By: Liza DavisAssociate Editor, Vol. 26 On January 29, 2021 and in the middle of a mental health crisis, a 9-year-old Black girl was handcuffed, forced into a squad car, and pepper sprayed by Rochester, NY police officers who then told her, “‘You did it to yourself, hun.’”[1] In May 2020, a 15-year-old Black girl […]
From Our Editors
White Liberals – Stop Demanding More Police, It Won’t Help
By Clara ButlerAssociate Editor, Vol. 26 After a national tragedy, within the thoughts and prayers usually offered to the affected community is a deep thread of pro-carceral sentiment. This response to instances of hate crimes and “domestic terrorism” is increasingly concerning, especially as most of the response comes from people who identify as liberal. […]
ON MOVEMENT LAWYERING: AN INTERVIEW WITH AZADEH SHAHSHAHANI
By Aashna RaoAssociate Editor, Vol. 26 In the past several years, a model of legal advocacy known as movement lawyering has gained increased attention. In reality, movement lawyering is nothing new—those who do this kind of work aim to provide legal support by following the lead of directly impacted communities and organizers on the ground. […]
Implicit Bias Exposed: the Michigan Juvenile Justice System
By Lexi WungAssociate Editor, Vol. 26 I joined the Juvenile Justice Clinic as a student attorney during my fourth semester of law school. Immediately I dove into the intricacies of the juvenile justice system in Michigan, my client’s individual cases, and the realities of converting law school doctrinal classes into usable skills. Many aspects of […]
Why Some Black Americans are Skeptical of the COVID-19 Vaccine
By: Karly JungAssociate Editor, Vol. 26 COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color.[1] Black, Hispanic, and Native American people are roughly three times more likely to die of COVID-19 compared to white people.[2] In some areas, these differences are further exacerbated. For example, in Washington, D.C., “Black residents make up roughly 46% […]
Legalization is Not the Endpoint: Observations from Nine Years of Marijuana Legalization
By Nathan BennettAssociate Editor, Vol. 26 In February, New Jersey became the 14th state to legalize adult recreational use of marijuana, followed days after by the Virginia legislature approving a similar measure.[1] When Colorado became the first state to legalize the drug in 2012, then-Governor John Hickenlooper cautioned: “don’t break out the Cheetos or goldfish […]
Exposing Another Ignored Rift Within the System: Anti-Asian Hate
By: Meghan PateroAssociate Editor, Vol. 26 On March 11, 2021, President Biden recognized the struggles the entire nation has grappled with because of COVID-19 by delivering his first prime time address of his presidency.[1] Appropriately, much focus was dedicated to the new COVID-19 relief package as one of the largest economic rescue packages in US […]
Letter from the Editors in Response to Increased Violence Against Asian Americans
art by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya (@alonglastname) provided for use in protest The China virus. Model minorities. The “Kung Flu.” When the COVID-19 pandemic began, so did the onslaught of racist messaging fueled by then-President Donald Trump. Many Americans were appalled at the apparent blaming of a pandemic on a racial group, but others were eager to […]
Legal Deserts: Race & Rural America
By Zachery NewtonAssociate Editor, Vol. 26 Despite being the home of 20% of Americans, only an estimated 2% of practicing attorneys live in rural America.[1] It is not uncommon for rural counties to have few, sometimes zero, practicing lawyers. The shortage in these “legal deserts” is not for a lack of need. In 2017, low-income […]
Reaction against the Denial of Comfort Women’s Voices and Truth
By Karly JungAssociate Editor, Vol. 26 Across the globe, academics and activists mobilized to thoroughly examine a Harvard professor’s characterization of “comfort women” as prostitutes.[1] So-called “comfort women” consisted of women and girls from various countries (though primarily from Korea, a colony of Japan at the time) who were taken to warfront “comfort stations” during […]
