Biography
B.S., Union College
J.D., Brooklyn Law School
M.A.P.A., University of Virginia
Ph.D., University of Virginia
Vincent Martin Bonventre is the Justice Robert H. Jackson Distinguished Professor at Albany Law School. He received his PhD in Government, specializing in public law, at the University of Virginia; a JD from Brooklyn Law School; and a BS from Union College.
Dr. Bonventre teaches, comments and advises on courts, judges, and various areas of public law. Those areas include the judicial process, the Supreme Court and the New York Court of Appeals, criminal law, and civil liberties. He has authored numerous works and lectures regularly on those subjects.
Prior to joining the Albany Law School faculty in 1990, he was a law clerk to Judges Matthew J. Jasen and Stewart F. Hancock, Jr. of New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. Between those clerkships, he was selected by Chief Justice Warren Burger to serve as a Supreme Court Judicial Fellow. Previously, he served two tours in the U.S. Army—one in military intelligence and one as trial counsel in the JAG Corps.
Dr. Bonventre is the author of New York Court Watcher, a blog devoted to research and commentary on the U.S. Supreme Court and the New York Court of Appeals. He is also the founder and Editor of State Constitutional Commentary, an annual publication of the Albany Law Review devoted to American state constitutional law, and he is the founder and Director of the Center for Judicial Process. He is also the editor-in-chief, Government, Law, & Policy Journal (New York State Bar Association).
Recent publications include 6 to 3: The Impact of the Supreme Court’s Conservative Super-Majority, NYSBA Journal (Nov./Dec. 2023); Supreme State Courts: Protecting Rights and Liberties DESPITE the Supreme Court, Albany Law Review (2022) [w/ Tori Deyo & Matthew Skinner]; Great Dissents: ‘Matters of High Principle’ at the Court of Appeals, NYSBA Journal (Nov./Dec. 2022); With Roe v. Wade in the Balance, Understanding Constitutional Precedent, NYSBA Journal (July/Aug. 2022); Supremely Divided: Court’s Conservative Bent Intensifies, NYSBA Journal (Sept./Oct. 2021); Supreme Shift: What the 6-3 Conservative Majority Means Going Forward, NYSBA Journal (Jan./Feb. 2021); Religious Liberty: Fundamental Right or Nuisance, U. St. Thomas L.J. (2018); LIVING ON DEATH ROW: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF WAITING TO DIE [co-edited with Hans Toch and James Acker] (Amer. Psych. Assoc., 2018; PROSE Award in Psychology, 2019).
Many of his publications can be accessed at SSRN.
Center for Judicial Process
The Center for Judicial Process is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization devoted to the interdisciplinary research and study of courts and judges, including decision-making and voting, the judicial role and selection, and other facets of the judicial process. The Center's mission is to encourage such research and study and to provide a forum for publication.
The organization of the Center, as well as the research and study undertaken and published, is intended to be primarily the work of students. It is operated by a staff of students of Albany Law School, under the direction of Albany Law School Professor Vincent Martin Bonventre. The Center, however, welcomes law students and law-related graduate students nationwide to participate in the work of the Center and to contribute research and study of the judicial process for publication.
Ultimately, the Center's aim in encouraging and publishing judicial research and studies is to serve as a valuable educational resource for the academic community, public officials, journalists, and the public at large.
In the News
Justice Robert H. Jackson Distinguished Professor of Law Vincent Bonventre was featured in the ABA Journal story, “Justices drop 'respectfully' in some dissents, but SCOTUS rancor is tamer than in past,” on October 3, 2023.
Justice Robert H. Jackson Distinguished Professor of Law Vincent Bonventre was featured in the NY Daily News story, “Migrant crisis resurfaces old question of whether New York State has a right to shelter,” on August 20, 2023.
Justice Robert H. Jackson Distinguished Professor of Law Vincent Bonventre was featured in the WTEN story, “New York not able to get around SCOTUS education,” on July 7, 2023.
Justice Robert H. Jackson Distinguished Professor of Law Vincent Bonventre was featured in the InformNNY story, “Student Loan forgiveness blocked,” on July 1, 2023
Justice Robert H. Jackson Distinguished Professor of Law Vincent Bonventre was featured in the Spectrum TV news story, “Albany Law School professor breaks down SCOTUS decisions,” on June 30, 2023.
Justice Robert H. Jackson Distinguished Professor of Law Vincent Bonventre was quoted in the Spectrum story, “New York abortion bill headed for governor's desk has constitutionality questioned,” on June 21, 2023.
Justice Robert H. Jackson Distinguished Professor of Law Vincent Bonventre was quoted in the NY Post story, “NYC Bar Association refuses to approve several Queens judicial candidates in primary election,” on June 16, 2023.
Justice Robert H. Jackson Distinguished Professor of Law Vincent Bonventre was quoted in the NY Daily News story, “New York’s Congressional House map returns to court as Democrats challenge lines,” on June 8, 2023.
Justice Robert H. Jackson Distinguished Professor of Law Vincent Bonventre was quoted in the Newsday story, “As Supreme Court tosses political corruption convictions, debate rages over who's at fault,” on May 19, 2023.
Justice Robert H. Jackson Distinguished Professor of Law Vincent Bonventre was quoted in the WTEN story, “U.S. Supreme Court tosses Percoco, Kaloyeros convictions,” on May 13, 2023.
Selected Achievements
Professor Vincent Bonventre is a judge for the MENSA national scholarship program.
Professor Vincent Bonventre 's co-edited book LIVING ON DEATH ROW: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF WAITING TO DIE received the Association of American Publishers 2019 PROSE Award, recognizing scholarly and professional excellence, in the category of Psychology.
Professor Vincent Bonventre is a judge for the MENSA national scholarship program.
Professor Vincent Bonventre's co-edited book LIVING ON DEATH ROW: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF WAITING TO DIE received the Association of American Publishers 2019 PROSE Award, recognizing scholarly and professional excellence, in the category of Psychology.
