In this first episode of Season 5 of Spider Talks — the 30th of the series — President Kevin F. Hallock talks with law professor Hank Chambers, an expert on voting rights, white collar crime, and legal issues related to discrimination, about his teaching, service, and research.

A sought-after expert for the media, Chambers recently wrote about how unlawfully gerrymandered congressional maps could affect the 2022 midterm elections. Last year, he was interviewed on campus during live special election coverage by NewsNation. 

As a teacher, Chambers encourages his students to recognize that at its core, the law is about service.

“I hope my students continue to learn that we're in a service industry,” Chambers said. “Your first job is to look at your client and do no harm. You need to figure out who your client is, what your client wants, and whether that can be done through the law.”

Chambers, Austin E. Owen Research scholar and professor of law, is active in the Virginia State Bar and has been a member of the American Law Institute since 2002. He served as special assistant attorney general for redistricting matters for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2011–13 and more recently as vice chair of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission to Examine Racial and Economic Inequity in Virginia law. He frequently lectures on constitutional law through the We the People program, which provides civic education instruction to school teachers and the public.

Watch this episode to learn more about how Chambers aims to turn democratic ideals into representation and policy.

Spider Talks features faculty from all five schools and many majors. Episodes of Spider Talks are published on UR Now.