S. David Mitchell

S. David Mitchell is the Ruth L. Hulston Professor of Law at the University of Missouri School of Law and Co-Director of the Michael A. Middleton Center for Race, Citizenship and Justice. He is an interdisciplinary scholar focusing on the criminal justice system through a sociological lens, with research interests including collateral consequences of sentencing, ex-offender reintegration, and felon disenfranchisement.

Education

• BA, Brown University (1991)
• JD, University of Pennsylvania (2002)
• PhD in Sociology, University of Pennsylvania (2012)

Research Focus

His work examines the civil rights implications of zero-tolerance policies, the retroactive application of laws, and systemic barriers to reentry for formerly incarcerated individuals. He links criminal justice practices to broader sociological impacts on citizenship and community cohesion.

Key Publications

His recent scholarship includes analyses of felon-in-possession statutes (2015), the legacy of Ferguson (2015), zero-tolerance policies (2014), and retroactive sentencing reforms (2013), all reflecting his commitment to addressing racial and structural inequities in the legal system.

Accolades

• Gold Chalk Award
• Legion of Black Collegians Minority Faculty and Staff Appreciation Award
• Missouri Lawyer’s Media Diversity and Inclusion Award
• Rollins Society Inductee

Additional Roles

He served as Chair of the University of Missouri System Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and is affiliated with the MU Black Studies program, the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, and the Sociology Department’s graduate faculty.