Mehrsa Baradaran

Mehrsa Baradaran is a Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. Her expertise spans banking law, financial inclusion, inequality, and the racial wealth gap. She previously held positions at the University of Georgia School of Law and Harvard Law School as a visiting professor. Her research focuses on systemic economic disparities and legal frameworks, with notable works including The Color of Money and The Quiet Coup.

Education: B.A. cum laude from Brigham Young University; J.D. cum laude from NYU School of Law. She has advised policymakers, testified before Congress, and served on presidential transition teams focused on financial reform. Her media presence includes features in the New York Times, Atlantic, and appearances on NPR's Marketplace and TEDxUGA.

Key Research Themes: Historical analysis of Black financial institutions, critique of neoliberal policies, and proposals for equitable financial systems. Her work highlights how legal and economic systems perpetuate racial and class disparities in wealth accumulation.

Awards & Recognition: Urban Affairs Association Best Book Award (2018), PROSE Award Honorable Mention (2018), Georgia Author of the Year Finalist (2018). Selected as a Los Angeles Times Top 100 Influential Person.

Advocacy & Engagement: Testified on banking reform during the 2020 pandemic, participated in forums with the World Bank and U.S. Treasury. Her policy recommendations include postal banking and wealth redistribution via modern Homestead Acts. Active in public debates on systemic racism and economic justice.

Labs & Collaborations: Engages with UCI Law's interdisciplinary programs, including the Center for Advancing Racial Equity and Clinics on Economic Justice. Collaborates with think tanks like the Roosevelt Institute on financial inclusion strategies.