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 […]

By Elliott Gluck Associate Editor, Volume 23 For years, the startling rates of suspensions and expulsions in America’s public schools have raised concerns for stakeholders across the educational landscape.[1] These disciplinary actions are frequently connected with higher drop-out rates, lower lifetime earnings, and higher rates of incarceration.[2] With African American students facing expulsion and suspension […]

By Claire Nagel Associate Editor, Vol. 22 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has made racial justice and criminal justice reform central issues in her campaign. During the first presidential debate on September 26th, Secretary Clinton responded to a question about how she would bridge racial divisions in the U.S. and improve policing by stating that “implicit […]

By Dan Cho Associate Editor, Vol. 21 Contributing Editor, Vol. 22 Last December, after the release of a dash cam video showing Jason Van Dyke, a white Chicago police officer, shooting Laquan MacDonald, an unarmed black teenager and in the midst of the subsequent protests, Mayor Rahm Emanuel created a task force to “review the system […]

By Amy Luong Associate Editor, Vol. 21 Production Editor, Vol. 22 March marked an increased number of states that began imposing Voter ID requirements among other voting prerequisites.[1] In 2013, the Supreme Court declared the coverage formula, § 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), unconstitutional in Shelby Cty. v. Holder.[2] Originally, the formula covered jurisdictions that […]

By Jason Raylesberg Associate Editor, Vol. 21 California and Missouri recently instituted separate measures to curb racial profiling within the legal system. In response to widespread police brutality nationally, California passed the “Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015,” requiring police officers to record identity characteristics, i.e. race, gender, or national origin of those they […]

By Dana Ziegler Associate Editor, Vol. 21 Last week, a shocking news story made headlines in the online news circuit. Kamilah Brock, a Black businesswoman living in New York City, was involuntarily committed to a mental institution by police after trying to reclaim her impounded BMW in September 2014. During the initial incident, Brock was […]