Ralph Richard Banks facts for kids

Ralph Richard Banks was born on December 11, 1964. He is a professor at Stanford Law School. He has taught there since 1998. He also teaches at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Professor Banks studies how race, fairness, and the law connect. In 2011, he wrote a book called Is Marriage for White People?: How the African American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone.

Growing Up and School

Ralph Richard Banks grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He finished high school at University School in 1983. After that, he went to Stanford University. He earned two degrees there in 1987. Later, he got his law degree (called a J.D.) from Harvard Law School in 1994. A J.D. is a special degree needed to become a lawyer.

After college, Banks wrote for many newspapers. He shared his ideas about race, culture, and fairness. Some of these newspapers included The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

After finishing law school, Banks worked as a lawyer. He worked at a law firm called O'Melveny & Myers in San Francisco. He is a member of the California Bar, which means he is allowed to practice law in California.

His Work as a Professor

After working as a lawyer, Banks became a special fellow at Harvard Law School. There, he wrote an important article. It was about how people's choices about race can affect adoption. This article was later published in the Yale Law Journal.

After his fellowship, Banks worked for a judge. He was a clerk for Judge Barrington D. Parker Jr. This job helped him learn more about how courts work.

Professor Banks's research looks at issues of race and fairness. He studies these topics in many areas. These include how the justice system works, jobs, and families. He has written and given talks about these topics a lot.

Professor Banks teaches several law classes. These include family law and employment discrimination law. He also teaches about race and the law. He has been a visiting professor at other law schools. These include Harvard Law School and the University of Virginia Law School. His writings have appeared in many important law journals. He is also on the editorial board of the Law & Society Review.

Classes He Teaches

• Constitutional Law II: The Fourteenth Amendment
• Employment Discrimination
• Equal Protection and Antidiscrimination Law
• Family Law

About His Family

Ralph Richard Banks lives with his wife, Jennifer Eberhardt. She is a well-known social psychologist. A social psychologist studies how people think, feel, and behave in social situations. She also teaches at Stanford University. She even won a special award called a Macarthur Grant. They have three children named Everett, Ebbie, and Harlan. They all live in the San Francisco Bay Area.