She is particularly interested in how individuals and social movements try to use the law to effect social change, a subject she has explored from several perspectives. Her book, Out of the Closets and into the Courts: Legal Opportunity Structure and Gay Rights Litigation (University of Michigan Press, 2005; updated in 2006), explores the promise and limits of legal mobilization as a tactic for advancing gay rights claims. One of her current research projects focuses on the politics of same sex marriage. Another looks at the multi-movement activism. She has also penned a series of articles on AIDSactivism. Her work has appeared in a variety of professional journals, including the American Journal of Political Science and the American Sociological Review (forthcoming).