Dr. Allyson Yankle

Dr. Allyson Yankle

Assistant Professor

Dr. Allyson Yankle holds a Ph.D. and Masters in Political Science from the University of Connecticut and a B.A. in political science, international studies, and history from St. Norbert College. Her research broadly focuses on questions of judicial politics and behavior both in the American and comparative contexts. Of particular interest is how courts and judges operate in different institutional contexts, judicial goals and motivations, and ultimately issues of judicial legitimacy. Her research agenda currently includes qualitatively applying theories of judicial bargaining on the U.S. Supreme Court to understand the expression of legal goals in majority opinions; examining judicial ethics and judicial conduct commissions, including the relationship between judicial ethics offenses and judicial discipline, how the media covers ethics violations, and the electoral implications following judicial misconduct; and, finally, considering decision-making and compliance mechanisms at the European Court of Human Rights.

At Radford, Dr. Yankle teaches courses in the Law and Politics concentration, such as Constitutional Law: Government and Powers, Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties, Judicial Process, and Law, Justice, and Public Policy. In her teaching, her goal is to help students not only understand the material from the class, but to create connections beyond the classroom and the skills to be successful in their academic careers. She emphasizes active learning methods, group activities, and simulations as well as integrating undergraduate research in her courses to foster students’ critical learning and skill development. Dr. Yankle also serves as advisor for the Pre-Law Society.