William Partlett is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Columbia Law School.  Dr. Partlett holds a law degree from Stanford Law School and a masters and doctorate in Russian studies from Oxford University (where he was a Clarendon Scholar).  He also holds an honors bachelors degree in International Affairs and Public Policy from Princeton University.  Dr. Partlett draws on this cross-disciplinary background to work in the field of comparative public law.  In particular, his research examines the way in which formal criminal and constitutional law can be used to undermine individual rights and erode pluralistic democratic governance. While in Russia, Dr. Partlett will explore the way that the restructuring of the court system will affect property rights in Russia.  He will work with Sergei Belov of St. Petersburg State Law School.