Patricia Illingworth is an author, philosopher, and lawyer who works on some of the most urgent social, ethical, and human rights problems that face people and their communities. Her approach is highly interdisciplinary, with a scholar’s focus on facts, a philosopher’s attention to cogency, and a lawyer’s eye for practical policy solutions. She uses her skills to promote human rights and the public good.
She has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of California, and a J.D. from Boston University. She was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1997. Professor Illingworth has held Fellowships at Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Rice University. Prior to coming to Northeastern, she taught at McGill University where she held appointments in the Law School, Medical School and the Department of Philosophy. Her area of expertise is philanthropy and ethics, organizational ethics and health policy and ethics. She has published widely, including scholarly articles and many books. She also writes for a wider audience, such as the Huffington Post, and consults to the media.