Rodino Professor of Law at the Seton Hall University School of Law. Franzese is an award-winning educator who has been named one of the 26 best law teachers in the United States. She is also a prominent advocate for government ethics reform, a spokesperson for legal education, a housing advocate, and an author.

Early career

Franzese graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with a Bachelor's degree from Barnard College, Columbia University. Franzese received a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School and won several academic prizes, including the Rosenman Prize for excellence in public law courses. Franzese became a professor of law at Seton Hall Law School in 1986, and she later became the Peter W. Rodino Professor of Law at Seton Hall.

Scholarship

Franzese's scholarship focuses on two main areas of the law: government ethics and property law. Her research into property law includes landlord-tenant reform, common interest communities including homeowners' boards, and affordable housing, including a legal analysis of the Mount Laurel doctrine. In addition to her scholarship, Franzese wrote two general-purpose guidebooks for students, including A Short & Happy Guide To Being A College Student and A Short & Happy Guide To Being A Law Student. Franzese has advocated for a right to counsel for low-income tenants facing eviction and moderated fair housing programs.
Franzese has written about the law as an instrument for social justice in the New Jersey Law Journal, has received national attention for her scholarship on the struggles of indigent tenants, and has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the 2017 Justice Marie Garibaldi Award for Distinguished Service and Excellence. Her research and recommendations have been used by legislatures to formulate key ethics reform legislation.

Teaching

Franzese was featured as one of the 26 best law teachers in the nation in the book What the Best Law Teachers Do. She also lectured for ten years at BarBri, a bar-exam preparation firm, serving as its national lecturer on property law. Franzese urges that law professors emphasize a "conceptual, contextual and empathetic understanding". Franzese encourages law students to have empathy with others as a way of better understanding the law and becoming more effective lawyers. She has written on the benefits of a J.D. degree and reasons to go to law school.

Ethics and reform advocacy

Franzese is an advocate of ethics reform. In 2014 and again in 2016, Franzese criticized the administration of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, stating that officials in the administration conflated their official duties with campaign efforts.

Publications

Law Review Articles:
Books/Book Chapters: