Emily studies twentieth century American legal history. Her dissertation prospectus, “Views from the Midwest: Rural Communities, Law, and Nation in the Twentieth Century,” examines local government structures in rural communities in an effort to make “the rural” legible in new ways to historians as well as legal scholars. She asks, what was the experience of living in and maintaining a rural community in an urbanizing and urbanized America?

Emily is also interested in public history, narrative, and micro-history projects. Her previous work has focused on recovering marginalized voices within twentieth-century social movements, including the civil rights and women’s rights movements. Her law review note concerns the hidden civil rights activism behind the landmark constitutional decision, Chambers v. Mississippi (101 Calif. L. Rev. 445 (2013)). Other work has examined Equal Rights Amendment ratification efforts as well as questions of labor, race, and gender with regard to an early wage and hours decision, Muller v. Oregon (1908).

For more information about Emily and her work, please visit emilyprifogle.com.