My research, at the intersection of law and social science fields, works to understand and inform policies that can assist educators and policymakers address racial and ethnic inequities in education.  The theoretical basis for my work stems from a democratic theory of education and an understanding of the critical role postsecondary education plays in training the professionals who are responsible for addressing the interests of an increasingly racially and ethnically diverse population.

At the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, I teach courses titled Race, Law, and Education, Legal Issues in Higher Education, and Higher Education Administration.  Prior to faculty life, I worked as a civil rights lawyer and a judicial clerk in federal district court.

Ed.D., Harvard University

Ed.M., Harvard University

J.D., University of Southern California School of Law

B.A., Brown University

I am interested in questions such as: What is the impact of changes to race-conscious policies in education on the representation of students of color in graduate and professional studies? How do institutions respond to court decisions and state laws that affect policies and practices intended to address racial and ethnic inequities in education? How has social science research informed legal developments in education? To answer these questions, I employ quantitative, qualitative, and legal analysis research methods. My most recent report on the impact of affirmative action bans in graduate studies, based on research funded by a Spencer Fellowship for Research in Education, was featured in Inside Higher Ed. One of my current projects, funded by a W.E. Upjohn Institute Early Career Grant, examines the impact of affirmative action bans in medical schools. I am also conducting a case study of institutional responses to state changes in race-conscious admissions practices and programs.

In my work, I also seek to bridge research and practice by communicating research findings that can help inform legal developments in education.  To this end, I have represented hundreds of social science researchers who have filed friend-of-the-court briefs in two separate U.S. Supreme Court cases that have examined the constitutionality of race-conscious policies in higher education (Fisher v. University of Texas, 2011) and in K-12 schools (Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1, 2007).  The friend-of-the-court brief filed in the Fisher case was featured in diverse issues in higher education.

Garces, L.M. (forthcoming, 2012). Affirmative action under attack: Lessons from Fisher v. University of Texas. In L. Ponjuan, L. Chavez, V. Saenz (Eds.), Latino Higher Education Policies and Practices: Improving College Access, Degree Attainment, and Career Aspirations. University of Notre Dame Press. 

Garces, L.M. (2012). Racial diversity, legitimacy and the citizenry: The impact of affirmative action bans on graduate school enrollment. Review of Higher Education, 35(supplemental issue): forthcoming.

Garces, L.M. (2012). Necessary but not sufficient: The impact of Grutter v. Bollinger on student of color enrollment in graduate and professional schools in Texas. Journal of Higher Education:83(4): 497-534.

Garces, L.M. (2012). The impact of affirmative action bans in graduate education. Los Angeles, CA: The Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA.

Frankenberg, E. & Garces, L.M. (2008). The use of social science evidence in Parents Involved and Meredith: Implications for researchers and schools. University of Louisville Law Review, 46(4), 703-751.

Orfield, G., Frankenberg, E., and Garces, L.M. (2008). Statement of American social scientists of research on school desegregation to the U.S. Supreme Court in Parents v. Seattle School District and Meredith v. Jefferson County. The Urban Review, 40(1), 96-136.

Orfield, G., Marin, P. Flores, S.M., and Garces, L.M. (Eds.) (2007). Charting the future of college affirmative action: Legal victories, continuing attacks, and new research. Los Angeles, CA: The Civil Rights Project at UCLA.

The American Educational Research Association

 Association for the Study of Higher Education

 American Association for Hispanics in Higher Education

 American Association of University Women

Bar Admissions: U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third, Sixth, Ninth and Tenth Circuits, State of California, and the District of Columbia.