description Katharine MacKinnon Overview
Catharine MacKinnon is an American feminist legal theorist who pioneered sexual harassment law and co-authored anti-pornography civil rights ordinances with Andrea Dworkin in the 1980s.
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Katharine MacKinnon ranks #33 of 257 in the Lawyer ranking, behind Paul Clement, ahead of Kathleen Sullivan.
Major feminist legal theorist, influential sexual harassment work, high scholarly impact with notable controversy over pornography positions.
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How did Catharine MacKinnon change sexual-harassment law?
MacKinnon argued that workplace sexual harassment should be treated as sex discrimination rather than merely personal misconduct. She developed that position in Sexual Harassment of Working Women, published in 1979.
What did MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin propose about pornography?
They drafted ordinances in the 1980s that defined pornography as a civil-rights injury and offered affected women a route to civil action. The approach generated major First Amendment disputes and was not adopted as settled US constitutional law.
Which court case is associated with MacKinnon's international work?
MacKinnon represented Bosnian women in Kadic v. Karadzic, litigation concerning genocidal sexual violence. The case produced a $745 million damages award in 2000.
Where has Catharine MacKinnon taught law?
She is professor emerita at the University of Michigan Law School and has held a long-term visiting appointment at Harvard. Her teaching career has also included Yale, Stanford, Chicago, Columbia, and institutions outside the United States.
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