Anita L. Allen
Encyclopedia
Anita LaFrance Allen is the Henry R. Silverman Professor of Law and professor of philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
. She is also a senior fellow in the bioethics department of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
, a collaborating faculty member in African studies
, and an affiliated faculty member in the women’s studies program. In 2010 President Barack Obama named Allen to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. She is a Hastings Center
Fellow.
(Port Townsend, Washington
) in 1953. Her parents, Carrye Mae Allen (née Cloud) and Grover Cleveland Allen were both natives of Atlanta, Georgia
. Allen's father made a career in the United States Army
, serving in both the Korean War
and the Vietnam War
. Her father was a member of "Operation Kapers," a squad of enlisted men who entertained combat soldiers in Korea with song, dance and comedy. Allen spent her childhood living on military bases, including Fort Benning
, Georgia and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Allen was one of six children. Her brother, Michael Patrick Allen, began working as an environmental lawyer for Microsoft
in 2008. Other siblings are Cynthia Ann Allen Jackson and Monica Lynne Allen Newell, both of whom have worked for the federal government, Newell for the Centers for Disease Control; Grover Cleveland Allen, Jr, a professional engineer employed by the GE corporation; and Andre Ramon Allen, who made a career as a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force
and later became a paralegal.
In 1985, Allen married Paul Vincent Castellitto, a lawyer from New Rochelle, New York
who specialized in white collar criminal defense law. The pair adopted two children. An earlier marriage in 1982 to artist Michael Kelly Williams of Detroit, Michigan
ended in divorce. Allen was the model for William's woodcut, "Afternoon of a Georgia Faun," which began as a collage of the same name. An original version of the woodcut was printed at the acclaimed Printmaking Workshop of Robert Blackburn
and now resides in the permanent print collection of the Library of Congress
in Washington, D.C.
In 2006, Allen became an elder of the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church
.
Allen's experiences and perspectives have been profiled in a number of books, including Laurel Holliday’s, Children of the Dream (2000), Ellis Cose's, The Rage of a Privileged Class (1994), George Yancy's African American Philosophers: 17 Conversations (1998) and Elwood Watson: Outsiders Within (2008). She was featured in Carlin Romano
's article, “A Challenge for Philosophy." Of her, he writes, "Penn’s Anita Allen is at the top of her field, but she has serious concerns about its lack of openness and diversity," Philadelphia Inquirer, October 24, 2007.
in Columbus, Georgia
in 1970 in just three years. Allen holds a B.A.
from New College of Florida
, on whose board of trustees she later served. Allen has twice delivered the commencement address at New College. While enrolled at New College, Allen spent a year studying in Italy and Germany. Under the direction of Professor Bryan Norton, she completed an undergraduate thesis on the philosophy of logical positivist Rudolf Carnap
. Allen received her M.A.
and Ph.D.
in philosophy from the University of Michigan
. Allen received a rigorous training in analytic philosophy at the University of Michigan, where she also studied modern dance, alongside classmate Madonna
. Professor Richard Brandt
, a noted proponent of moral utilitarianism, advised Allen's doctoral thesis, "Rights, Children and Education." Her dissertation examined Thomas Hobbes' and John Locke's theories of parental authority, and the moral ideal of a right to education. She argued for greater autonomy for children. Allen was one of the first African American women to earn a PhD in Philosophy, along with Joyce Mitchell Cook, LaVerne Shelton, and Adrian Piper
. She is the first African American woman in history to hold both a J.D.
and Ph.D. in philosophy. Allen received her J.D. from Harvard Law School
. While attending Harvard Allen served as a teaching fellow for Professors Michael Sandel
, Ronald Dworkin
, Robert Nozick
and Sissela Bok
. She worked as a summer law Associate at the Gaston Snow Ely Bartlett law firm in Boston and at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
in New York.
from 1987 to 1998, and an assistant professor of philosophy at Carnegie-Mellon University from 1978 to 1981. She was the first African American woman to serve on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law
, 1985 to 1987. She has been a visiting faculty member at Waseda University
Law School in Tokyo, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, University of Washington
, Hofstra Law School, University of Arizona College of Law, Princeton University
, Yale Law School
, Villanova University School of Law
, and Harvard Law School
.
Allen is an expert on privacy law and contemporary ethics. She is also recognized for scholarship about legal philosophy, women’s rights, and race relations.
She has received fellowships from Princeton’s Program in Law and Public Affairs, the American Council of Learned Societies
, the American Association of University Women
, and the Ford Foundation
.
Allen is a member of the Pennsylvania and New York bars. She briefly practiced law with Cravath, Swaine & Moore
in New York City in 1984 and 1985.
Allen serves on the board of directors of several charities and professional associations, including the American Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, the Electronic Privacy Information Center
, the Hastings Center
, the Maternity Care Coalition, the National Association for Women Lawyer’s Judicial Evaluation Committee and the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children. She was a member of the National Advisory Committee for Human Genome Research.
Allen has been invited to lecture at colleges and universities across the United States and in Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan and Taiwan. She has appeared on The Ethical Edge, 20/20, Nightline, Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, Face the Nation, Talk of the Nation and other television and radio programs. She has written for the popular press, including O, the Oprah magazine; the Daily Beast.com, and the Newark Star Ledger.
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Law School, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Ivy League, it is among the oldest and most selective law schools in the nation. It is currently ranked 7th overall by U.S. News & World Report,...
. She is also a senior fellow in the bioethics department of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
The Perelman School of Medicine , formerly the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, was founded in 1765, making it the oldest American medical school. As part of the University of Pennsylvania, it is located in the University City section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is widely...
, a collaborating faculty member in African studies
African studies
African studies is the study of Africa, especially the cultures and societies of Africa .The field includes the study of:Culture of Africa, History of Africa , Anthropology of Africa , Politics of Africa, Economy of Africa African studies is the study of Africa, especially the cultures and...
, and an affiliated faculty member in the women’s studies program. In 2010 President Barack Obama named Allen to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. She is a Hastings Center
Hastings Center
The Hastings Center, founded in 1969, is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit bioethics research institute based in the United States. It is dedicated to the examination of essential questions in health care, biotechnology, and the environment...
Fellow.
Biography
Anita L. Allen, also known as Anita Lafrance Allen-Castellitto, was born in Fort WordenFort Worden
Fort Worden and accompanying Fort Worden State Park are located in Port Townsend, along Admiralty Inlet in Washington. It is situated on 433 acres originally built as a United States Army installation for the protection of Puget Sound. Fort Worden was named after U.S...
(Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States, approximately north-northwest of Seattle . The population was 9,113 at the 2010 census an increase of 9.3% over the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County...
) in 1953. Her parents, Carrye Mae Allen (née Cloud) and Grover Cleveland Allen were both natives of Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Allen's father made a career in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, serving in both the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Her father was a member of "Operation Kapers," a squad of enlisted men who entertained combat soldiers in Korea with song, dance and comedy. Allen spent her childhood living on military bases, including Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Allen was one of six children. Her brother, Michael Patrick Allen, began working as an environmental lawyer for Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
in 2008. Other siblings are Cynthia Ann Allen Jackson and Monica Lynne Allen Newell, both of whom have worked for the federal government, Newell for the Centers for Disease Control; Grover Cleveland Allen, Jr, a professional engineer employed by the GE corporation; and Andre Ramon Allen, who made a career as a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
and later became a paralegal.
In 1985, Allen married Paul Vincent Castellitto, a lawyer from New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
who specialized in white collar criminal defense law. The pair adopted two children. An earlier marriage in 1982 to artist Michael Kelly Williams of Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
ended in divorce. Allen was the model for William's woodcut, "Afternoon of a Georgia Faun," which began as a collage of the same name. An original version of the woodcut was printed at the acclaimed Printmaking Workshop of Robert Blackburn
Robert Blackburn (artist)
Robert Blackburn was an African American artist, teacher and printmaker.Born Robert Hamilton Blackburn in Summit, New Jersey in 1920, he grew up in Harlem. He attended P.S...
and now resides in the permanent print collection of the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
in Washington, D.C.
In 2006, Allen became an elder of the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church
Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church
Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church is a church in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and is part of the PCUSA denomination. BMPC is one of the 20 largest churches in the denomination with over 3000 members....
.
Allen's experiences and perspectives have been profiled in a number of books, including Laurel Holliday’s, Children of the Dream (2000), Ellis Cose's, The Rage of a Privileged Class (1994), George Yancy's African American Philosophers: 17 Conversations (1998) and Elwood Watson: Outsiders Within (2008). She was featured in Carlin Romano
Carlin Romano
Carlin Romano is a critic-at-large for the The Chronicle of Higher Education and a lecturer in Philosophy and Media Theory at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication...
's article, “A Challenge for Philosophy." Of her, he writes, "Penn’s Anita Allen is at the top of her field, but she has serious concerns about its lack of openness and diversity," Philadelphia Inquirer, October 24, 2007.
Education
Allen graduated an honor student from Baker High SchoolBaker High School (Columbus, Georgia)
Baker High School was built in 1943 in the shadow of Fort Benning, GA. It was named for Newton Diehl Baker, Secretary of War during World War I. The first graduates received their diplomas in 1945. Baker High served Columbus and Fort Benning for nearly fifty years, producing graduates who excelled...
in Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
in 1970 in just three years. Allen holds a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from New College of Florida
New College of Florida
New College of Florida is a public liberal arts college located in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded originally as a private institution and is now an autonomous honors college of the State University System of Florida.-History:...
, on whose board of trustees she later served. Allen has twice delivered the commencement address at New College. While enrolled at New College, Allen spent a year studying in Italy and Germany. Under the direction of Professor Bryan Norton, she completed an undergraduate thesis on the philosophy of logical positivist Rudolf Carnap
Rudolf Carnap
Rudolf Carnap was an influential German-born philosopher who was active in Europe before 1935 and in the United States thereafter. He was a major member of the Vienna Circle and an advocate of logical positivism....
. Allen received her M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
and Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in philosophy from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Allen received a rigorous training in analytic philosophy at the University of Michigan, where she also studied modern dance, alongside classmate Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
. Professor Richard Brandt
Richard Brandt
Richard Booker Brandt was an American philosopher of the utilitarian tradition in moral philosophy. He taught at Swarthmore College before spending the bulk of his career at the University of Michigan, where he taught with Charles Stevenson and William K. Frankena and served as Chairman of the...
, a noted proponent of moral utilitarianism, advised Allen's doctoral thesis, "Rights, Children and Education." Her dissertation examined Thomas Hobbes' and John Locke's theories of parental authority, and the moral ideal of a right to education. She argued for greater autonomy for children. Allen was one of the first African American women to earn a PhD in Philosophy, along with Joyce Mitchell Cook, LaVerne Shelton, and Adrian Piper
Adrian Piper
Adrian Margaret Smith Piper is a first-generation conceptual artist and analytic philosopher who was born in New York City and lived for many years on Cape Cod, Massachusetts before emigrating from the United States...
. She is the first African American woman in history to hold both a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
and Ph.D. in philosophy. Allen received her J.D. from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. While attending Harvard Allen served as a teaching fellow for Professors Michael Sandel
Michael Sandel
Michael J. Sandel is an American political philosopher and a professor at Harvard University. He is best known for the Harvard course 'Justice' which is available to , and for his critique of Rawls' A Theory of Justice in his Liberalism and the Limits of Justice...
, Ronald Dworkin
Ronald Dworkin
Ronald Myles Dworkin, QC, FBA is an American philosopher and scholar of constitutional law. He is Frank Henry Sommer Professor of Law and Philosophy at New York University and Emeritus Professor of Jurisprudence at University College London, and has taught previously at Yale Law School and the...
, Robert Nozick
Robert Nozick
Robert Nozick was an American political philosopher, most prominent in the 1970s and 1980s. He was a professor at Harvard University. He is best known for his book Anarchy, State, and Utopia , a right-libertarian answer to John Rawls's A Theory of Justice...
and Sissela Bok
Sissela Bok
Sissela Bok, born 2 December 1934, is a Swedish-born philosopher and ethicist, the daughter of two Nobel Prize winners: Gunnar Myrdal who won the Economics prize with Friedrich Hayek in 1974, and Alva Myrdal who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1982....
. She worked as a summer law Associate at the Gaston Snow Ely Bartlett law firm in Boston and at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP is a United States law firm headquartered in New York City. It also has offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, London, Frankfurt, Munich, Tokyo, Hong Kong, São Paulo, Singapore and Beijing.Milbank is a global law firm, with approximately 550 lawyers who...
in New York.
Professional career
Prior to joining the Penn faculty, Allen was professor and associate dean for research and scholarship at Georgetown University Law CenterGeorgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
from 1987 to 1998, and an assistant professor of philosophy at Carnegie-Mellon University from 1978 to 1981. She was the first African American woman to serve on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law
University of Pittsburgh School of Law
The University of Pittsburgh School of Law was founded in 1895, and became a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1900...
, 1985 to 1987. She has been a visiting faculty member at Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
Law School in Tokyo, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, Hofstra Law School, University of Arizona College of Law, Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
, Villanova University School of Law
Villanova University School of Law
Villanova University School of Law is the law school of Villanova University, the oldest and largest Catholic University in Pennsylvania. Villanova was founded 150 years ago by the Augustinians, a prominent Roman Catholic teaching order...
, and Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
.
Allen is an expert on privacy law and contemporary ethics. She is also recognized for scholarship about legal philosophy, women’s rights, and race relations.
She has received fellowships from Princeton’s Program in Law and Public Affairs, the American Council of Learned Societies
American Council of Learned Societies
The American Council of Learned Societies , founded in 1919, is a private nonprofit federation of seventy scholarly organizations.ACLS is best known as a funder of humanities research through fellowships and grants awards. ACLS Fellowships are designed to permit scholars holding the Ph.D...
, the American Association of University Women
American Association of University Women
The American Association of University Women advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. It was founded in 1882 by Ellen Swallow Richards and Marion Talbot...
, and the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
.
Allen is a member of the Pennsylvania and New York bars. She briefly practiced law with Cravath, Swaine & Moore
Cravath, Swaine & Moore
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is a prominent American law firm based in New York City, with an additional office in London. The second oldest firm in the country, Cravath was founded in 1819 and consistently ranks first among the world's most prestigious law firms according to a survey of partners,...
in New York City in 1984 and 1985.
Allen serves on the board of directors of several charities and professional associations, including the American Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, the Electronic Privacy Information Center
Electronic Privacy Information Center
Electronic Privacy Information Center is a public interest research group in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values in the information age...
, the Hastings Center
Hastings Center
The Hastings Center, founded in 1969, is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit bioethics research institute based in the United States. It is dedicated to the examination of essential questions in health care, biotechnology, and the environment...
, the Maternity Care Coalition, the National Association for Women Lawyer’s Judicial Evaluation Committee and the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children. She was a member of the National Advisory Committee for Human Genome Research.
Allen has been invited to lecture at colleges and universities across the United States and in Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan and Taiwan. She has appeared on The Ethical Edge, 20/20, Nightline, Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, Face the Nation, Talk of the Nation and other television and radio programs. She has written for the popular press, including O, the Oprah magazine; the Daily Beast.com, and the Newark Star Ledger.
Books
- Uneasy Access: Privacy for Women in a Free Society (1988)
- Debating Democracy’s Discontent (Ed. with Milton Regan, 1998).
- Privacy Law: Cases and Materials (with R. Turkington, 2002)
- Why Privacy Isn’t Everything: Feminist Reflections on Personal Accountability (2003)
- The New Ethics: A Guided Tour of the 21st Century Moral Landscape (2004)*
- Privacy Law and Society (2007)