Biography

A leading voice on criminal law and criminal justice policy issues, Kara Dansky is the executive director of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center. At SCJC, Dansky teaches the law school's criminal law externship seminar as well as research seminars on sentencing law and policy and diversion courts; coordinates symposia, conferences, and speaker series; advises policy-makers on a wide range of criminal justice issues, including corrections and sentencing reform and the creation of a sentencing commission for the state of California; and helps students prepare for careers in criminal law and criminal justice policy. She also coordinates the Stanford Executive Sessions on Sentencing and Corrections, a policy working group focused on sentencing and corrections reform in California. Dansky serves on the Executive Board of the National Association of Sentencing Commissions. Additional research interests include legal and policy concerns associated with DNA collection and the success of diversion courts. Before joining Stanford, Dansky was a staff attorney for the Society of Counsel Representing Accused Persons in Seattle.

Education

• BA, The Johns Hopkins University, 1994
• JD, University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1999

Employment

• Staff Attorney, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1999-2001
• Law Clerk, Honorable Martha Vazquez, United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, 2001
• Staff Attorney, Society of Counsel Representing Accused Persons, 2001-2005
• Executive Director, Stanford Criminal Justice Center, 2005-Present

Professional Affiliations

• Executive Board Member, National Association of Sentencing Commissions

Courses and Programs

• Criminal Law Externship Seminar
• Stanford Criminal Justice Center

Publications

• Kara Dansky, Understanding California Sentencing (in progress)
• Kara Dansky, "State Should Revise Criminal Sentencing System", Daily Journal, January 30, 2007
• Kara Dansky, "Three Good Reasons for Sentencing Commission", Daily Journal, December 20, 2006

Field of Expertise

• Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, Sentencing Law and Policy

Courses & Programs

Courses

• Criminal Law Externship Seminar

Publications & Cases

• Kara Dansky, State Should Revise Criminal Sentencing System, Daily Journal, January 30, 2007.
• Kara Dansky, Three Good Reasons for Sentencing Commission, Daily Journal, December 20, 2006.