Robed Representatives: How Black Judges Advocate in American Courts

Join Vassar political science professor Dr. Taneisha Means on Nov. 18, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Main Library’s Class of 1951 Reading Room as she discusses her book, Robed Representatives: How Black Judges Advocate in American Courts (Stanford University Press, 2026). Drawing on judges’ narratives and new data, Means shows how Black state court judges’ identities shape their politics and lead them to represent group interests on the bench. Her work reveals the importance and limits of racial diversity in the courts. Part of the Featuring Faculty series. Free and open to the public, with refreshments after.