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Overdue Expungement Legislation Signals Michigan’s Commitment to Criminal Reform and Recognition of Racial Inequality
By Meghan Patero Associate Editor, Vol. 26 2020 has drawn attention to the glaring consequences of racial inequality within the criminal justice system.[i] And while efforts to enact policies aimed at decreasing the number of people who enter the criminal justice system are important, we must also not forget…
Showing the Government CARES – Using Prior Crises to Support Minority Communities
By Lexi Wung Associate Editor, Vol. 26 llustration from rawpixel.com At the beginning of my second year of law school I tested positive for COVID-19. I spent my first week of classes isolating in remote apartment housing on Michigan’s north campus. Aside from mild symptoms and lingering fatigue, I…Introducing Our New Advisory Board
The Michigan Journal of Race and Law is excited to announce and introduce the formation of our Advisory Board! The Advisory Board will help provide mentorship, commentary, and editorial assistance to some of our publishing scholars. The Advisory Board will also serve the crucial role of guiding the Journal in…
What’s Safety Got To Do With It? Why We Shouldn’t Be Shackling Youths (or Anyone) in Michigan
By Melissa Almonte Associate Editor, Vol. 25 During my first seminar with the Juvenile Justice Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School, I learned that children are routinely shackled in juvenile proceedings in Michigan. My jaw dropped. I thought: but that’s only supposed to happen in criminal court!…
Reflections from Rebellious Lawyering Conference 2020
by Becky Wasserman Associate Editor, Vol. 25 This year, a group of Michigan law students – including members of the Michigan Journal of Race & Law – traveled to New Haven, Connecticut for Yale Law School’s annual Rebellious Lawyering Conference. The mission of the conference is to convene:…
The Twenty-Eighth Amendment is Here
by Tamar Alexanian Associate Editor, Vol. 25 In January, Virginia became the thirty-eighth state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). But the history of the ERA spans nearly a century, and the fight isn’t over yet. What does the ERA say? The original text of the ERA was…
Personal Reflection on How Race is Absent from the Law School Curriculum
by Miguel Suarez Medina Associate Editor, Vol. 25 Current law students are a major component of a law school’s recruitment process. Admissions offices depend on student participation, particularly students of color, to help convince talented candidates to apply and eventually attend. Michigan Law is no expectation. Most people I…
The Necessity of Revisiting and Overturning Lassiter v. Department of Social Services
by Raul Noguera-McElroy Associate Editor, Vol. 25 Part I: Overview Last term, I discussed how white supremacy animates the child welfare system’s aggressive push to terminate the bond between a parent and their child permanently through a child protection process known as the termination of parental rights.[i]…
Criminal Justice Reform: Has California Done Enough?
by Amanda Stephens Associate Editor, Vol. 25 2.2 million people are incarcerated in the United States.[1] Of those millions of people, 67% of those individuals are people of color.[2] This fact is not new. Scholars and activists over the last decade have worked tirelessly to…
Updates on the Separation and Reunification of Families at the Border
by Edith Lerner Associate Editor, Vol. 25 It might seem odd for me to be writing a blog post about family separation in February 2020. For many Americans, the “family separation crisis” defined the summer of 2018. It was more than just one of the many outrage provoking…