Welcome to my site!

I am a PhD candidate in political science at the University of Chicago, with research and teaching interests in  in modern and contemporary political theory, legal theory, critical theory, social movements, and carceral studies. I also hold a Master of Legal Studies degree from the University of Chicago Law School.  My dissertation project and draft book manuscript—An Abolitionist Theory of Law—seeks to recover the emancipatory core of law as a political category by reimagining it in dialogue with the visions and activities of contemporary police and prison abolitionists. I am on the academic job market in the 2025-26 cycle.

On this website, you’ll find my CV, my teaching experience, and more information about my research agenda.

If you want to get in touch with me, my email is danielepstein@uchicago.edu