Laura Beth Nielsen
Research Professor
Joint appointment
Associate Professor of Sociology and Law, Northwestern University
Education
Ph.D., Jurisprudence & Social Policy, University of California, Berkeley; J.D., University of California, Berkeley
Curriculum vitae
Bio
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Laura Beth Nielsen is a Research Professor at the American Bar Foundation, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Legal Studies at Northwestern University.
She…
Full bio »
Research focus
The sociology of law, with particular interests in legal consciousness and the relationship between law and inequalities of race, gender, and class.
Projects
- Contested Constructions of Discrimination
- Latest finding: Dec 12, 2012, with Jill D. Weinberg
, Jeremy Freese
- Contested Constructions uses experimental research to investigate how judges and laypeople define employment discrimination and perceptions of the legal system as the appropriate forum to adjudicate…
- Employment Discrimination Litigation
- Latest finding: Dec 12, 2012, with Robert L. Nelson, Ryon Lancaster, John Donohue III, Peter Siegelman
- At the center of current debates about the role of anti-discrimination law in American society is the system of discrimination litigation. Despite the sheer magnitude of changes in employment…
- Accessing Justice in Contemporary America: The Community Needs and Services Study
- Latest finding: Apr 3, 2012, with Rebecca Sandefur, Pascoe Pleasence
- This community-sited, multi-method study investigates the American public’s experiences with problems that fall within the purview of the civil justice system.
All projects »
Publications
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Race and Representation: Racial Disparities in Legal Representation for Employment Civil Rights Plaintiffs
- New York University Journal of Legislation and Public Policy
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"Situated Justice: A Contextual Analysis of Fairness and Inequality in Employment Discrimination Litigation"
- Law & Society Review
-
"Examining Empathy: Discrimination, Experience, and Judicial Decisionmaking"
- University of Southern California Law Review
All publications »
Commentary
Apr 22, 2013
Listen here as ABF Research Professor Laura Beth Nielsen comments on the legal definition of terrorism and Miranda rights. This interview aired on the "America Weekend" Podcast on Saturday, April 20,…
Apr 17, 2013
In an AlJazeera opinion piece, ABF Research Professor Laura Beth Nielsen talks about the definition of terrorism in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings.
Read the full piece here.
Mar 15, 2013
Laura Beth Nielsen quoted here about a federal class-action lawsuit against Panera Bread, Inc., and what factors tend to make a discrumination suit successful.
All commentary »
Presentations
- Employment Discrimination Litigation and the Reinscription of Hierarchy
- Jun 2012
- Law in Motion: The Multiple Futures of Law & Society Research
- Nov 2011
- Conceptualizing and Measuring Justice
- Oct 2011
All presentations »
Professional Service & Recognition
- Advisory Panel, National Public Radio, The Life of the Law
- Secretary, Law and Society Association
- Editor, Law & Social Inquiry
- Director, Northwestern University, Center for Legal Studies
- External Grant Committee Chair, Law & Society Association
- Elected Member, Sociology of Law Council, American Sociological Association