Winston Salem Times

Wake Forest Law has announced the addition of three new faculty members, with professors Nia Johnson, Wayne Logan, and Abel Rodriguez joining the institution.

Nia Johnson arrives at Wake Forest as an assistant professor and will be teaching courses in torts and bioethics. Previously, she was a visiting assistant professor at Duke Law. Her research focuses on the intersection of health law, bioethics, and race and the law, specifically looking at discrimination in healthcare delivery and the role of law in public health policies. Her work has been published in a variety of academic journals and she has received several awards, including the Wilhelmina M. Reuben-Cooke Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Practices Fellowship. Johnson holds a JD from Boston University School of Law, a PhD from Harvard University, and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Joining as a teaching professor, Wayne Logan will cover criminal law and criminal procedure. Logan was previously the Steven M. Goldstein Professor at Florida State University. His published works include books and articles in prestigious law reviews, and he has been cited by the US Supreme Court. Logan, an elected member of the American Law Institute, brings over two decades of teaching experience to Wake Forest Law. He has a JD from the University of Wisconsin and also holds additional graduate degrees in criminology and the arts.

Abel Rodriguez comes from St. John’s University School of Law, where his research examined race, migration, and the crossover between criminal and immigration law. His written works have appeared in publications such as the Cornell Law Review. Rodriguez has directed programs and served as a staff attorney, focusing on deportation defense. His educational background includes a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and master's degrees from Stanford University and Harvard University. Rodríguez, a son of immigrants, hails from a working-class community near Philadelphia and believes strongly in the transformative power of education.

Wake Forest Law expressed eagerness about these new additions, stating the importance of each professor’s unique experience and expertise in enriching their academic environment.