Confronting Racial Bias in Jury Selection 2026

Bias in the box

In criminal and civil courts across the country, the promise of “a jury of one’s peers” often falls short of reality. Communities of color remain underrepresented in the jury pools that shape verdicts, even though the Supreme Court has long recognized jury service as a cornerstone of democratic participation. When Black jurors and other jurors of color are excluded—structurally or intentionally—the legitimacy of the process comes into question, and the risk of inequitable outcomes rises.

Make the right choices

At Confronting Racial Bias in Jury Selection, Angie Setzer of the Equal Justice Initiative examines the constitutional, historical, and practical dimensions of jury bias in the court system and the persistent patterns that continue to distort who ends up in the jury box. She’ll also illustrate how meaningful reform requires an understanding of how each stage of selection can be misused.

What you’ll learn:

• How historical discrimination shaped modern jury selection systems and continues to influence outcomes
• The constitutional significance of representative juries and why community perspective is integral to accurate fact-finding
• The points in the selection process where people of color are most frequently excluded
• How courts have addressed discriminatory practices and where existing doctrine falls short
• Strategies and reform proposals aimed at reducing racial bias and strengthening accountability in jury selection

Confronting Racial Bias in Jury Selection gives you insight into how unequal jury representation plays out and what tools exist to challenge it effectively.