Moglen was born in 1936 to a working class, Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York,[1] the daughter of Edyth P. (née Levin) and Edward L.
[1] From 1966 to 1971, she taught at New York University and was active in the Civil Rights Movement joining the Congress of Racial Equality and Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
[1] At Purchase, she became the president of the faculty and with other feminist teachers including Suzanne Kessler, Evelyn Fox Keller, and Esther Newton developed the first women's studies program.
[1][3] Her niece is Julie Swetnick, who accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of committing sexual assault.
[4][5] "UC Santa Cruz Emeriti Lecture Series presents Helene Moglen, "From Facebook to Frankenstein"".