By: Rachel Lugay, L’19 “We cannot expect our children to raise themselves up in schools that are literally falling down.”[1] In 1997, former President Bill Clinton addressed the overwhelming number of school buildings in disrepair calling it “a serious national concern.”[2] The unhealthy and unsafe conditions of American public schools have been a mostly unresolved issue for decades.[3] At the heart of the problem are … Continue reading Modernization for Equal Education

By: Kristin Godsey, L’18 In Miller v. Alabama, the Supreme Court held that mandatory life without parole sentences are unconstitutional for juvenile offenders because they violate the 8th Amendment.[1] Miller involved two cases where a fourteen-year-old was sentenced to a mandatory term of life without parole.[2] Both sentencing schemes at issue did not allow judges or juries to consider youthful factors and impose a lesser … Continue reading Juvenile Sentencing: Approaches After Miller

By: Tori Zicker, L’18   In 2011, the Department of Education released a Dear Colleague Letter, outlining the requirements and obligations of universities with respect to Title IX and its implementing regulations regarding sexual assault and sexual harassment.[1] This letter, implemented during the Obama Administration, lowered the standard of proof for sexual assault cases to a preponderance of the evidence standard.[2] Some criticized this action, … Continue reading From Preponderance of the Evidence to Clear and Convincing: DeVos’ Rollback of Obama-era Sexual Assault Guidelines

By: Creighton Boggs, L’19 On September 5th, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump administration would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.[1] The deferred deportation program granted temporary relief to approximately 800,000 undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as children.[2] Conservatives have long criticized the program, established by President Obama through executive action in June 2012, as an unconstitutional abuse … Continue reading The Role of State Governments in Enforcing Immigration Policy in Federal Court

By: Alexandra Ellmauer, L ’18 It is no surprise that the former capital of the Confederacy memorializes Confederate Heroes.In the wake of recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia, monuments in Richmond are in the spotlight now more than ever. At the center of this discussion is Monument Avenue, a National Historic Landmark District. Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, Jefferson Davis, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and Matthew Fontaine … Continue reading A Monumental Dilemma