My name is Matt Martin (he/him), and I am a postdoctoral researcher funded by the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Chicago Law School, specializing in public law and comparative politics. I recently completed my PhD in the Department of Government at UT Austin in June 2025. My substantive research interests include Latin American politics, indigenous constitutionalism, and immigration politics. I am on the 2025-26 job market.
My dissertation “The People’s Voice, The Drafters’ Choice” examines how and why constitution-makers choose to involve or exclude public input in drafting processes, analyzing the politics of public consultation in constitution-making. My methodological toolkit includes large-N analyses, natural language processing of constitutional deliberations, elite interviews, and case studies of constitution-making processes in Chile and Cuba. My first publication is accessible via open access at The Journal of Law and Courts.
Prior to graduate school, I received my B.A. in Political Science and Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After graduation, I worked as a legal assistant in immigration law at a Washington, D.C. firm. I assisted attorneys with family- and humanitarian-based immigration cases ranging from permanent residence to removal defense to asylum, experience that deeply informs my scholarly interest in constitutional rights and immigration politics. I continue this commitment through ongoing advocacy work, supporting trans and gender non-conforming asylum seekers by gathering legal resources, contacting lawyers, and organizing fundraisers on their behalf.
Outside of work, I enjoy playing guitar and producing music—mostly lofi hip-hop.