Lessons Learned: A Reflection on No-Cash Bail in New York

by Harry Cohen, Staff Editor In April of 2019 New York’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo, signed sweeping bail reform into law, the law was set to take effect January 1, 2019.[1] Just three months after taking effect, in April of 2020, that law was gutted[2] after a campaign by multiple State officials against the legislation they had previously supported.[3] What happened over the course of these … Continue reading Lessons Learned: A Reflection on No-Cash Bail in New York

Virginia Absentee Voting Reform

by John Dickinson, Staff Editor The 2020 regular session of the General Assembly dramatically expanded the role of absentee voting in Virginia.  Absentee voting transitioned from a back-up for those who were unable to make it to their in-person polling place on Election Day to a general expansion of the voting period, enabling any registered voter to vote between the time the ballots are printed … Continue reading Virginia Absentee Voting Reform

Opinion in Canadian Council for Refugees v. Canada Spotlights U.S. Immigration Policies

Reprint from the International Enforcement Law Reporter (24 Sep. 2020). Authored by Mitchell Beebe; Staff Editor In an unusual rebuke by one of America’s closest allies, the Canadian Federal Court decided that the Safe Third Country Agreement (“STCA”) between the United States and Canada was unconstitutional. The Court determined that in light of recent U.S. immigration policies, it was a deprivation of human rights for … Continue reading Opinion in Canadian Council for Refugees v. Canada Spotlights U.S. Immigration Policies

Judicial Bypass for Pregnant Teenagers Seeking Abortions in Virginia

  Authored by: Emily Siron; Staff Editor      Central to the conversation in favor of reproductive justice advocacy is the issue of safe, accessible reproductive healthcare, including access to abortion care. Abortion care is particularly difficult to access safely for pregnant teenagers, largely due to the prevalence of parental consent laws in the United States.[1] Thirty-seven states require some form of parental consent from … Continue reading Judicial Bypass for Pregnant Teenagers Seeking Abortions in Virginia