Prof. Richard Sander

Richard Sander is a professor at UCLA School of Law, where he teaches and writes on empirical legal studies, civil rights, and the structure of the legal profession. Trained as both a lawyer and economist, his work blends data analysis with legal policy, often focusing on how institutions—from law schools to housing markets—shape opportunity and outcomes. He is widely known for his research on legal education and affirmative action, particularly his “mismatch” hypothesis, which questions whether certain admissions practices may inadvertently harm some intended beneficiaries. His scholarship has sparked sustained debate across academia and the legal community, making him a frequent participant in discussions about diversity, access, and the future of legal training. Beyond affirmative action, Sander has produced influential work on housing discrimination, school integration, and lawyer demographics, often using large datasets to test long-standing assumptions. His work is consistently cited for pushing empirical rigor into some of the legal field’s most contentious policy debates.