Professor Duncan was quoted by the Supreme Court and helped win two for two cases this term involving religious freedom. He participated in both cases as an amicus curiae, or friend of the court.
Professor John Rice commented on the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, in which the Court construed the statutory prohibition against workplace “discrimination on the basis of . . . sex” to protect against workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Rice noted that the Court’s decision has been widely hailed as a victory for civil rights and equality and welcomed the ruling with “cautious optimism.”
UMass Law professor Dwight Duncan was quoted on the SCOTUS case Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue.
UMass Law Professor Margaret Drew was re-appointed Chair of the ABA HIV Impact Project and Special Advisor to the ABA Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence.
UMass Law Professor Dwight Duncan was interviewed by Court TV on the Little Sisters of the Poor case at the Supreme Court discussing religious freedom in healthcare.
UMass Law Librarian Emma Wood published an article on public libraries as a community symbol and unrestricted space.
UMass Law Professor Ralph Clifford submitted a brief with a team of UMass Dartmouth and UMass Lowell researchers to the Supreme Court for the case Google v. Oracle.
Professor Hillary Farber presented at Yale Law School’s annual Rebellious Lawyering conference on border enforcement at the US-Mexico border.
Professor Rice presented at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s New Approaches in Teaching and Learning Conference in January 2020. As part of a panel on “Teaching Controversial Topics,” Rice explored the challenges of teaching social justice, advocacy, and the rule of law.
Professor Julie Baker presented on social justice advocacy at Stetson Law School’s ReImagining Advocacy Conference.
UMass Law Professor Dwight Duncan was selected as the 2019 recipient of the Honorable Joseph R. Nolan Award from the Catholic Lawyers Guild of the Archdiocese of Boston.
Professor Hillary Farber gave a presentation at Northeastern University on the humanitarian crisis at the U.S. southern border.
Professor Rick Peltz-Steele presented on a works-in-progress panel at the annual meeting of the American Society of Comparative Law at the University of Missouri Law School. Peltz-Steele presented the most recent iteration of his work on access to information law. While away from UMass, Peltz-Steele also attended the biennial international conference of Play the Game, a Danish organization dedicated to transparency and accountability in world sport.
UMass Law ranked among the nation’s top 41 law schools for privacy law according to the International Association of Privacy Professionals.
UMass Law professor Rebecca Flanagan’s article, Anthrogogy: Towards Inclusive Law School Learning, was recently accepted for publication by Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal.
UMass Law Professor Julie Baker was awarded an Office of Faculty Development Teaching Fellowship for UMass Dartmouth’s “Online Learning 20 Years Later” Program.
UMass Law Professors Lori Albin and Rebecca Flanagan published an article discussing elements of UMass Law’s bar success in The Bar Examiner.
The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida has launched a new research journal, The Journal of Civic Information, and UMass Law’s Professor Rick Peltz-Steele is serving on the inaugural editorial board.
UMass Law Professor Irene Scharf has volunteered over the past three months as an on-site mentor at Justice Bridge-Boston’s Grand Rounds.
Professor Rick Peltz-Steele has authored a chapter in a new book, The Media Method: Teaching Law with Popular Culture. Professor Peltz-Steele’s chapter talks specifically about using popular culture as a teaching aid in the 1L Torts class.
UMass Law Adjunct Professor Patrick Francomano was honored with the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Volunteer Recognition Award. Francomano’s decades of service evidence his belief that lawyers are called to public service as well and that education and social justice are essential to a healthy democracy.
A free speech defense bound for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) pits the UMass Boston student newspaper and the Massachusetts Attorney General against a plaintiff who claims he was defamed, and The Boston Globe quoted Professor Rick Peltz-Steele to analyze the case in July.
At the annual meeting of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools in Boca Raton, Florida, in July, Professor Rick Peltz-Steele joined a panel of law professors discussing the use of popular culture in legal education. The presenting professors, including Peltz-Steele, are collaborating on a book.
UMass Law Professor Margaret Drew was appointed Chair of the ABA AIDS Coordinating Committee and Special Advisor to the ABA Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence.
Professor Rick Peltz-Steele delivered a plenary address at a conference of mass communication scholars in Dubai and attended a global conference of digital human rights advocates in Tunisia.
Professor Rick Peltz-Steele recorded an audio commentary, published by the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, about a spring decision of the U.S. Supreme Court involving tort law and sovereign immunity.
UMass Law Professor Irene Scharf participated the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s National Day of Action.
Professor Richard Peltz-Steele presented on a panel called “Teaching Law in the Trump Era” at the annual meeting of the Law and Society Association (LSA) in Washington, D.C., on June 1. Peltz-Steele talked specifically about teaching 1L Torts with the defamation claims of Summer Zervos against the President, and First Lady Melania Trump against blogger Webster Tarpley.
UMass Law Professor Jeremiah Ho’s article Queer Sacrifice in Masterpiece Cakeshop soon to appear in the Yale Journal of Law & Feminism.
UMass Law Professor Dwight Duncan published an article in the Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law proposing to modify the Supreme Court’s handling of constitutional challenges to legislation.
UMass Law faculty members hosted the fifth annual UMass Interdisciplinary Legal Studies Colloquium at the UMass Club in Boston.
Professor Rick Peltz-Steele attended and spoke at the annual meeting of the New England Political Science Association (NEPSA) in Portland, Maine, in April. He presented in his own research in comparative law and moderated a panel on American politics.
UMass Law Professor Rick Peltz-Steele reported on a Massachusetts internet jurisdiction case in the Europe-based International Journal of Procedural Law.
UMass Law Professor Irene Scharf was interviewed by the Cardozo Law Review Podcast about her recently published article, Second Class Citizenship? The Plight of Naturalized Special Immigrant Juveniles.
Professor Farber blogs about her experiences working with migrants and refugees on the Mexico-United States border.
UMass Law Professor Margaret Drew published an article on Massachusetts child marriage, and new legislation that will protect minors from forced marriage.
Associate Dean Shaun Spencer presented on consumer privacy legislation at Ohio State University’s Center for Ethics and Human Values.
Professor Rick Peltz-Steele was welcomed to the State University of New York (SUNY) in Oswego in March to participate in the induction of undergraduate students to Pi Sigma Alpha, a national political science association. While visiting SUNY Oswego for two days, Peltz-Steele visited a class on civil liberties, met with political science students, delivered remarks at the Pi Sigma Alpha induction ceremony, and gave a campus-wide lecture on his research on indecency and the First Amendment.
UMass Law Professor Ralph Clifford was quoted on homeowners whose overdue utility bills and other taxes lead to home foreclosures.
Professor Ho presented on implicit bias and diversity in the legal profession as part of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Practicing with Professionalism Program.
Professor Rick Peltz-Steele recorded an audio commentary, published by the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, about a case pending in the U.S. Supreme Court involving tort law and sovereign immunity.
UMass Law Professor Ralph Clifford received a grant for his study of the creative aspects of computer programming.
UMass Law Professor Irene Scharf published an article on the impacts of discrimination on Naturalized Specialized Immigrant Juveniles.
UMass Law Professor Margaret Drew presented for the American Bar Association on the intersection of HIV/AIDS and intimate partner abuse.
Professor Dunlap published an article in the Standard Times on the importance of funding civil legal aid for low-income people.
Professor Richard J. Peltz-Steele has published a research article on accountability in international development in an Indian social science journal. The article appears in the peer-reviewed Research Journal Social Sciences, a publication of Panjab University in Chandigarh, India.
UMass Law Professor Rebecca Flanagan was named co-director of the New York Academic Support Workshop alongside Professor Kris Franklin.
Professor Richard J. Peltz-Steele published comparative research in the Villanova Law Review proposing reform of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) inspired by South African law.
Professor Rick Peltz-Steele was featured in a video commentary, published by the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, about a case pending in the U.S. Supreme Court involving tort law, constitutional law, and statutory interpretation.
UMass Law Professor Ralph Clifford was quoted in a WGBH article on home owners over-due tax liens resulting in home foreclosure.
Professor Duncan illustrates MLK Day lesson of resisting unjust law by contrasting the experiences of two Nazi-occupied islands during the Second World War.
Professor Dwight Duncan was invited to sit on a panel for an event focused on the prevention of gun violence.
Professor Richard Peltz-Steele taught American Tort Law to students at Jagiellonian University (JU) in Kraków, Poland as part of their American Law Program.
Professor Farber presented at the New England Drone Conference discussing the intersection of drone operation and privacy laws.
UMass Law Librarian Jessica Almeida presented at the New England Library Association Conference on the technology available to assist self-represented litigants and on how public librarians can help their patrons find the legal information they need without giving legal advice.
Professor Julie Baker coached UMass Law’s National Moot Court team to a semi-final appearance and the Best Brief award in the regional round at Roger Williams University School of Law.
Professor Richard J. Peltz-Steele was quoted in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (MLW) about a superior court decision denying personal jurisdiction in a defamation case
Professor Irene Scharf began her term as an Access to Justice Fellow with the Lawyers Clearinghouse to support volunteer lawyers working with immigrants
Professor Lori Albin presented to St. Thomas School of Law-Miami to present on UMass Law’s bar prep program
UMass Law Professor Margaret Drew analyzed the differences between opinion writing in the U.S. Supreme Court and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Drew’s analysis was part of the Childress Human Rights Symposium at St. Louis University and was published by the St. Louis University Law Journal
UMass Law Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Shaun Spencer was quoted in a Washington Times story on how Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court could affect constitutional protection against government surveillance
Professor Scharf discussed the temporary nature of the J-1 visa program and how it can lead to abuse by employers
Professor Drew was quoted in a MassLive article about family court judges’ responses when mothers raise abuse allegations against fathers. Drew recommended specialized training to help judges identify symptoms of domestic abuse.
Jessica Almeida and Emma Wood were invited by the Senior Editor of School Library Journal to speak at School Library Journal‘s Leadership Basecamp
Co-authoring with a former student, Professor Peltz-Steele has published an article on student privacy law when violent incidents are video recorded. Peltz-Steele and attorney Kitty L. Cone argue for federal regulatory reform to protect K12 students victimized by violent crime or tortious injury
Professor Rebecca Flanagan led an at-capacity crowd at a workshop on academic publishing at the annual A.A.S.E. conference
“We’re a democratic republic, and ‘we the people’ ultimately should be the rulers. To the extent that it’s unelected people in robes deciding these questions [about abortion], ‘we the people’ are essentially left out of this.” – UMass Law Professor Dwight Duncan
Associate Dean Spencer presented his study finding that brief readability was significantly correlated with summary judgment success, and that the relationship was stronger in federal courts than in state courts
Professor Dwight Duncan joined other constitutional law experts answering questions raised by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Shaun Spencer published an article examining how the use of predictive surveillance to prevent terrorist and criminal activity could shape the development of Fourth Amendment law.
UMass Law faculty engage in scholarly research, national conferences, and legal discourse.
Law librarians Almeida and Wood author article for American Library Association journal
Peltz-Steele cited in Arkansas Supreme Court opinion authored by former student, now associate justice
Peltz-Steele and JD/MPP student Lauren Sylvia present papers at regional conference for political science researchers
Potter Burda, Drew publish results of study of needs of people living with HIV, AIDS in South Coast, Mass.
Ms. Magazine blog quotes Professor Drew on record on women's issues of Judge Neil Gorsuch, since confirmed to Supreme Court
Professor Christyne J. Vachon delivers campus ARNIE talk on impact of U.S. multinational business on women's rights
American Library Association features law librarian Emma Wood for development of legal research resource in evolving LGBT area
UMass Law hosts faculty from across university system to present interdisciplinary legal research in progress at colloquium in Boston
At Ohio State University, Professor Shaun Spencer examines mass surveillance and Fourth Amendment rights
Professor Peltz-Steele joins comparative law panel in Poland to talk law and policy of Internet filtering to shield children from pornography
Third-year law student Mary Chaffee wins “2017 Distinguished Legal Writing Award” from Burton Awards for Legal Achievement
Student Animal Legal Defense Fund hosts state Senator Montigny and Professor Vachon to talk justice for animals
Professor Duncan publishes two op-eds on future of Roe v. Wade in Trump-era Supreme Court
UMass Law team competes in four rounds and advances to semi-finals in regional ABA Client Counseling Competition focused on privacy law
Villanova law professor Diane Penneys Edelman speaks to faculty and students at UMass Law on 'internationalisation' of U.S. legal education
Professor Peltz-Steele co-authors book on Arkansas Freedom of Information Act
Third-year law student Mary Chaffee publishes op-ed on bill against female genital mutilation introduced in Mass. legislature
UMass Law professors comment on President's nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court
New York immigration attorney George Akst speaks at the Law School about President Trump's latest round of executive orders blocking immigration of refugees and persons from predominantly Muslim countries
Law professors Davis, Drew, and Farber talk with UMass community about their participation in recent marches
Professor Jeremiah Ho’s perspective on U.S. Supreme Court intellectual property-free expression case reaches SCOTUSblog
Professor Baker authors opening post on new course blog from Professor Potter Burda on hidden biases and LGBTQ speech
Professor Duncan reviews book by President Trump, 'Great Again: How to Fix Our Crippled America,' and ponders what it means to make America 'great again'
Professor Vachon discusses transactional law and its possible influence on today’s students and law school curricula
Prof. Peltz-Steele contributes article to ABA International Section newsletter for legal educators
Professor Peltz-Steele reports research on civil rights in Uganda as part of panel on gender and sexual equality at Law and Society in Africa conference at University of Cape Town
LegalTech News quotes and cites research by Professor Hillary Farber concerning drones and privacy
Prof. Vachon talks law and small business at conference of Institute of Law and Economics
UMass Law’s newest Rappaport Fellow will intern at the Massachusetts Dept. of Higher Education this summer
UMass Law students gathered at the State House for the 2020 Walk to the Hill for Civil Legal Aid.
2019 was a year of many accomplishments for our students, faculty, and staff.
Jonathan Goldman, JD candidate '21 served in the Marine Corps Reserves before deciding to pursue a legal career.
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