Jonathan Liljeblad earned a PhD and JD from the University of Southern California, and a BS from the California Institute of Technology. His research centers on the promotion of international norms in developing countries, with specific focus on human rights, Indigenous rights, and environment. His research is supported by funding from non-government organizations including Asia Development Bank, International Commission of Jurists, and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. He is a scholactivist, with scholarship tied to advocacy work in the Global South.