My name is Matthew Martin (he/him), and I am completing my PhD in the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin in June 2025. I specialize in public law and comparative politics, with substantive research interests including 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 the politics of public consultation in constitution-making. My methodological toolkit includes large-N analyses, natural language processing (NLP), elite interviews, and case studies. My first publication is accessible via open access at The Journal of Law and Courts. I am also a senior research analyst at the Comparative Constitutions Project working on related topics.
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 firm in Washington, D.C. I assisted attorneys with family- and humanitarian-based immigration cases ranging from permanent residence to removal defense to asylum. I continue to support trans and gender non-conforming asylum seekers, 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.