R. Shep Melnick is the Tip O'Neill Chair of Politics at Boston College. He has written extensively on the intersections of law, politics and public policy — particularly in the areas of the interpretation of environmental statutes, welfare rights and special education.

Melnick's book Between the Lines remains the standard study of political construction of statutory rights, which Martin Shapiro described as "The best work so far in integrating the study of courts into the general study of the politics of the American policy making process."

Melnick will visit USC to discuss a new project on the changing nature of civil rights litigation and implementation. At this event, he will be joined by USC Political Science Professor Jeb Barnes and USC Gould School of Law Professor Kareem Crayton. Crayton and Barnes will facilitate discussion of Melnick's findings and arguments about the evolving nature of the "civil rights state" in the United States.

This event is co-sponsored by the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics and the USC Gould School of Law.