She earned her bachelor’s degree from St. Norbert College and a master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in political science with a certificate in human rights and college instruction. Her teaching and research interests focus on judicial institutions, judicial behavior, the legal system in the United States, and international human rights law and courts. Her current research agenda focuses on decision-making at the European Court of Human Rights; understanding how institutional position on the U.S. Supreme Court affects judicial motivations with a focus on Justice Kennedy; and, judicial selection and judicial ethics violations in the United States.