Francesca Palmiotto

Francesca Palmiotto is an Assistant Professor of Law at IE University, where she teaches Criminal Law and AI & Law. Her research explores the intersection of law and technology, focusing on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on fundamental rights in criminal justice, migration, and security.

She earned her PhD in 2023 from the European University Institute (EUI), Florence, following a magna cum laude graduation from the Law Faculty of the University of Turin and obtaining an LL.M. in Comparative, European and International Laws from the EUI. Before joining IE University, Dr Palmiotto was a postdoctoral researcher at the Hertie School in Berlin, co-leading the "Algorithmic Fairness for Asylum Seekers and Refugees" project. She is also the co-founder of "DigiCon" and the editor of the Tech Litigation Database. Since 2025, Dr Palmiotto has been a member of the Board of Trustees at Fair Trials Europe, where she advises on the use of AI in criminal proceedings and related fundamental rights challenges.

Her work has been featured in leading peer-reviewed journals, including the German Law Journal, Computer Law & Security Review, the European Journal of Risk Regulation, and Common Market Law Review (find her publications here). Currently, she is working on her first monograph, “Artificial Intelligence and Criminal Procedure: Rights, Rules and Principles”, the co-authored textbook "The Law of Artificial Intelligence in Europe" (under contract with Oxford University Press) and her second co-edited book "The Research Handbook on AI and Human Rights" (under contract with Edward Elgar).

Alongside her research, Dr Palmiotto is a passionate and innovative teacher with experience designing and delivering courses for university students and executive education. Dr Palmiotto also provides specialised training to legal practitioners on the use and regulation of AI under EU and human rights law, thanks to long-standing collaborations with the Academy of European Law (ERA) and the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE).

Academic Experience

Assistant Professor, Public Law Department (formerly Law), IE University, Spain, 2024 – present
Postdoctoral Researcher, Centre for Fundamental Rights, Hertie School, Berlin, 2022 - 2024
Co-founder and Editor of “The Digital Constitutionalist” (DigiCon), 2020 - Present
Editor of the “Tech Litigation: Case-Law Database on Automated Decision-Making”, 2024 - Present
Fellow, Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Humboldt University, Berlin, 2024
Visiting Researcher, Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB), Bruxelles, 2022
Research Assistant, Law Department, European University Institute, Florence, 2019 - 2020

Academic Background

PhD in Law, European University Institute, Florence, 2023
LL.M in Comparative, International, and European Laws, European University Institute, 2018
Combined Bachelor and Master of Science in Law, University of Turin, Turin, 2017