<h3>&ldquo;I love teaching and immensely enjoy the intellectual exchanges with students. I hope that my passion and enthusiasm for teaching helps my students become engaged in class and excited about using the law to promote justice. I strive to create a learning environment that welcomes students from all backgrounds and makes everyone feel valued and comfortable in the classroom.&rdquo;</h3>
<p>Professor Michal Buchhandler-Raphael joined Widener Law Commonwealth in 2020 from Washington and Lee School of Law, where she was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law teaching courses in Criminal Law and Family Law, as well as two seminars, Criminal Regulation of Vice and Freedom of Speech.</p>
<p>Professor Buchhandler-Raphael&rsquo;s research focuses mostly on substantive criminal law, with a particular emphasis on gender-based violence and gender-based implications of the criminal justice system on women, as both victims and perpetrators of crime. Her scholarship explores the phenomena of over-criminalization, over-enforcement, and the overly punitive criminal justice system, but also problems of under-criminalization and under-enforcement of specific crimes, among others, sex crimes. She examines the intersection between these two closely related problems, through the perspective of both victims and offenders.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Her recent scholarly project has focused on exploring the relationship between criminal law and emotions, including anger, fear and compassion. Delving into psychological research on various emotions, she completed a series of three articles:&nbsp;<em>Compassionate Homicide, </em>published in the<em>&nbsp;Washington University Law Review</em>, <em>Loss of Self-Control, Dual-Process Theories and Provocation</em>, published in the <em>Fordham Law Review</em>, and <em>Fear-Based Provocation</em> published in the <em>American University Law Review</em>. Professor Buchhandler-Raphael&rsquo;s other articles have been published in leading flagship law journals including <em>Cardozo Law Review</em>, <em>Florida State Law Review</em>, <em>Brooklyn Law Review</em> and <em>Tennessee Law Review</em>, and her work has been cited in popular Criminal Law casebooks.</p>
<p>Professor Buchhandler-Raphael has extensive practice experience in criminal investigations, after serving for nine years in the Israel National Police. As a legal counsel with its Headquarters&rsquo; Investigation Division, she drafted legal guidelines, provided legal opinion to various police units, and served as a liaison between the Israel National Police and the Israel Attorney General&rsquo;s office. Her experience also includes active military service in the Intelligence Directorate of the Israeli Defense Forces.</p>
<p>As a proud naturalized American citizen, and an immigrant from her native country, Israel, Professor Buchhandler-Raphael is passionate about embracing, contributing and enhancing all forms of diversity at Widener University and the Harrisburg community.</p>