Charles Epp

Charles Epp is the University Distinguished Professor at the University of Kansas's School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA). His work focuses on law, social change, and administrative reform, particularly regarding rights and racial discrimination. He has authored seminal books including The Rights Revolution and Pulled Over, both recognized with major awards such as the C. Herman Pritchett Award and the Choice Outstanding Academic Title. His research is supported by NSF grants, and he has held editorial roles at the Journal of Law and Courts. Epp teaches in areas of law and public policy, and his awards include the Kemper Teaching Award.

His research interests span policing practices, racial disparities, legal mobilization, and bureaucratic reform. He analyzes how legal frameworks shape societal dynamics, particularly in contexts like police-citizen interactions and immigrant rights. His collaborations with SPAA and interdisciplinary teams have produced influential studies on systemic racism in policing and the role of tort lawsuits in accountability.

Epp’s recent work critiques institutional sources of racial disparities in policing, leveraging ethnographic data and surveys to map street-level legal interactions. His articles in Journal of Law and Courts and other journals reflect ongoing engagement with legal systems’ societal impacts. He has served on the Law & Society Association’s leadership and contributed to public administration research through award-winning publications.

• Awards: C. Herman Pritchett Award, Lasting Contribution Award (APSA), Choice Award, Kemper Teaching Award
• Grants: Multiple NSF-funded projects on policing, legal mobilization, and immigrant rights
• Labs/Teams: Collaborations with SPAA faculty on urban policing, legal reform, and rights-based advocacy