Written By Georgia Clark Introduction In order to accept a guilty plea, criminal defendants must waive certain rights, such as their right to a jury trial or their right to appeal their conviction.[1]  However, in some localities, this waiver is broader: plea deals include a provision that defendants must “forfeit” their Fourth Amendment rights for a period of time after their case is resolved.[2] This … Continue reading Forfeiting the Fourth: How Fourth Amendment Forfeitures as a Condition of Plea Deals Cheapen Fundamental Rights

Written By Katherine Lanphear L’27 The Case On September 8th, 2025, the Supreme Court solidified its support for ICE’s use of racial profiling in Noem v. Perdomo.[1] This case concerns immigration raids conducted by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies in the Los Angeles area, coming as a part of “Operation at Large,” a widespread immigration enforcement plan put … Continue reading Reinvigorating Racial Profiling: Squaring Noem v. Perdomo with the Constitution

Written By CeJay Morgan  The eviction process is a tumultuous experience for many renters within the United States. The negative effects associated with an eviction are only heightened when a tenant experiences a no-fault eviction. No-fault evictions, which happen under conditions that do not implicate the tenant’s behavior, can happen suddenly and with little time for preparation.[1] No-fault evictions, while harmful for everyone, are especially … Continue reading Family Damage: How No-Fault Evictions are Especially Damaging to Families

Written By Trey McAdams L’27 I. Introduction It is no secret that Americans today are more politically polarized than previous generations.[1]  In recent years, issues such as immigration, inflation, and healthcare have risen to the forefront of the public consciousness.[2]  While some of the most pressing issues come and go, one has remained for decades: gun violence.  This issue hits especially close to home in … Continue reading High Noon in Virginia: The General Assembly’s Sweeping Gun Control Package & Expected Challenges

Written By Alexi Berges L’27 Introduction The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world with roughly 2.2 million people in jail or prison.[1] This has left thousands of Americans inside prisons where they are unable to contribute to the economy or society at large.[2] Offenders in state prison specifically, take up about 90% of the incarcerated population, all of which have … Continue reading Political Narratives Have Turned the Public Against Progressive Prosecution: Here’s Why The Public Should Reconsider

Written By Maddie Walker L’27 The landscape of civil rights and constitutional guarantees looks very different in 2026 than it did even a few years ago. While much legal scholarship exists to explain the judicial narrowing of civil rights in recent years,[1] an often underrepresented concept comes from the rise of originalist ideology through the legal pipeline. Originalism itself is an ambiguous term with a … Continue reading What Originalism’s Presence in the Overton Window Means for Civil Rights in 2026

Written By Raymond Escoto Rule of law can be defined as a “durable system of laws, institutions, norms, and community commitment that delivers four universal principles: accountability, just law, open government, and accessible and impartial justice.”[1] This is an ideal supposedly at the core of the American system.[2] The story of our nation’s founding is defined by a struggle against civil rights abuses by an … Continue reading Qualified and Sovereign Immunity: Walls Against Civil Rights Recoveries

Written By Ariana Prete L’27 Structure/Origins of NXIVM In 1998, Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman founded NXIVM and created the Executive Success Programs (ESP).[1] NXIVM used ESP to promote their organization as a self-help group based in New York, that was equipped with psychoanalysts and hypnotists.[2] Members of the group would complete ESP courses and would receive sashes as a symbol of their achievements.[3] NXIVM … Continue reading How the Courts Handled NXIVM Abuse Allegations

Written By Lily Goodman L’27 Introduction We have more information today about the importance of mental and physical well-being than ever before. However, many workers still experience chronic burnout in the legal profession, which creates conditions that increase the risk of ethical violations by undermining an attorney’s judgment, competence, and communication. A wide range of our ethical rules cannot be met if we neglect our … Continue reading Lawyer Well-being As An Ethical Responsibility

Written By Daisy Holder L’27 The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a public jury trial.[1] The jury trial requires the government to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt before members of the community, promoting transparency, legitimacy, accountability, and justice.[2] Despite the value of both bench and jury trials, the American system has developed in ways that discourage defendants from asserting these rights. Today, … Continue reading When “Choice” is Not a Choice: The Trial Penalty’s Grip on Jury Trials