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Professor Anna-Maria Marshall in her office on November 29, 2007. (Steve Goodwine, Buzz Photographer)

Courses: Sociology of Law, Social Movements, Law and Social Movements and Criminology

Favorite Color: Blue

What She's Driving: BMW 3 series

Hero's: Patrick Fitzgerald, John Stewart, Bobby Kennedy and Dad

Favorite Sports Team: Mets and UNC Basketball

What's She listening to: Pearl Jam

And Watching: The Office

And Reading: Harry Potter

Anna-Maria Marshall is the Sociology Department's guru in all things related to law. Why does she know so much about law? Well, she was a lawyer of course! She was a lawyer for five years in the areas of employment and labor law when she decided to change course, "I didn't find that particularly satisfying" she told me. When she and her husband decided to move to Chicago, Marshall made the decision to switch to teaching, "I really like that a lot and I like the idea of research and teaching so I decided to go back to graduate school." She joined the Sociology Department in 1999 and has been teaching ever since.

Out of all her classes, Marshall finds Criminology to be the most entertaining to teach because of its topical nature. "The course introduces people to new ideas," she tells me, "I like to play with ideas and getting people to think differently and this course is a good platform for that." Indeed the student body thinks so too, as Criminology was named as one of "The 5 Most Interesting Courses to Take" by the Daily Illini in 2002.

As far as research goes, Marshall has focused her lens upon Environmental Law and the LGBT movement. "I'm very interested on how the personal becomes political", she tells me as she explains the status of gay couples and marriage. "When they decide to get married this intensely personal circumstance is also a political debate and that’s not right."

When she's not teaching you can probably find Anna Marshall discussing politics with her students and colleagues. "Politics is my hobby, most books that I'm reading are non-fiction and related to American Politics."

Next semester Dr. Marshall will be on sabbatical, but don't worry, she isn't burnt out! She will be taking time off to work on her previously mentioned research. "I love working with students, they make me feel young, they keep me updated with current point of views," she tells me in a passionate tone.

If you want to know more about legal issues you can take one of Marshall's courses in the fall of 2008. If you can't wait till then, you can read her current book Confronting Sexual Harassment: The Law and Politics of Everyday Life.