Should Mandatory Minimum Penalties Be Mandatory?

By Zach Lisner The Problem When it comes to sentencing, who should have control? Currently, our nation is divided in every aspect; criminal sentencing is no exception. For most of our nation’s legal history, judges were entrusted by citizens to decide what an individual’s sentence was, based on the crime and specific circumstances. However, after the crime waves of the 1970s, Congress reacted with the … Continue reading Should Mandatory Minimum Penalties Be Mandatory?

Felony Convictions: The Disenfranchisement and Disempowerment of Black Communities

By Claudia Leonor For violators of criminal law, the process of stigmatization begins with arrest and conviction.[1] Arrest and conviction create “a panoply of economic, social, and political post-conviction penalties . . . intended to assure that the shame of incarceration is not forgotten or avoided.”[2] A felony conviction, in particular, carries collateral civil consequences that condemn a criminal offender to a lifetime of second-class … Continue reading Felony Convictions: The Disenfranchisement and Disempowerment of Black Communities

Looming Risk of Healthcare Crisis Amid the Nearing End of the Pandemic Health Emergency

By: Albert Gutierrez Filing for bankruptcy can be beneficial for many debtors who do not have the ability to pay off their debts and struggle to keep up with their financial obligations.[1] Some advantages of filing for bankruptcy include the automatic stoppage of debt collection activities, the cancellation of some acquired debts, the ability to exempt certain property and possessions, and a clean slate to … Continue reading Looming Risk of Healthcare Crisis Amid the Nearing End of the Pandemic Health Emergency

Domestic Violence effects on African-Americans

By: Kiana Gilcrist Research shows that black women are disproportionately impacted by domestic violence.[1] 58 percent of black females who knew their offender were killed by a current or former intimate partner.[2] Further, for women of color and their families experiencing higher rates of poverty and lower rates of financial stability, fewer options for safety exist for them when they are attempting to escape abuse.[3] … Continue reading Domestic Violence effects on African-Americans

Looming Risk of Healthcare Crisis Amid the Nearing End of the Pandemic Health Emergency

By: Bushra Haque The pandemic is finally seeming to come to an end. The majority of the nation is vaccinated and have received their booster, and increased vaccine access will continue to keep people protected against COVID-19.[1] However, we cannot celebrate too much just yet, because there is another health crisis on the horizon— millions of people are at risk of losing healthcare coverage.[2] During … Continue reading Looming Risk of Healthcare Crisis Amid the Nearing End of the Pandemic Health Emergency

“Don’t say Race:” Why is Biden Taking a Colorblind Approach to Environmental Justice?

By: Haley Edmonds Last year, President Biden debuted the “Justice40” initiative, which sets out to advance environmental justice (“EJ”) by funneling 40% of all federal environment- and climate-related funds to “disadvantaged” communities.[1] This initiative has drawn recent attention due to the contentious methodology used in the proposed EJ screening tool, which designates a given census track as  “disadvantaged” if it meets a series of socioeconomic … Continue reading “Don’t say Race:” Why is Biden Taking a Colorblind Approach to Environmental Justice?

Domestic Violence on Tribal Land: Increasing Access to Legal Recourse for Native American and Alaska Native Women

By: Callie Keen On March 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization of 2022 into law.[1] The reauthorization of this Act extends protections and resources to victims of domestic violence across the nation.[2] In particular, the Act seeks to address an issue wherein the United States justice system has consistently failed victims of domestic violence: legal recourse for American Indian and … Continue reading Domestic Violence on Tribal Land: Increasing Access to Legal Recourse for Native American and Alaska Native Women

State and Local Courts Should Fully Embrace Online Dispute Resolution

By: Amanuel Mekonnen With the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing need to fashion systems to increase access to justice, there has been renewed engagement with the concept of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR). ODR is the use of information technology and online communication services to facilitate non-litigative means of settling disputes.[1] It is an outgrowth of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), and includes … Continue reading State and Local Courts Should Fully Embrace Online Dispute Resolution

The Ukrainian Refugee Crisis: How Lawyers and Law Students Can Help

By: Caleb Thompson In times of political turmoil, be it domestically or abroad, lawyers can always be of immense use. Lawyers have the tools to help with refugee resettlement, citizenship logistics, and managing the political aspects of the crisis. The current crisis in Ukraine is no exception. Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has shocked the world. As of March 7, 2022, UN … Continue reading The Ukrainian Refugee Crisis: How Lawyers and Law Students Can Help