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?

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

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

By: Kira Davis Have you ever had a conversation with someone that you wish you could have recorded? Maybe it was a funny joke a friend told you that you wanted to play back when you missed them. Maybe it was a crude comment your boss made about how you could get that promotion you have been working so hard to achieve. Or maybe it … Continue reading Can I Record This Conversation? Well, It Depends

By: Carley Ruival The most widely used legal recourse against domestic violence,1 protective orders are an imperfect remedy that could be substantially improved upon with relatively easy-to-implement changes. Broadly, a protective order is an injunction issued by a court under the applicable laws of the state to prevent someone from engaging in violent or threatening acts, harassment, contact, communication, or physical proximity to another person.2 … Continue reading Protective Orders: A Proposal for Permanency in Domestic Violence Cases

By: Kaylin Cecchini The United States criminal justice system needs a multitude of reforms to be a productive force for justice, reduced crime and recidivism, and safety.[1] The United States, in all jurisdictions, is fond of imprisonment with “a total custodial population of more than 2.2 million people, constituting almost a quarter of the world’s inmates”.[2] Surely there are ways to meet the goals of … Continue reading Eliminating Mandatory Minimums in Virginia

By: Max Petrie Federal Rule of Evidence 410 provides that a defendant’s statements made during plea negotiations, when those negotiations do not result in a guilty plea, cannot later be used as evidence against the defendant.[1] Ideally, this creates a better atmosphere for negotiation, in which both the prosecution and the defense can be more forthcoming and open in hopes of reaching a plea deal. … Continue reading Federal Rule of Evidence 410, helpful? or hurtful?

By: Jessica King The internet, something everchanging in its utilization, but as well known, the law does not function well in a state of constant flux. A frequent topic inducing questions is the regulation of social media when pertaining to communications, especially with the increased usage of different apps, such as Snapchat. Sextortion, a crime that happens when an adult convinces a minor to show … Continue reading Is Social Media the Most Unsafe Place for Teens?

By: Melissa Kouri New Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin officially took office on January 15, 2022, and issued eleven executive orders later that same day.[1] The second of which effectively ended the existing Covid-19 mask mandate for students in Virginia public schools.[2] The order states that it was issued in the interest of “reaffirming the rights of parents in the upbringing, education, and care of their … Continue reading