She earned a B.A. in Sociology from Wellesley College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from The University of Chicago. Her research examines inequalities in the law, with a focus on how social status, social connectedness, and social capital affect legal outcomes. Research published in Social Forces (2005) and Law &Society Review (2012) utilizes post-verdict surveys in urban courts to explore how social status structures jury deliberations. This work highlights continuing disadvantages faced by low-income jurors, who have lower levels of participation and influence in the jury room. In more recent work, she examines how disparities in legal representation shape jury verdicts by comparing trial outcomes across defendants who hire private attorneys and those who rely on public defenders.