Race Law provides an in-depth examination of the issue of race in the American legal process from the formation of the United States Constitution in 1787 to the present. The book combines a unique blend of moderately edited original source materials and scholarly analysis through historical background information, legislation (including statutes and executive orders), state and federal court decisions, commentary, biographical information, and questions.

The book covers rules of law on many controversial subjects, like racial classification of Thomas Jefferson's children, reparations for slavery, affirmative action, and the Clarence Thomas confirmation process. The focus of Race Law, however, is not limited merely to the rules of law adopted; it explores the values of the individuals in power and probes how those values affected choices they made. Higginbotham argues that throughout American history, the truly egalitarian principles of some were rejected in favor of rules that would facilitate the notion of white supremacy. He contends that despite the racial progress that has been made, many laws and legal decisions continue to reflect this notion.

F. Michael Higginbotham is professor of law at the University of Baltimore where he teaches courses on constitutional law, international law, and race and the law. Professor Higginbotham received his B.A. magna cum laude from Brown University in 1979, his J.D. from Yale University in 1982, and his LL.M. with honors from Cambridge University in 1985 where he was a Rotary Scholar. He has published articles in New York University Law Review, Columbia University International Law Journal, Boston University International Law Journal, Howard University Law Journal and University of Illinois Law Review, and editorials in the Boston Globe and the Baltimore Sun.

(Publications are listed on Prof. Higginbotham's U. of Balto.'s faculty profile