Risa Goluboff

About the Author

Risa Goluboff is a distinguished legal historian and the Dean of the University of Virginia School of Law, where she has shaped the study of American law and society through her innovative scholarship. Her work explores the intersections of constitutional law, social movements, and the evolution of state power in the United States, particularly during pivotal eras of change. Drawing from extensive archival research and a keen eye for the human dimensions of legal history, Goluboff illuminates how everyday struggles influenced landmark constitutional developments. In her acclaimed book, Vagrant Nation: Police Power, Constitutional Change, and the Making of the 1960s, she vividly recounts the role of vagrancy laws in sparking the civil rights and social upheavals of the mid-20th century, offering profound insights into the foundations of modern policing and citizenship rights. A prolific writer and educator, Goluboff continues to influence legal thought and public discourse on justice and equality.