Stephen Rushin Associate Professor of Law
Reducing racial disparities in the justice system
Rushin’s research is among the top 10 most downloaded of law professors on SSRN (as of October 1, 2020)
RUSHIN'S AREA OF EXPERTISE: Police accountability and how to reduce racial disparities in the justice system
SHRINKING SENTENCING INEQUITIES: Rushin conducts groundbreaking empirical examinations on the effects of changes in criminal laws. In “The Effects of Voluntary and Presumptive Sentencing Guidelines,” 98 Texas Law Review 1 (2019) (with Edwards and Colquitt), Rushin and his coauthors found that criminal sentencing guidelines resulted in a reduction in race-based sentencing disparities as well as in interjudge disparities across all classes of offenders.
“Seemingly race-neutral legal choices can have significant, racially disparate effects.”
MEDIA MENTIONS: Rushin has been especially in demand as calls for police accountability increased following the death of George Floyd. He has appeared on CBS, CNN, PBS, NPR, and Bloomberg Radio, and has been quoted in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, the Atlantic, and the Chicago Tribune.
TOP TEACHER: Rushin earns rave reviews from students for his clear and engaging pedagogical approach. He often seeks student input on his research and was voted the School of Law’s Professor of the Year for 2020.
