Professor and administrator at the University of Washington School of Law.

Joan Fitzpatrick joined the faculty at the University of Washington's School of Law in 1984, where she taught courses in Human Rights, Immigration Law, Constitutional Law, Federal Courts, and Refugee Law. She served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from July 1993 to June 1994 and as Acting Vice Provost from September to December in 1994. Professor Fitzpatrick was a member of the board of editors for the American Journal of International Law and the Procedural Aspects of International Law Institute. She served as an expert consultant to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Migration Policy Institute, the International Organization for Migration, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her interest in human rights and social justice was reflected in her work with Amnesty International and service on advisory boards for the Legal Advisory Council, the Center for Justice and Accountability, and several non-governmental human rights organizations.