George Bisharat, Professor of Law

George E. Bisharat was a trial lawyer for the Office of the Public Defender in San Francisco before joining the Hastings faculty in 1991.  Professor Bisharat studied law, anthropology, and Middle East studies at Harvard, and wrote a book about Palestinian lawyers working under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank.  He writes frequently on law and politics in the Middle East, both for academic audiences and for major media sources in the U.S. and abroad. 

Professor Bisharat is an avid fly fisher, sometimes in such exotic locations as Russia and New Zealand, and also writes articles for fly fishing magazines.  He sings and plays blues harmonica, and occasionally forms bands with student musicians to perform at Hastings events.  His wife, Jaleh Bisharat, is a business marketing specialist, and his children, Valerie and Austin, are a source of pleasure and pride. 

Courses Taught: Criminal Procedure, Islamic Law, Law and Social Anthropology, Criminal Practice Clinic, and Law in Middle East Societies

My favorite part about teaching you is... the constant learning required to keep on top of my fields, the exercise of imagination necessary to present course material in fresh and exciting ways, and the absolute pleasure when it all comes together successfully in the classroom.