Are you a Legal Studies alumnus looking to support your former program? We are looking for donations to fund things such as transportation for the Law & Society Internship & Seminar class. Please consider donating.

If you are able, navigate to Brandeis University's online donations page. Select "Choose your Designation(s)" and choose "Other." In the text box "Please indicate your preferred designation(s)," write in "Brandeis Legal Studies Gift Fund." Complete the remaining fields to make your gift.

Checks made out to Brandeis University may be sent directly to the Legal Studies Program, Brandeis University, MS 005, Waltham, MA 02453.

If you choose to send a check, please let us know that you are doing so in an email to our academic administrator, melissamckenna@brandeis.edu.

Presidential Immunity Case Briefing Event

On October 8, the Legal Studies program hosted a case briefing event featuring Professors Kabrhel and Breen. This event reviewed Trump v. United States and discussed the Supreme Court's opinion on Presidential immunity. Event attendees learned how to brief and analyze a court opinion! Thank you to all who attended.

If you are interested in watching a recording of this event, the link can be found here!

Your Vote Matters!

On October 23, Legal Studies Undergraduate Department Representative and former Student Union President Peyton Gillespie '25 sat on a panel to discuss the importance of voting. Topics addressed at this event include, the importance of voting, election experiences, informed and responsible voting, staying politically informed, how political values are developed, and how politicians develop policies for future generations.

Open Classrooms: LGLS 121A

This semester, LGLS 121A opened it's doors to both guests and exceptional guest speakers!  Former Mayor of Cambridge, Sumbul Siddiqui visited the class today to speak about her work on Guaranteed Basic Income in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The class also welcomed visitor Emma Staff, who serves as the Policy Director of the Boston Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement. Emma visited LGLS121a to discuss policy making with students.

Professor Powley published an article over the summer in the Women's Reproductive Health Journal titled "FDA Regulation of Menstrual Devices: Increased Innovation, Decreased Oversight, and Shifting Problems". She also be attended and presented a poster at the New England Faculty Development Consortium on Friday October 18th, 2024. The poster is entitled "Teaching Menstrual Equity Policy in Higher Education." This work reflects on the class she taught in the spring of 2024 entitled "Gender, Justice, and Legislation which will be offered again this Spring.

She is also now serving as a co-chair of the Menstrual Equity Research Subcommittee for Mass NOW (the National Organization for Women; the Massachusetts Chapter). In addition to this role, Professor Powley is also serving again this year as a content expert for the menstrual cycle for Our Bodies Ourselves.

Dan Breen's latest article, "The Scottish Enlightenment and the Dobbs Decision," will be published in an upcoming issue of the Arkansas Journal of Law and Public Policy.

In September, he helped lead a group of "Brandeis Travelers" on a Mississippi River Cruise, in which he lectured on such topics as the "Battle of Liberty Place" and the "Sultana Disaster." 

On Sunday, November 3, he will be giving a presentation on "Beer in World War Two" at the Aeronaut Brewery, in Somerville, MA.

This summer Prof. Kabrhel completed her 3rd Pan Mass Challenge with BEJI colleague and teammate John Plotz (ENG). 

She also dropped her youngest child off for college in North Carolina - so she is feeling very connected to the experience of all the new freshmen at Brandeis this fall (and your parents!).

The Vote Goat came to campus!

The VoteDeis Coalition brought a goat to campus to encourage Brandeis community members to vote. This event took place exactly two weeks before voting day, and members of the Legal Studies program were able to hold the goat.

Visit this link to learn more about the VoteDeis Coalition!



ENACT Educate and Advocate Grants

ENACT: The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation is pleased to announce a grant opportunity for Brandeis University undergraduate students. These grants are designed to provide support for student-organized events that focus on educating our community and advocating for positive change on important current public policy issues, such as healthcare equity, reproductive justice, immigration reform, criminal justice, voting rights, and a multitude of other concerns.

In order to apply, students must submit a proposal regarding potential research. Proposals that value collaboration between students, faculty, organizations and staff are encouraged. It is also possible to submit a proposal that is a part of a Brandeis course.

If you have any questions, please email Melissa Stimell, ENACT Director at stimell@brandeis.edu



Jane Kahn '77 Undergraduate Research Fellowship

Proposals Due by November 15, 2024

Undergraduate students are encouraged to submit proposals for the Jane Kahn Undergraduate Research Fellowship. This fellowship will award up to two undergraduates $2,500 each for spring semester projects examining current and emerging issues in criminal justice reform and the rights of individuals with mental illness, disability, and socio-psychological factors frequently associated with incarceration. Projects may be purely research-based, or may be hands-on

initiatives that the students develop and implement in the community. The deadline to apply for spring semester funding is November 15, 2024.

In order to apply students will need to email proposals to Melissa McKenna, Academic Administrator at melissamckenna@brandeis.edu. Proposals need to include:

• a cover sheet that includes the title of the proposal, the applicant’s name, undergraduate class or expected date of graduate degree, mailbox, phone number, and email address
• a 2-3 page description of the proposed project, how it connects to the spirit of the Fellowship, and how it fits into the applicant’s program of study;
• summary of the applicant’s qualifications to conduct this xproject;
• the name of any community partners the applicant will work with to accomplish this project, and a description of the partner’s relevance to the project
• a letter of recommendation from the faculty member overseeing the applicant’s project commenting on the feasibility of the proposed project as well as the applicant’s ability to conduct the work proposed.

Faculty in the Legal Studies Program will evaluate submissions and select up to 2 successful candidates. The awardees will be announced in late December, 2024. Students should expect to report on their project proposals and/or results to the Legal Studies Program and Fellowship founder, as well as present their projects at the URCC Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium

Changing Lives Through Literature is a collaboration between educational and justice systems to provide humanities programming through the transformative power of literature. In the CLTL program, probationers participate with a judge, probation officer, and a facilitator in a collaborative setting to discuss assigned readings. CLTL values sharing ideas and discussing what makes us human in a safe and collaborative environment. This semester is the second time that Brandeis Legal Studies is hosting a group on campus, with a faculty facilitator, graduate student, and undergraduate student participating in and contributing to the discussion. Representatives from the program have shared hopes that this programming will be able to happen each semester. Some selected works from CLTL include Balwin's Sonny's Blues, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Charlotte Perkins Gillman's  The Yellow Wallpaper. The CLTL program is ran through Brandeis Educational Justice Initiative by Professor Kabrhel, and is a great way for students to branch out from the Legal Studies program and get involved in the community in different ways!

The Larmie Project and The Larmie Project: Ten Years Later

"The Larmie Project and The Larmie Project: Ten Years Later" is about the murder of Matt Shepherd on Oct. 7, 1998 which was a shocking case that highlighted intolerance in America. The book looks at how Laramie changed (and how it didn't ) in the years following the murder.

Our October book recommendation, this read covers sexuality and discriminatory brutality as a young gay man's life is taken in an act of hate. The town of Laramie changed as a result of this tragedy, and this story details this transformation.

College can be challenging, and things often go overlooked. When was the last time you updated your voicemail message? As college students who often give their phone number to potential employers or use it for networking opportunities, make sure your message is up to date and professional!