By Daniel J. LaLonde Virginia’s mass incarceration problem started in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1925, Virginia’s prison population was 1,920.[1] In 1925, .0008% of Virginia’s population was incarcerated.[2] Between 1925 and 1965, Virginia’s prison population remained relatively steady.[3] If, between 1965 and 2005, the prison population grew at the 1925 to 1965 pace, Virginia’s prison population in 2005 would have only been … Continue reading Mass Incarceration, From the View of Virginia’s Department of Corrections

By Erin Sweet   March 2020 changed the way we operate not only in public spaces, but also in public schools. Not only were students sent away from school buildings for at least a year, but when they were brought back, there was friction and fighting between students, parents, and school staff around Covid policies, classroom content, and mental health responses. At this point, all … Continue reading Post-Covid Safety in Schools

By Ben Raab The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution states, “a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”[1] Often times, people focus on the second part of the Amendment on bearing arms, without focusing on the first part, “a well regulated militia.”[2] Understanding the … Continue reading The Second Amendment: What is a Well-Regulated Militia?

By: Marley Manjarrez Imagine you are a pediatric nurse. Today you are treating a child suffering from an acute asthma exacerbation. You know this child because they are often in your office with asthma flare-ups. You do the best you can to help and are working with a parent dedicated to their well-being. However, you also know it is winter and their home has no … Continue reading Medical Legal Partnerships: A Collaboration Tackling Social Barriers to Health

By: Amanda Palini Generally, when people think of domestic violence programs, they imagine the necessary support systems for addressing domestic violence after it has already occurred such as shelters, advocates, court ordered therapy/rehabilitative programs, and court personnel. While these resources are crucial to addressing the needs of victims, they alone cannot solve the problem of domestic violence. Prevention programming is a critical investment in creating … Continue reading Stopping the Cycle of Abuse Before it Starts: An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of  Primary Prevention Programs in Reducing Instances of Domestic Violence

By Owen Giordano With filing season just around the corner, many Americans are currently getting ready to fill out their tax forms. With the filing process often characterized as a tedious and nerve-wracking process, there have been multiple calls to make the system more user-friendly.[1] Most recently, representative Brad Sherman (D-CA-30) (re)introduced the Tax Filing Simplification Act (“the Act”) to the House of Representatives in … Continue reading Making Taxes Less Taxing: A Short Primer on the Tax Filing Simplification Act’s Viability

By Tanmay Gupta When one thinks of Cuba in a legal sense, the most notable thing that comes to mind is the Cuban Embargo.[1] But there is a particularly American issue related to Cuba: Guantanamo Bay.[2] Guantanamo Bay has technically been American soil since 1903 and is now the home of a military prison camp that houses “enemy combatants” as a result of the War … Continue reading The Forgotten and Ongoing Saga: Guantanamo Bay

By Danni Bian   Education is significant to our democratic society because it builds a foundation for people to practice effectively in the political system with freedom and independence.[1] However, an unequal education deprives lower income individuals access to minimum welfare.[2] For a long time, the legal profession has been exclusive to the elites in society, who set the rules and decide admission standards for … Continue reading Equality and Democracy in Legal Education

By Laney Flanagan Failure to protect laws, which are enactedq in virtually every state, charge a parent for failing to report abuse against their children if the parent knows or suspects a child is being abused or neglected.[1] Many states include witnessing abuse as a form of child neglect. The goal of these laws is to encourage parents to remove their children from abusive households … Continue reading How Failure to Protect Laws Often Fail to Protect

By Kaitlyn Grant Sexual assaults have and continue to be a problem within the military today. [1] In fact, twenty thousand service members experience sexual assault every year.[2] Of the 20,000 service members, less than 8,000 report those sexual assaults. [3] Only a few of these sexual assaults result in any kind of action taken within the military justice system. [4] One of the reasons … Continue reading The Continued Problem of Sexual Assault in the Military Today