Blogs

Become a Patron! This searchable database includes 900+ law-related documents on the Coronavirus, Racism, and the law. It does not include news articles. It was updated with 57 additional documents on January 31, 2023. Documents were gathered through an electronic database search using the following search terms: (COVID-19 or coronavirus)...

Here at the Daniel F. Cracchiolo Law Library circulation desk, we serve as a home base to the James E. Rogers College of Law students and public patrons. As some of the first faces you see when you walk in, we are the first to answer any questions you may have on course textbooks, locating resources, or most importantly Lost & Found. However, rarely do we get questions about our additional resources and collections here in the library. As an LIS professional and advocate of continual learning, I’m often eager to encourage students to take a moment to explore all that our Libraries has to offer. That is why in recognition and celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, we at the circulation desk are going to take a moment explore the rich history of why we celebrate as well as highlight some of the exciting stories and collections we have available on campus.

The Daniel F. Cracchiolo Law Library is proud to partner with the Jewish Law Student Association (JLSA) to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month. Starting this week and throughout the entire month of May, we have set up a book display of relevant and insightful titles chosen by two JLSA members, Brendan Cotta and Sequoia Kay Hill. I had the pleasure of interviewing both students about the importance of such celebration and visible representation at the College of Law. Please do not forget to come to the library and peruse the books by our entrance. For your reference, I have also included the entire list of the books on display at the end of this post.

Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) The Day of the Dead (el Día de los Muertos), is a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion that includes food, drink and celebration. A blend of Mesoamerican ritual, European religion and Spanish culture. The holiday is celebrated each year from October 31- November 2. While October 31 is Halloween, November 1 is "el Dia de los Inocentes," or the day of the children who have passed away, and All Saints Day. November 2 is All Souls Day or the Day of the Dead. According to tradition, the gates of heaven are open at midnight on October 31 and the spirits of children can rejoin their families for 24 hours. The spirits of adults can do the same on November 2.

Three law schools have managed to comply with the American Bar Association’s (ABA) accreditation standard requiring a two-year bar passage rate of at least 75%. The ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar recently announced that Ave Maria School of Law, the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School […]

"This blog is maintained by Pamela Oliver. I am a professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. My specialties are collective action and social movements race and ethnicity and racial disparities in criminal justice."

"Law Schools and Bar associations are sharing some excellent stories as part of black history month."

"Law schools would be required to train students in bias racism and cross-cultural competency under a proposal being considered by the American Bar Association arm that oversees legal education."

"The legal profession which was almost entirely white slowly began to crack open its doors to lawyers of color in the 1970s. The 1972-73 Prelaw Handbook (p. 9) noted that "the number of lawyers from minority groups is still disproportionately small" but there were "signs of change." "

"In an increasingly diverse society it is quickly becoming imperative for estate planning attorneys to be culturally competent to effectively serve their evolving and diverse clients."

"Over the past two decades there has been an outpouring of scholarship that explores the problem of implicit bias. Through this work commentators have taken pains to define the phenomenon and to describe the ways in which it contributes to misunderstanding discrimination inequality and more."

"On January 5 2022 the governor of Louisiana posthumously pardoned Homer Plessy the defendant in the famous 1896 U.S. Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson. Plessy is known for affirming the legal theory of 'separate but equal' that was used to justify Jim Crow laws in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was later overturned in part by Brown v. Board of Education."

"The 2020 elections may be over but the Supreme Court will soon hear oral argument in a pair of voting-rights cases from one of last year's key battleground states and the eventual outcome may determine how courts will assess allegedly discriminatory voting rules for years to come."

"Alabama voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to start an effort to take outdated racist language out of the state constitution such as the requirement for segregated schools and revise the massive document into a more understandable form."

"Arizona recdisently expanded provisions of the Arizona Civil Rights Act (ACRA) to cover pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions. Additionally following a national trend in response to perceived state and federal inaction cities in Arizona on their own passed new ordinances that expands protected categories and coverage."

Images from the Prints & Photographs Division’s collections help to illustrate the sustained contributions of Black Americans to the United States through military service over the course of the nation’s history. We hope you can join us for one of two “Finding Pictures: African Americans in the Military” webinar sessions this month (details at the …

In The Muse: Performing Arts Blog. A blog from the Library of Congress.

February is Black History Month, and the Muse Law Library is proud to present our celebration of Black achievement in the law. Here you will find the full collection of the 47 slides exhibited throughout the Library this month, each one documenting a different Black trailblazer or icon. The people featured here all displayed resounding courage and perseverance as they struggled against injustices and abuses at the hands of an oppressive, bigoted system. You will find lawyers and judges, writers and artists, and civil rights activists all connected by the common thread of a dedication to racial justice.

Guest post from Nicholas Mignanelli, University of Miami   The “culture wars,” such as they are, have come to The Bluebook. Of course, The Bluebook is a cultural produ…

“Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. BLL-SIS is honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his vision for America. We can all look to Dr. King’s…

With more than 450 protests occurring in towns and cities of the United States and across three continents, some are calling this the biggest civil rights movement yet. Join us as we explore past civil rights movements in U.S. history, and what changes have occurred as a result.

The Slavery in America and the World database is particularly special because of the meticulous development and organization that went into its development, opening up opportunities for unique browse and search tools. Learn how to use these tools in this guide.

In an eerie echo of the 2016 presidential campaign, President Trump has denied that the brutal murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin

This post describes ongoing research by Kenny Peng, Arunesh Mathur, and Arvind Narayanan. We are grateful to Marshini Chetty for useful feedback. Computer

I’m breathing deeply as I write this. What I’m writing about is charged. I feel this energy in my body. It’s a heat in my throat and a rumbling in my belly. It’s an intensity that’s frustrated that…

Most white people in the US are familiar with explicit racism or racism that is a conscious choice to actively hate or discriminate someone of another race.  Most white people associate explicit ra…

By Andre Davison On February 1st, 2022, the first day of Black History Month, former Miami Dolphins head coach, Brian Flores, filed a class-action suit against the Miami Dolphins and the National F…

A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics

By Jessica Almeida, LISP-SIS During the AALL Virtual Meeting, the LISP-SIS sponsored program was the thought provoking “Understanding Bias in Artificial Intelligence: How Algorithms Impact Our Patr…

Moving the conversation about race forward into action.