Articles

• Articles

From San Quentin: The Man Behind the Rape

by Rahsaan Thomas

• November 5, 2014

Life of the Law is proud to feature contributions to our magazine from inmates at San Quentin State Prison. Here is an essay by Rahsaan Thomas, a jailhouse lawyer.

• Articles

Legal Briefs: What’s Happening in the Law

by Life of the Law

• November 3, 2014

This week we take a look at what’s coming in the legal pipeline in Ferguson. Will the cop who shot an unarmed black man be prosecuted on civil rights charges? Also featured: a UPS pregnancy dispute, the “right to be forgotten,” and pizza trademarks.

• Articles

In Supreme Court News: Acquitted By A Jury? The Judge Can Sentence You Anyway.

by Gilad Edelman

• October 24, 2014

If a jury convicts you of one crime in federal court, but finds you innocent of a more serious one, can the judge sentence you for the more serious one anyway? Yes. And last week…

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The Newest Thing in Criminal Defense: Participating in It

by Raj Jayadev

• October 22, 2014

Tony is 13 years old and just got out from 99 days in juvenile hall. He sits shyly at the edge of the table next to his mother and responds respectfully to the “congratulations” and…

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The Misogynist Terrorism of #GamerGate

by Katrin Higher

• October 21, 2014

A quick glance at popular Twitter hashtags will show you that #GamerGate has been been a trending topic for weeks. It is no longer an underground issue—it has entered mainstream media. What is GamerGate? In…

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Legal Briefs: What’s Happening in the Law

by Life of the Law

• October 20, 2014

Each week, we bring you updates on the legal world. Looking ahead… Last spring, Newsweek ran a story on an elderly recluse who allegedly founded Bitcoin, the online payment system. After the story was published, the man­—Dorian…

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Life of the Law’s Nancy Mullane Wins An Award!

by Mary Adkins

• October 19, 2014

Our own Nancy Mullane is in London right now. Penal Reform International, an NGO that develops and promotes fair, effective and proportionate responses to criminal justice problems worldwide, has named her the United States winner of its competition…

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Who Owns the Soccer Field? A Parable of Gentrification, Law and Economics

by Hadar Aviram

• October 17, 2014

This past week, the following fascinating video made the rounds on social networks: Here’s what happens. The Mission soccer field in San Francisco is run by a long tradition of pick-up soccer, by which teams of…

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Law Reviews: How to Get Away With Murder

by Cindy Hong

• October 16, 2014

In Shonda Rhimes’ universe, law students skip class, defend the accused in high-profile trials, and seduce unwitting investigators—all in the name of learning criminal law under a brilliant — if mysterious — professor. This is…

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Smart Stuff: What Nonmonogamous Relationship Activists Can Learn from Same-Sex Marriage Success

by Hadar Aviram

• October 15, 2014

On October 6, the Supreme Court denied review, without comment, of all seven petitions addressing state court decisions to overturn same-sex marriage bans. The practical implication of these decisions is that same-sex marriage will become…