Law and Gender Commons^™

Harmonizing Cultural Ip Across Borders: Fashionable Bags & Ghanaian Adinkra Symbols, J. Janewa Osei-Tutu

Articles

Global copyright and trademark laws protect symbols, names, and literary and artistic works. However, when their primary significance is cultural, because they are neither individual original works nor symbols that are used as commercial identifiers, intellectual property laws do not protect these symbols or artistic works. This is true, even if these goods are protected under national laws as part of that nation's cultural heritage. Once these cultural goods cross borders, there is no international law that will enable the country from which these goods originate to assert its rights in other countries. This Article characterizes these cultural goods as …

The Divide "Public Airwaves Through Prison Walls" Proof Document, Sally Brown

Promotion

Proof document for promotional ad for the Nov. 15, 2017 presentation of "Public Airwaves Through Prison Walls" in conjunction with the exhibit "The Divide" in the WVU Downtown Campus Library.

Not Mine Alone, Nor Mine To Own: Some Reflections On The Young Girl, Jacqueline Mabey

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

This essay looks at the role of the young girl in the curatorial practice of Jacqueline Mabey. Mabey reckons with the young girl as the signifier of a spectrum of mutable cultural signifieds and young girls as subjects on their own terms in the two exhibitions under review, Miss World and Utopia Is No Place, Utopia Is Process. In doing so, she recognizes a shift in motivations from an interest in what the young girls mean as a narcissistic reflection to how she could work in service of the development of young girls.

Jezebels And Jungle Bunnies: How The Stereotypes Of Black Women Shape Legislation, The Legal Profession, And Feminist Jurisprudence, Kersti Myles

The Modern American

No abstract provided.

Polarizing Procedures: Transsexual Inmates, Sex Reassignment Surgery, And The Eighth Amendment, 50 J. Marshall L. Rev. 747 (2017), Jameson Rammell

UIC Law Review

This article argues that at present, there is not sufficient certainty within the medical and scientific communities to definitively state that SRS is medically necessary for transsexual individuals, or that it effectively relieves the negative symptoms often associated with gender dysphoria. Because the Supreme Court has held that the Eighth Amendment does not require prison officials to provide the most cutting-edge treatments available, but only an adequate level of treatment, it is not a violation of the Eighth Amendment to deny a transsexual inmate’s request for SRS. Part I explores the medical and scientific communities’ current understanding of gender dysphoria, …

Opposing Sexual Harassment May Not Be Enough For A Retaliation Claim Under Title Vii: Why Refusing Sexual Advances Is Not Enough, 50 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1007 (2017), Simi Lorenz

UIC Law Review

Part II of this paper outlines Title VII of the Civil Rights of 1964 retaliation claims, types of protected activity, and types of sexual harassment. Part III will analyze the District Court and Circuit Court decisions discussing refusing sexual harassment as a protected activity. Part IV outlines the standards that the Circuit Courts should follow in determining what is necessary to constitute a protected activity. Part V examines the policy goals achieved in setting standards for how rejecting sexual harassment constitutes a protected activity. Further, Part IV outlines the analysis used by the Sixth and Eighth Circuits, which should be …

A Relational Feminist Approach To Conflict Of Laws, Roxana Banu

Michigan Journal of Gender & Law

Feminist writers have long engaged in critiques of private law. Surrogacy contracts or the “reasonable man” standard in torts, for example, have long been the subjects of thorough feminist analysis and critique. When private law issues touch on more than one jurisdiction, Conflict of Laws is the doctrine that determines which jurisdiction can try the case and—as separate questions—which jurisdiction’s law should apply and under what conditions a foreign judgment can be recognized and enforced. Yet, there are virtually no feminist perspectives on Conflict of Laws (also known as Private International Law). This is still more surprising when one considers …

Prenatal Abandonment: 'Horton Hatches The Egg' In The Supreme Court And Thirty-Four States, Mary M. Beck

Michigan Journal of Gender & Law

This article addresses an issue critical to forty-one percent of fathers in the United States: prenatal abandonment. Under prenatal abandonment theory, fathers can lose their parental rights to non-marital children if they do not provide prenatal support to the mothers of their children. This is true even if the mothers have not notified the fathers of the pregnancy and if the mothers or fathers are unsure of the fathers’ paternity. While this result may seem counterintuitive, it is necessitated by demographic trends. Prenatal abandonment theory has been structured to protect mothers, fathers, and fetuses in response to a number of …

The Divide - Sylvia Ryerson Biographical Introduction, Sally Brown

Promotion

No abstract provided.

The Divide Poster Of Exhibit Events, Sally Brown

Promotion

No abstract provided.

When Does Sex Diversity On Boards Benefit Firms?, Darren Rosenblum

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Firms embrace diversity, especially with regard to sex. Overtly optimistic predictions of a diversity dividend, some built on sex stereotypes, lead these firms to count on profits that may never materialize. This Article attempts to reset the agenda on how to study corporate board diversity. We can only assess if and how sex diversity yields benefits by understanding the who, what, and where of diversity. Whether sex diversity produces a "diversity dividend" depends on three key factors: ( 1) the nature of the benefit of including women (whether for their experience or other qualities); (2) the kind of firm and …

University Of Baltimore School Of Law Center On Applied Feminism's 9th Annual Feminist Legal Theory Conference On Applied Feminism Today: Keynote Speaker Judge Nancy Gertner, Former United States Federal Judge For The United States District Court For The District Of Massachusetts, Nancy Gertner

University of Baltimore Law Review

Below is a transcription of the keynote speech from the University of Baltimore School of Law Center on Applied Feminism’s 9th Annual Feminist Legal Theory Conference: Applied Feminism Today. Judge Nancy Gertner, former United States Federal Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, gave the keynote speech on March 4, 2016.

I was on the bench for seventeen years, and I intend to write about that experience. The problem is that while my memoir was funny, this book—on judging—is not. In my memoir, I describe the fact that the only way I could face the …

The French Veil Ban: A Transnational Legal Feminist Approach, Sital Kalantry

University of Baltimore Law Review

After the gruesome terrorist attack that killed eighty-four people in Nice, many beach towns in France began to ban Muslim women from wearing the “burkini” on beaches. The burkini, which was created by an Australian designer, is modest swimwear that covers the body and hair. The Nice attack occurred on the heels of a series of attacks in France. The timing of the French burkini ban suggests it was targeting Muslims due to the anger over the attacks. The argument that burkinis are not hygienic is a fig leaf for other more pernicious justifications. Others argue that religious garb generally …

Mothers In The Margins: Addressing The Consequences Of Criminal Records For Young Mothers Of Color, Jesse Krohn, Jaime Gullen

University of Baltimore Law Review

As young women pull ahead of young men in higher education, the wage gap narrows, and young men continue to be arrested and incarcerated at higher rates than young women, there has been much discussion at the policy level and in the media regarding the need to concentrate resources on men and boys. President Barack Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper" and “Responsible Fatherhood” initiatives typify this shift.

As legal aid lawyers who represent youth, many of whom have been involved in the juvenile and criminal legal systems, we are pulled into the debate and asked to answer with increasing frequency: “What …

The "Tunisian" Spring: Women's Rights In Tunisia And Broader Implications For Feminism In North Africa And The Middle East, John Hursh

University of Baltimore Law Review

More than six years have passed since the tumultuous weeks that comprised the key moments of the Arab Spring. Although initially greeted with great optimism, most results of these remarkable events ultimately have been discouraging. In Egypt, a “democratic coup d’état” paved the way for the resignation of longtime authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak and, eventually, democratic elections. However, this moment of hope and reform proved to be short-lived. The elected president and Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi proved to be so divisive and consolidated executive authority to such an alarming extent that General Abdel Sisi replaced him in a military, …

A Different Class Of Care: The Benefits Crisis And Low-Wage Workers, Trina Jones

Faculty Scholarship

When compared to other developed nations, the United States fares poorly with regard to benefits for workers. While the situation is grim for most U.S. workers, it is worse for low-wage workers. Data show a significant benefits gap between low-wage and high-wage in terms of flexible work arrangements (FWAs), paid leave, pensions, and employer-sponsored health-care insurance, among other things. This gap exists notwithstanding the fact that FWAs and employment benefits produce positive returns for employees, employers, and society in general. Despite these returns, this Article contends that employers will be loath to extend FWAs and greater employment benefits to low-wage …

Aggressive Encounters & White Fragility: Deconstructing The Trope Of The Angry Black Woman, Trina Jones, Kimberly Jade Norwood

Faculty Scholarship

Black women in the United States are the frequent targets of bias-filled interactions in which aggressors: (1) denigrate Black women; and (2) blame those women who elect to challenge the aggressor’s acts and the bias that fuels them. This Article seeks to raise awareness of these “aggressive encounters” and to challenge a prevailing narrative about Black women and anger. It examines the myriad circumstances (both professional and social) in which aggressive encounters occur and the ways in which these encounters expose gender and racial hierarchies. It then explores how the intersectional nature of Black women’s identities triggers a particularized stereotype …

Recognizing Women's Rights At Work: Health And Women Workers In Global Supply Chains, Erika George, Candace D. Gibson, Rebecca Sewall, David Wofford

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

In 2002, shortly after Paul Hunt was named as the first UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, he presented his vision for promoting the right to health as a fundamental human right, clarifying the content of this right and identifying good practices at the community, national, and international levels. His vision remains true today for women’s health at the workplace in global supply chains. In an era where women and families must often migrate to find work, leaving behind their homes and support networks, the workplace can be a site where they can access resources and information to …

Anti-Gay Curriculum Laws, Clifford Rosky

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

Since the Supreme Court’s invalidation of anti-gay marriage laws, scholars and advocates have begun discussing what issues the LGBT movement should prioritize next. This article joins that dialogue by developing the framework for a national campaign to invalidate anti-gay curriculum laws—statutes that prohibit or restrict the discussion of homosexuality in public schools. These laws are artifacts of a bygone era in which official discrimination against LGBT people was both lawful and rampant. But they are far more prevalent than others have recognized. In the existing literature, scholars and advocates have referred to these provisions as “no promo homo” laws and …

Public Restrooms And The Distorting Of Transgender Identity, Terry S. Kogan

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

The sex-separated public restroom, a ubiquitous feature of our built environment, has been at the vortex of litigation filed by state officials across the country challenging the Obama administration’s attempt to assure that transgender people have access to safe restrooms. Tracing the ongoing federal litigation in North Carolina surrounding the passage of House Bill 2, this Article argues that this seemingly mundane architectural space has in fact driven the litigation strategies of all parties to these cases. In insisting that access to public restrooms be based on biological sex, state officials rely on an outmoded nineteenth century cultural vision of …

Women In Engineering, Arianna Frisina

Women in STEM

The timeline consists of significant events of women in engineering. The years range from 1939 to 1974 and contains information from Hidden Figures and a peer-reviewed article that was found on JSTOR. The timeline shows the years that the women (Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Christine Darden, and Mary Jackson) began working for NACA. It also includes the time Christine Darden discovered her passion for math, when Kitty O’Brien Joyner sued the University of Virginia, the year of the Civil Rights Act, when Katherine Johnson was able to attend the editorial meetings, and Mary Jackson enrolling in engineering classes. The year …

The Death Of The Firm, June Carbone, Nancy Levit

Faculty Works

This Article maintains that the decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, which referred to the corporation as a legal fiction designed to serve the interests of the people behind it, signals the “death of the firm” as a unit of legal analysis in which business entities are treated as more than the sum of their parts and appropriate partners to advance not just commercial, but public ends. The Hobby Lobby reference to the firm as a fiction is a product of a decades-long shift in the treatment of corporations. This shift reflects both an ideological embrace of the free-market-oriented “agency-cost” …

Foreword, Amy Depuy, Tyra Singleton

UC Law SF Journal on Gender and Justice

No abstract provided.

Nudging The Criminal Justice System Into Listening To Crime Victims In Plea Agreements, Dana Pugach, Michal Tamir

UC Law SF Journal on Gender and Justice

The Crime Victim’s Rights Act has given victims “the right to participate in the system.” However, crime victims remain marginalized as their involvement in plea agreements is yet under enforced. This article reveals the largely unnoticed gap between the victim’s rights and the disadvantaged reality they experience in plea agreements. Further, the paper identifies the legal causes that led to this gap; namely, the broad discretion and dominance of the prosecution on the one hand, and the victim’s lack of enforcement mechanisms to participate on the other. The article provides a solution whose novelty is twofold. First, the solution advocated …

Changing Motherhood Paradigms: Jewish Law, Civil Law, And Society, Avishalom Westreich

UC Law SF Journal on Gender and Justice

This paper indicates initial signs of a far-reaching interaction between Jewish law, civil law, and society, which goes to the very heart of the concept of motherhood in cases of assisted reproductive technologies. The paper argues that both civil law and Jewish law are dynamic. They influence one another very deeply, and both are affected by the social reality (which itself is, of course, dynamic by nature). But this influence is not only on the practical level. Within Jewish law, the paper reveals a fascinating process of a conceptual paradigmatic change: from a substantive approach to parenthood to a functionalist …

Revenge In Modern Times: The Necessity Of A Federal Law Criminalizing Revenge Porn, Katlyn M. Brady

UC Law SF Journal on Gender and Justice

Revenge porn is a growing phenomenon where the victim is constantly re-victimized as the intimate photographs are shared across the Internet. Once a picture has been uploaded victims have no control over its distribution. The current patchwork of state criminal laws is often inadequate because the victim cannot utilize them to force websites to remove the photographs, the laws are often inadequate, and often police or legislatures fail to recognize that revenge porn is a type of sexual exploitation. States are only now beginning to take the complaints seriously. This paper sets out to define revenge porn, explain why it …

Legal Censure Of Unconventional Expressions Of Love And Sexuality; Finding A Place In The Law For Bdsm, Anne Onoma

UC Law SF Journal on Gender and Justice

The laws against assault and battery do not provide an exception for consensual BDSM. Consequently, a BDSM practitioner may be charged with criminally assaulting or battering a sexual partner despite having engaged in an activity that was completely consensual and not harmful in any meaningful way. Consent is the legal difference between sex and rape, and so consent should also be the difference between BDSM and criminal assault or battery. However, courts remain unwilling to even consider a defense of consent in assault and battery cases that include alleged BDSM activities. This note will explore the multiple ways in which …

The Principal Theory, Jennifer Twist, Merienne Star Blake

UC Law SF Journal on Gender and Justice

Prison inmates Jennifer Twist and Merienne Star Blake are just two of hundreds of women who are currently serving life sentences on a “Principal Theory.” This theory contains and entails that being at the scene or near the scene of the crime indicates a guilty demeanor as much as the person who actually committed the crime. The theory does not account for mitigating factors of trauma that many women face. Twist and Blake stand up as warriors for this cause and give a voice to the many woman serving life without parole on the basis of the Principal Theory.

The Constitutionality And Future Of Sex Reassignment Surgery In United States Prisons, Brooke Acevedo

UC Law SF Journal on Gender and Justice

This note examines how federal and state prisons do not currently have a policy for prison inmates living with gender dysphoria to receive their sex-reassignment surgery while incarcerated. Transgendered inmates face various legal, social, and medical challenges in the prison system. These challenges are only amplified when they are denied access to sexreassignment surgery. After various independent doctors have determined the sex-reassignment surgery is a medical necessity, denying inmates the surgery is a violation of their constitutional rights. California has developed a policy to determine when an inmate can receive their surgery, the rest of the country needs to model …

Medical Marijuana And Child Custody: The Need To Protect Patients And Their Families From Discrimination, Alice Kwak

UC Law SF Journal on Gender and Justice

This note addresses parents who stand to lose child custody due to discrimination against the parent’s status as a medical marijuana patient or provider for their children. Parents may be forced to choose between marijuana to alleviate health problems and the retention of custody of their children; in some cases, parents are being forced to choose between living with chronic, debilitating pain and potentially facing a child custody battle or loss of a child to the foster care system.