Dr. Drew Lanier is Associate Professor of Political Science in the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs. A former practicing attorney, he is an expert in American politics, researching courts, their decision-making, and how the selection of judges impacts their operation. His research has been cited in many top-tier political science journals and other outlets. His book, Of Time and Judicial Behavior, explores the decision-making of the U.S. Supreme Court across more than a century of its history.
Dr. Lanier joined the UCF faculty in 1997 and regards teaching as a craft that one continually improves. He finds that teaching UCF’s students invigorating and challenging, as teaching is a way by which we shape the future for the community, state, nation and beyond.
His second book, Courting Political Minorities: Judicial Diversity in America’s Federal Courts, examines how the diversity of U.S. courts has changed over time, reflecting the dynamics of the nation. Published by SUNY Press, it is forthcoming in the Spring of 2027.
