Law Commons^™

Closing The Door On Human Dignity: How The Supreme Court Blocked The Path To Relief For Victims Of Title Ix Discrimination, Bailey Wylie

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

This comment exposes the far-reaching consequences of Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller and scrutinizes the Supreme Court’s reliance on contract law principles to deny victims of discrimination recovery of non-economic damages.

For almost 50 years, courts have awarded emotional distress damages to victims of discrimination. Consequently, the Court’s lack of notice argument within Cummings falls flat through a cursory analysis of precedent. In the context of Title IX discrimination, school districts are undeniably aware of the possibility of sexual harassment liability at the time they accept federal funding. Mandated Codes of Conduct explicitly prohibit sexual harassment and outline ramifications for …

Modernizing Discrimination Law: The Adoption Of An Intersectional Lens, Marisa K. Sanchez

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

Immigrating While Trans: The Disproportionate Impact Of The Prostitution Ground Of Inadmissibility And Other Provisions Of The Immigration And Nationality Act On Transgender Women, Luis Medina

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

No Un Jurado De Mis Pares: Juror Exclusion Of Limited English Proficient Speakers., Michael Mccann

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

In the context of fulfilling civic duties as a citizen, accessibility to language assistance programs ensures every individual, including those with limited English proficiency (LEP), is afforded the opportunity to exercise their fundamental rights. Preservation of the integrity of the justice system must be provided in a comprehensive manner, not merely in one part of the legal proceedings or isolated to one part of the courthouse. LEP citizens should be integrated in public society, not disqualified from it. Statutes that create overly burdensome language proficiency standards create problems with the jury selection process. These standards limit and often deny LEP …

The Homosexual Law And Policy In The Military: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue, Don't Harass" . . . Don't Be Absurd!, Debra A. Luker

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

The violent murder of Army Private First Class Barry Winchell, a suspected homosexual, is a gruesome example of how the military does not tolerate homosexuals. The military’s current homosexual policy – referred to as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue, Don’t Harass – is ineffective. The policy creates an atmosphere of intolerance that leads to discrimination among homosexual service members, and this discrimination often has violent ends. This comment analyzes the ways other countries implement policies for their homosexual service members, and also offers proposals to improve the current homosexual policy in the United States. The author discusses how the …

Corporate Boardroom Diversity: Why Are We Still Talking About This?., Lawrence J. Trautman

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

What exactly is board diversity and why does it matter? How does diversity fit in an attempt to build the best board for any organization? What attributes and skills are required by law and what mix of experiences and talents provide the best corporate governance? Even though most companies say they are looking for diversity, why has there been such little progress? Are required director attributes, which are a must for all boards, consistent with future diversity gains and aligned with achieving high performance and optimal board composition? How might women and people of color best cultivate these skills necessary …

The New Voter Suppression: Why The Voting Rights Act Still Matters., Michael Ellement

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 drastically transformed the ability of African Americans to exercise their right to vote in the South. The most influential policy under the Act was Section Five. This section instituted a new system of review for voting procedure changes in states with a history of racial discrimination. States subject to this section of the Voting Rights Act must get preclearance by submitting any changes to their voting laws to the United States Department of Justice or to the Federal District Court in the District of Columbia. Any law not cleared will not go into effect. …

The Underrespresentation Of Hispanic Women In The Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Fields: What Can Be Done To Curie The Problem., Elky Almaraz

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Hispanic women comprise approximately eight percent of the United States’ population and represent the largest group of minority women. However, Hispanic women only make up approximately two percent of the science and engineering workforce. In contrast, Caucasian women form approximately one-third of the United States’ population and eighteen percent of the science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) workforce. Hispanic women begin a post-secondary education in STEM fields with a proportional interest to other gender or racial groups. However, they are far less likely to continue the coursework and ultimately earn a degree than their non-minority classmates. Schools and education officials …

In Times Of Medical Crisis: Inadequacy Of Legal Remedies Available To Sexual Minorities., A. Nicole Kwapisz

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Society has become more tolerant and accepting of changes to the social order. Yet many people still feel the need to cover when in public. Covering is a practice of sexual minorities hiding who they really are for fear of judgment and stereotyping. The media portrayal of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (collectively LGBT) issues allows people to grow more comfortable and accepting of sexual minorities. In the climate of change and acceptance, many LGBT individuals choose to live their lives cover-free. However, refusing to downplay their stigmatized identities leads to routine denial of equal treatment. The rights of sexual …

Whores And Other Sex Slaves: Why The Equation Of Prostitution With Sex Trafficking In The William Wilberforce Reauthorization Act Of 2008 Promotes Gender Discrimination., Elizabeth Kaigh

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Congress should vote to exclude the William Wilberforce Reauthorization Act from the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (VTVPA).  The William Wilberforce Reauthorization Act concerns prostitution, whereas the VTVPA concerns human trafficking. Lawmakers dealing with sex trafficking and prostitution in the United States wrongly combine them as one unified activity. A significant difference between sex trafficking and prostitution concerns the consent of the women having sex. Nevertheless, it is unfair for states to strengthen prostitution laws on a federal level, which is what the William Wilberforce Reauthorization Act would do. The Act would effectively turn prostitution into a federal …

Refusal Clauses & Pro-Life Pharmacists: How Can We Protect Ourselves From Them., Minh N. Nguyen

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

The decades long pro-life and pro-choice debate recently broadened to now include controversy over reproductive contraception. This controversy stems from doctors refusing to participate in abortion procedures and other healthcare providers, such as pharmacists, declining to fill prescriptions for oral and emergency contraceptives. Pharmacists all over the United States claim religious and moral grounds for refusing to fill prescriptions from doctors and hospitals. This religious fundamentalism creates more than a minor inconvenience for women. The oral and emergency contraceptives in question include birth control pills and the morning after pill, both of which inhibit a woman’s ability to get pregnant. …

Scaling Back The Ada: How The Sutton V. United Airlines Decision Affects Employees With Bipolar Disorder., Kevin Wiley Jr.

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

The Sutton v. United Airlines decision went too far in the Supreme Court’s effort to scale back the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Congress should review the Sutton decision and amend the ADA to consider disabilities as they exist without regard to mitigating measures based on the severity of the illness. To seek protection under the ADA, one must have a discernable disability, and one’s impairment must be diagnosed and disclosed to the employer. Disability, however, was not specifically defined in the ADA, and no agency or regulation has specifically defined disability for the courts to utilize …