Research & Publications

Featured Research: William T. Grant Scholars Project

This longitudinal, five-year study examines how education attorneys and allied professionals broker research into everyday legal practice. Using a five‑year case study of EdLaw, a unit of the Massachusetts’ Committee for Public Counsel Services, the project traces which evidence and professional ties shape placement, accommodations, and exclusionary discipline for marginalized students. The empirical corpus includes semi‑structured interviews, observations of hearings and trainings, and organizational artifacts that illuminate how evidence is selected, translated, and deployed across negotiations, hearings, trainings, and informal advocacy.

The select publications list is intended for scholars who want empirical and theoretical work to build on, and for practitioners who want evidence‑based guidance grounded in rigorous research.

It includes peer‑reviewed articles, law review pieces, and research reports that document and theorize how non‑legal evidence is used in legal, policy, and educational settings. 

1. Muñiz, R. (2024). The need for educational research engagement with courts, public policy, and practice in a post‑Dobbs era. Educational Researcher, 53(1), 59–65. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X231209969 
   Summary: Argues for systematic researcher engagement with courts and policymakers to ensure research informs decisions that affect students’ rights and wellbeing.

2. Muñiz, R. (2021). Education law and policy in the time of COVID‑19: Using a legal framework to expose educational inequity. AERA Open, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584211054107
   Summary: Reviews how legal frameworks shaped school responses during the pandemic and highlights implications for equity and researcher engagement.

3. Muñiz, R., & Hutcherson, N. (2022). The power of research evidence use in times of crisis: How the Klaassen v. Indiana University Court used extra‑legal sources to ground litigants in social realities. West’s Education Law Reporter, 399, 435–461. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4151084
   Summary: Case study showing how courts used non‑legal evidence during crisis litigation and implications for researchers seeking to inform legal outcomes.

4. Muñiz, R., Lewis, M. M., Tumer, T., & Kane, E. (2023). The story of DACA as told by “friends of the court”: The role of racialization, citizenship, and interest convergence in policy discourse. American Journal of Education, 129(3), 297–324. https://doi.org/10.1086/724305
   Summary: Analyzes amici briefs to reveal how research and advocacy intersect in high‑stakes litigation, with implications for strategic evidence use

5. Muñiz, R., Woolsey, M., Keffer, S., & Barragán, S. (2023). A systematic review of critical systems thinking in the education field: Gaps and opportunities for equitable education system change. International Journal of Educational Reform, 32(3), 251–268. https://doi.org/10.1177/10567879231157372
   Summary: Synthesizes systems‑thinking literature with an equity lens and identifies research priorities for system‑level interventions.

6. Muñiz, R., Lewis, M. M., & Hutcherson, N. (2026). Brokering knowledge with tempered criticality: A network analysis of amici in DACA policy discourse. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 48(2), 703-733. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737251358220
   Summary: Network analysis showing how amici and knowledge brokers shape policy discourse and legal outcomes, offering lessons for strategic research mobilization. 

7. Muñiz, R., & Natow, R. (2025). Diminished administrative power post‑Loper: Implications for educational research and policy. Educational Researcher, 54(5), 293–297. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X251329362
   Summary: Explores how recent rulings reshape administrative authority and what that means for research and policy.

8. Muñiz, R., & Lewis, M. M. (2024). A call for research on the role of legal counsel in promoting (in)equitable educational policies. Educational Researcher, 53(9), 526–530. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X241289402
   Summary: Calls attention to how legal counsel influences educational equity and urges targeted research on counsel’s role. 

9. Muñiz, R., & Hutcherson, N. (2024). Use of extra‑legal sources in the SFFA decision: The evidence that informed the court’s curtailing of race‑conscious admissions precedent. West’s Education Law Reporter, 422(1), 1–27. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4879797
   Summary: Documents how courts rely on non‑legal evidence and analyzes the practical consequences for admissions policy and institutional practice.

10. Muñiz, R. (2026). Improving the use of research in courts: Toward a comprehensive research agenda. William T. Grant Foundation Digest. https://wtgrantfoundation.org/digest/improving-the-use-of-research-in-court-toward-a-comprehensive-research-agenda
    Summary: Outlines a research agenda to improve how courts access and apply social science evidence, with concrete priorities for scholars and funders.