Professional Affiliation

Associate Professor of Political Science and Legal Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Expert Bio

Lauren McCarthy is an Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Before that, she completed her PhD in Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her dissertation about law enforcement practice on human trafficking won the 2012 Corwin Award from the American Political Science Association for the Best Dissertation in Public Law. Her research focuses on human trafficking and slave labor in the Russian Federation as well as policing practices. Additionally, she is working on a project about Russians' attitudes towards and experiences with law enforcement agencies.

Wilson Center Project

“Trafficking (In)justice: Law Enforcement’s Response to Human Trafficking in Russia”

Project Summary

This project explores how and when Russian law enforcement agencies have implemented laws on human trafficking in Russia from 2004-2012.

Major Publications

• “Beyond Corruption: An Assessment of Russian Law Enforcement’s Fight against Human Trafficking” Demokratizatsiya 18 (1): 1-27, Winter 2010