Dr. Trina Jones

Biography

Trina Jones is a leading expert on racial, socio-economic, and gender inequality, particularly as it pertains to the workplace. She has lectured on topics such as colorism, intersectionality, and sexual harassment across North America, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and South America. From 2023 to 2025, she chaired the Duke University Academic Council, which is Duke’s equivalent of a faculty senate. At Duke Law, she directs the Center for Law, Race & Policy and teaches courses on Race and Law, Employment Discrimination, Critical Race Theory, and Law and Literature: Race and Gender, as well as Civil Procedure. Professor Jones is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a recently elected member of the American Law Institute (ALI). In 2019, she received the Law School’s Distinguished Teaching Award as well as the Gavel Award from the Duke Law Black Law Students Association. Her scholarship has appeared in leading law reviews, including the Columbia Law Review, Duke Law Journal, Emory Law Journal, and others. Notable works include "Genetic Race? DNA Ancestry Tests, Racial Identity, and the Law" and "Aggressive Encounters & White Fragility: Deconstructing the Trope of the Angry Black Woman." She joined the faculty at Duke Law after practicing as a general litigator and was the first woman of color to earn tenure at Duke Law. Previously, she co-created the inaugural class at the University of California, Irvine, School of Law and directed the Center for Law, Equality, and Race.

Research Interests