Kareem Crayton, a native Southerner, is a scholar whose work integrates law, politics and race. He is one of the few academic experts in the nation who combines the formal skills from law and political science to address questions about the relationship between race and politics in modern institutions. The insights from Professor Crayton's research have distinguished him as a leading young intellectual in the academy, in legislatures, and in the courts. His commentary and analysis on politics and voting matters frequently appear in media outlets including the LA Times, SCOTUS Blog, NPR, and Fox News.
Professor Crayton's innovative scholarship examines the varied effects of state-sanctioned racial exclusion and discrimination on campaign and governance in political institutions. His publications employ a variety of research methods to examine ongoing controversies ranging from voter polarization, ballot measures, electoral campaigning, legislative caucus behavior, to partisan competition. His current projects include an exploration of the costs and benefits of the preclearance system, the future of racially polarized voting, and the impact of felon disenfranchisement laws on local politics.
Before entering the legal academy, Professor Crayton served as a foreign law clerk to Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo on the Constitutional Court for the Republic of South Africa and as a law clerk to Judge Harry T. Edwards on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. He joined the Carolina Law faculty as an Associate Professor in 2010. This year, he will teach courses on Election Law, Law & Social Science, and Legislative Process.
Utilizing his work in the scholarly realm, Professor Crayton has aided in the development of election law and policy. He was contributing amicus counsel in the U.S. Supreme Court for the Congressional Black Caucus in the Voting Rights Act lawsuit Bartlett v. Strickland as well as co-counsel to the Congressional Tri-Caucus (Congressional Black, Hispanic, and Asian Pacific American Caucuses) in Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One (NAMUDNO) v. Holder, another seminal voting rights case. Professor Crayton has also developed an online educational tool called The Redistricting Game to increase public knowledge about the complex rules governing the redistricting process. He regularly consults with organizational and political actors around the country on state and local redistricting and voting rights matters.