Brittany Ripper, J.D., Ph.D., is a justice researcher whose research interests include life sen-tences, death sentences, reentry, and the intersection between the criminal and civil legal sys-tems. She currently works as a researcher for a government agency and was previously an As-sistant Professor in the Criminal Justice Program at Marymount University in Arlington, Vir-ginia. Dr. Ripper holds a Ph.D. in Justice, Law and Criminology from American University, a J.D. from the George Mason University School of Law, and a B.S. in Criminology, Law and Society from George Mason University. Her experience as a defense attorney and as a family member of justice-involved individuals informs her research and teaching.