Polygamy: Constitutionally Unprotected, But Should It Be?

Written by Alexa Cinque, L’26 The institution of marriage has existed across cultures and centuries.[1] While the reasons, modes, and even execution of marriage has varied quite substantially throughout time, one cannot help but wonder how the modern concept in the U.S. came to be. The history of marriage in America may be far more colorful than one might think. Before America was colonized, many  … Continue reading Polygamy: Constitutionally Unprotected, But Should It Be?

Nobody Told Me: The Consequences of Unregulated Gang Databases

Written by H. “Nate” Jarvis, L’26 Take a moment and think of what images spring to your mind when you hear the words “gang,” “gang member,” and “gang activity.” You may have specific markers that you use to identify individuals you come across in your daily life as potentially involved with a gang, like certain styles of clothing, tattoo content and placement, a person’s choice … Continue reading Nobody Told Me: The Consequences of Unregulated Gang Databases

Speech and Protest Rights: Vietnam and Palestine

Written by Sara Arora, L’26                The first Amendment is a cornerstone of the functioning of the American system of democracy. During the development and ratification of the Constitution, Anti-Federalists had concerns that without a bill of rights, the federal government would wrest liberty from the people. [1] After much debate, twelve amendments to the constitution were proposed and … Continue reading Speech and Protest Rights: Vietnam and Palestine

An Overview of Recent Circuit Court Cases Analyzing Bostock in the Title IX Context

Written by Sarah Harker, L’26 The Supreme Court broke ground four years ago when Bostock fundamentally changed the jurisprudence regarding LGBTQ+ discrimination.[1]  . Justice Neil Gorsuch’s opinion broke down Title VII’s anti-sex discrimination mandate to its most rudimentary level and concluded that discrimination on the basis of LGBTQ+ status inherently requires an employer to treat that employee differently because of their sex.[2] The court explained … Continue reading An Overview of Recent Circuit Court Cases Analyzing Bostock in the Title IX Context

How Parole Has Become Seemingly Unattainable in Virginia

Written by Emma Sauer, L’26 In 1995, during the height of the nation’s “tough on crime” movement, Virginia effectively abolished parole by adopting a “truth-in-sentencing” law.[1]  Under its new sentencing legislation, people were mandated to serve, at a minimum, eighty-five percent of their sentences.[2]  It was intended for individuals sentenced prior to 1995 to be unaffected; however, the Virginia Parole Board’s parole rate quickly diminished … Continue reading How Parole Has Become Seemingly Unattainable in Virginia

Invisible Prisons: The Promise and Failure of Probation

Written by Sarah Stuart, L’26 Few subjects haunt the American consciousness like crime. From Richard Nixon’s “Law and Order” campaign in 1968, to the 1994 Crime Bill and the uprisings of 2020, the national spotlight has remained on criminal justice for decades.[1] In the midst of this polarizing conversation sits probation:  rarely discussed when compared with pressing injustices such as police brutality and mass incarceration  … Continue reading Invisible Prisons: The Promise and Failure of Probation

Presidential Immunity and Chevron Deference

Written by Aislin Murphy, L’26 The 2024 SCOTUS term, with all its precedent setting and overturning, will no doubt go down as one of the more controversial, politically-charged Supreme Court terms in modern memory. The mid-summer decisions of Loper Bright v. Raimondo and Trump v. US particularly exemplify this controversy, the former granting the Judiciary far more power in agency rulemaking than it has had … Continue reading Presidential Immunity and Chevron Deference

The Freedom to Control: Conservative Christianity as an Anti-Civil Rights Force by Carly Lester

           As a native of Richmond, Virginia, I am no stranger to southern Protestantism and the (increasingly waning) cultural dominance of conservative Christianity in the South. Practically since birth, I was raised attending the same Baptist Church that my father and his brothers were raised in decades earlier. But, as with many young Christians, my doubts grew bigger as I grew … Continue reading The Freedom to Control: Conservative Christianity as an Anti-Civil Rights Force by Carly Lester

Creating a New Standard for Assessing the Unconstitutionality of Political Gerrymandering

By: Katie Hall     Under current case law, political, or partisan, gerrymandering is a federally legal practice legislators can utilize to ensure their parties secure legislative seats. The Supreme Court heard cases of partisan gerrymandering throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, establishing different standards for evaluating its constitutionality. In 2019, the Supreme Court decided in Rucho v. Common Cause that partisan gerrymandering was a non-justiciable … Continue reading Creating a New Standard for Assessing the Unconstitutionality of Political Gerrymandering

How Urban Planning Can Increase a Sense of Community

By Emma Wilson 36% of Americans reported feeling “serious loneliness” according to a study by Harvard Graduate School of Education.[1] American individualism and isolation are an epidemic which is corroding the well-being of society. [2] Growing homelessness, apathy to disasters, increased cynicism, and political frustration are hallmarks of American socio-political life today.[3] Unfortunately, this reality of American life was prophesied in the early 1800s by … Continue reading How Urban Planning Can Increase a Sense of Community