Sheldon Evans

Professor Sheldon A. Evans writes at the intersections of criminal sentencing, punishment theory, and immigration policies. His work also ties in themes of political theory, technology, and racial identity as they inform criminal and immigration justice systems. Prior to joining the faculty in 2023, Professor Evans taught classes at New York University School of Law, Emory University School of Law, and St. John’s University School of Law where he earned separate Dean’s Awards for his excellence in scholarship, teaching, and service.

Professor Evans’s work has appeared in the Columbia Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, the California Law Review, the George Washington Law Review, and the Federal Sentencing Reporter among other academic journals. His recent article Punishment Externalities and the Prison Tax won the AALS Criminal Justice Section Junior Scholar Award in 2022 for its contribution to punishment theory towards ending mass incarceration. He has contributed his expertise in several media outlets, including opinions in The Hill, being interviewed by Fox 5 News to discuss relocating immigrants in New York, discussing political indictments on the radio, and being quoted by the LA Times regarding law and tech issues in gambling and gaming. He also hosts the Black Authors Book Club, a monthly book club that furthers his commitment to antiracism by promoting and discussing books written by Black authors that highlight the Black experience in America and across the African diaspora.

Professor Evans earned his B.A. cum laude from the University of Southern California, and his J.D. from The University of Chicago Law School, where he served on The University of Chicago Legal Forum. After law school, he practiced law at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Los Angeles, where he focused on legal malpractice, complex contract disputes, and labor and employment law as a senior litigation associate. He also devoted a significant portion of his practice to pro bono advocacy for clients seeking immigration relief. Professor Evans also served as a federal law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit for the Honorable Lavenski R. Smith.