Tracey L. Meares
Walton Hale Hamilton Professor of Law
Tracey L. Meares is the Walton Hale Hamilton Professor of Law and Founding Director of The Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School. She was the first African American woman to receive tenure at both the University of Chicago Law School and Yale Law School. In 2014, President Obama named her to his Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Her research on procedural justice and community trust in law enforcement has shaped national conversations about police reform.
Teaching Style
Professor Meares blends empirical research with legal analysis in her teaching, frequently drawing on data and social science to illuminate criminal justice issues. She uses a collaborative Socratic method, cold-calling students but fostering genuine dialogue about the real-world impact of policing and criminal law policies. Expect to engage with both the doctrine and the empirical evidence behind it.
Cold Call Tips
- 1Familiarize yourself with the empirical research on procedural justice and legitimacy in policing
- 2Be prepared to discuss the tension between community safety and individual rights in criminal procedure
- 3Understand the Fourth and Fifth Amendment frameworks and how they apply to modern policing practices
- 4Come ready to engage with policy arguments, not just doctrinal analysis
Areas of Expertise
Education
- B.S., University of Illinois (General Engineering)
- J.D., University of Chicago Law School
Notable Publications
- Urgent Times: Policing and Rights in Inner-City Communities
Research Interests
More Professors at Yale Law School
Constitutional Law, Constitutional History, Criminal Procedure
International Law, Human Rights, National Security Law, Transnational Litigation
Constitutional Law, Election Law, Federalism
Legislation and Statutory Interpretation, Constitutional Law, Family Law, Sexuality, Gender, and the Law
Contracts, Legal Ethics, Distributive Justice
Contracts, Antitrust, Property, Law and Economics