Robert L. Nelson
Sociology of law, the legal profession, and inequality
Robert L. Nelson is a sociologist of law whose work examines how law operates in practice, especially within professions, organizations, and institutions. His research has focused on two main areas: the structure of the legal profession and the role of law in shaping workplace inequality.
He is Professor of Sociology and Law at Northwestern University and MacCrate Research Chair in the Legal Profession at the American Bar Foundation. From 2004 to 2015 he served as the Executive Director of the American Bar Foundation.
Areas of Research
The Legal Profession
Research on lawyers’ careers, professional stratification, legal organizations, and the changing structure of legal practice, including the After the JD study.
Discrimination Law & Inequality
Research on how anti-discrimination law works in practice, especially inside organizations, and how legal protections can be narrowed through institutional processes.
After the JD
A National Study of Lawyer Careers
After the JD is a longitudinal study of lawyers’ careers in the United States, tracking a national cohort over time. The project examines how careers develop in practice, including differences in opportunity, mobility, and outcomes across the profession.
The Phase III study follows a nationally representative cohort of lawyers admitted in 2000 over the first twelve years of their careers. Ongoing work extends this research to later phases and new cohorts, allowing for comparisons across generations of lawyers.
