Associate Professor Alexander Gouzoules has always considered himself an academic.

After studying history as an undergraduate, he began to consider how law shapes society.

“I was already studying questions that were adjacent to legal structures and legal systems,” Gouzoules said. “So I came to law that way.”

Since joining the legal profession, Gouzoules has worked in various legal fields and capacities, from litigating constitutional cases related to religion and government to practicing commercial law as an associate focused on complex business disputes, bankruptcy litigation, and white-collar defense.

Throughout those experiences, Gouzoules has enjoyed considering how private legal processes like corporate governance and bankruptcy restructuring impact society and the environment. However, he always saw himself returning to his original passion: the classroom.

“I had academic leanings from the beginning,” he said. “I just continue to be fascinated by relationships between law and society that can be explored in the classroom and through academic writing.”

Gouzoules also said he enjoys working with law students and hearing their fresh perspectives on challenging legal questions.

Gouzoules joined the Mizzou Law faculty this summer from another teaching position at Loyola University— New Orleans. This semester, he is teaching Business Organizations. In the spring, he will teach Contracts and Bankruptcy.

He said he wanted to come to Mizzou because of its dynamic atmosphere and exciting colleagues and students. Though he just arrived in July, he said he has adjusted to the campus — and the humidity — just fine and is already enjoying lively classroom debates.