Education

Syracuse University, Maxwell School of Public Affairs, Department of Political Science, Syracuse, New York. M.A., 1976 Ph.D., 1981.
Pomona College, Claremont, California. B.A. cum laude, 1972 (major in government).
University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands 1967-68.

Research Interests

Professor Olson's research focuses broadly on the ways that the legal system aggregates and transforms personal concerns into broader issues of public policy. She has written on the use of law to bring about social change by women and persons with disabilities as well as by American Indians. She has published two books: Clients and Lawyers: Securing the Rights of Disabled Persons (1984) and Native Vote: American Indians, the Voting Rights Act, and the Right to Vote book in collaboration with Daniel McCool and Jennifer Robinson (2007). She has also published numerous articles in political science and legal journals, including Law and Society Review, Journal of Politics, Polity, Law and Policy, Judicature, Justice System Journal, Chicago-Kent Law Review, Utah Law Review, and Journal of Social Philosophy. She has been an active member of the American Political Science Association and the Law & Society Association, serving on the Board of Trustees of the latter. Since 2000 she has also been Associate Vice President for Faculty at the University of Utah, coordinating faculty human resource matters.

Teaching Interests

Judicial Process--POLS 5120. Syllabus selected for Political Science Course Syllabi Collection compiled by the American Political Science Association, "Public Law" volume, 1992
Constitutional Law--POLS 5210, and 6220
Introduction to Law and Politics--POLS 3200
Litigation for Social Change--POLS 5810
Introductory American Government--POLS 1100