Jonathan Liljeblad earned a PhD and JD from the University of Southern California (USC), an MS from the University of Washington (UW), and a BS from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). His research focuses on the complexities of promoting international norms in developing countries, using case studies in Indigenous rights, human rights, and environment. His fieldwork is mostly in Southeast Asia, where his studies are supported by international aid organisations such as Asia Development Bank (ADB), Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Danish Institute of Human Rights (DIHR), & the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). His research makes interventions in the literatures of international law, law & society, rule-of-law, human rights, environmental law, & law & development. He is a "scholactivist," with his scholarship connected to his advocacy work with international aid organisations. As a result, he bridges academia, government, and civil society; seeks interdisciplinary, transboundary, and cross-cultural collaborations; and nurtures direct impact upon policy-makers and societal leaders. He was born a member of the Pa'Oh indigenous peoples of Shan State, Myanmar, and grew up in Sweden and the United States.