Michael W. Yarbrough

Michael W. Yarbrough is an Associate Professor in the Political Science Department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) and a member of the doctoral faculty in sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center. His research focuses on the intersection of law, culture, and family, particularly how legal frameworks shape understandings of marriage and interpersonal relationships in South Africa and globally.

Yarbrough holds a Ph.D. and J.D. from Yale University, alongside a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Chicago. He has received numerous accolades, including the Law & Society Association Article Prize (2019), Henry Wasser Award for Outstanding CUNY Assistant Professors (2019), and multiple Distinguished Teaching and Service Awards from John Jay College.

His edited works, such as the After Marriage Equality series (2018) and the upcoming Research Handbook on Law, Movements, and Social Change (2023), critically examine LGBTQ+ activism and legal pluralism. His research on South Africa analyzes declining marriage rates amid expansive legal recognition, blending historical and ethnographic methods to explore normativity and legal authority.

Yarbrough prioritizes undergraduate mentorship, exemplified by his 2020 COVID-19 at CUNY student-led web archive and the ongoing Legal Disruption Project, a student participatory action research initiative. His work bridges legal analysis with social justice advocacy, emphasizing racial, gender, and queer equality.

• Education
  • Ph.D., Yale University (Sociology)
  • J.D., Yale Law School
  • B.A., University of Chicago (Sociology)

Scientific Awards

• Law & Society Association Article Prize, 2019
• Henry Wasser Award for Outstanding CUNY Assistant Professors, 2019
• Distinguished Faculty Service to Students, 2019
• Distinguished Teaching Prize, 2015
• Marvin B. Sussman Dissertation Prize, 2014