Legal knowledge made accessible

Professor Marissa Jackson Sow’s insatiable thirst for knowledge was evident from a very young age.

“I would just skip through the school day,” she said. “My mom would take me to the library and to museums after school just to keep me occupied.”

Born into a family of educators and scholars, Jackson Sow describes her childhood as one connected closely to the social sciences.

“We would attend all kinds of meetings and protests because my parents were very socially conscious and civically engaged. I thought everybody was doing it!”

This exposure to the intersections of education, social consciousness, and the humanities laid the foundation for the career Jackson Sow now has at Richmond Law.

After a decade of practicing law in New York City, Jackson Sow’s desire for knowledge lead her to the lectern. In 2020, she joined the Richmond Law faculty, bringing her dynamic vision to the community through her teaching and scholarship.

Her latest initiative, the Law and Liberation Lab, is a digital repository that aims to democratize access to legal knowledge. Created from a fellowship she received from the Open Society Foundations, the lab curates open-access materials that connect legal concepts with visual arts, music, and history.

The lab’s first repository, “Contemporary Black Feminist Thought and the Law,” launched in 2024, with others — including “Race and the Constitution” — set to debut in 2025.

“These repositories are designed to make legal education accessible to everyone,” she said, having designed the repositories to have the look and feel of an art exhibit.

“I’m really into museums and exhibits and visual anthropology and the democratizing effects that those can have,” she said. “Everybody should be able to participate. Whether you’re a student, an educator, or an engaged community member, you can find resources here to deepen your understanding.”

Jackson Sow’s approach underscores her belief that law is both a social science and part of the humanities. “Law isn’t just about rules and cases,” she said. “It’s about understanding society and empowering people to engage with the structures that shape their lives.”

Jackson Sow’s focus remains on expanding the reach of her repositories, fostering student engagement, and advocating for a more inclusive legal academy.

“I want to bring texture to legal education,” she said. “Law shouldn’t be confined to ivory towers. It should be a tool for everyone to understand, challenge, and shape the world around them.”