Ralph Richard Banks facts for kids

Ralph Richard Banks, born on December 11, 1964, is a well-known professor at Stanford Law School. He has been teaching there since 1998. He also shares his knowledge at the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

Professor Banks studies important topics like race, fairness, and how laws affect people. He wrote a book in 2011 called Is Marriage for White People?: How the African American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone. This book explores how changes in marriage trends affect different communities.

Early Life and Education

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, a bachelor's and a master's, in 1987.

Later, he studied law at Harvard Law School. He earned his law degree in 1994. After graduating from Stanford, Mr. Banks often wrote articles for many newspapers. These articles were about race, culture, and fairness. Some of the newspapers included The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

After finishing law school, Banks worked as a lawyer in San Francisco. He is a member of the California Bar, which means he is officially allowed to practice law there.

Academic Career and Research

After working as a lawyer, Ralph Banks became a special fellow at Harvard Law School. During this time, he wrote an important article. It was about how parents' choices in adoption can be affected by race. This article was later published in the Yale Law Journal.

After his fellowship, Banks worked for a judge named Barrington D. Parker Jr. This judge was part of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Professor Banks's research looks at issues related to race and fairness. He studies these topics in many areas of life. This includes the justice system, jobs, and families.

He has written and given many talks about these subjects. Professor Banks teaches several law courses. These include family law and laws about fairness in employment. He has also been a visiting professor at other famous law schools. These include Harvard Law School and the University of Virginia Law School.

Courses Taught

Professor Banks teaches several interesting courses at Stanford.

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

Personal Life

Ralph Richard Banks lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is married to Jennifer Eberhardt. She is also a professor at Stanford University. Jennifer Eberhardt is a well-known social psychologist. She has even received a special award called the Macarthur Grant.

Ralph and Jennifer have three children. Their names are Everett, Ebbie, and Harlan.