Barbara O'Brien is the editor of the National Registry of Exonerations and a Professor of Law at the Michigan State University College of Law, where she teaches classes in criminal law and procedure. She earned her JD at the University of Colorado School of Law, a PhD in social psychology at the University of Michigan, and an A.B. in economics from Bowdoin College. Her scholarship examines the role of race and other extralegal factors in criminal investigations, trials, and the administration of capital punishment. Her work applies empirical methodology to legal issues, such as identifying predictors of convictions and understanding prosecutorial decision-making.