Author Archives: Bridget Crawford

Hip-Hop, Sexism and Homophobia

Posted on February 20, 2007 by Bridget Crawford

Tonight at 10 p.m., PBS airs the Byron Hurt documentary, “Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes.”   One critic describes the film as “a thought-provoking look into how the concepts of sexism, misogyny, and heterosexuality manifest themselves in a black male … Continue reading →

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When is a Vibrator not a Vibrator?

Posted on February 16, 2007 by Bridget Crawford

Alabama’s anti-vibrator law, Ala.Code 1975 § 13A-12-200.2 (a)(1), previously blogged here, provides that,”It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly distribute, possess with intent to distribute, or offer or agree to distribute any obscene material or any device designed … Continue reading →

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Feminist Legal Theory Research Guide

Posted on February 16, 2007 by Bridget Crawford

Pace University Law Librarian and Adjunct Professor Cynthia Pittson has updated her useful Feminist Legal Theory Research Guide, available here. -Bridget Crawford

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New Jersey’s Married Women’s Property Act: “Useless and Demeaning”

Posted on February 9, 2007 by Bridget Crawford

The New Jersey Law Revision Committee has recommended the repeal of that state’s Married Women’s Property Act: When enacted, the married women’s property acts served a purpose.   Under common law rules in the early 19th century, married women, as … Continue reading →

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Freedom to Procreate

Posted on February 9, 2007 by Bridget Crawford

The Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance hopes to get enough votes for a state ballot initiative “that would limit marriage in Washington to couples willing and able to have children.”     A representative of the group said that its … Continue reading →

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Saying “Sexism” in Polite Company

Posted on January 30, 2007 by Bridget Crawford

FeministLawProf Deborah Rhode writes that “Subtle Sexism Exists” in a recent edition of the National Law Journal. Rhode argues that discrimination against women seems to have declined, but still exists in many forms: There is . . . a more … Continue reading →

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Alcohol, Testosterone and Violence

Posted on January 25, 2007 by Bridget Crawford

Three members of the football team at Guilford College, a Quaker institution in Greensboro, North Carolina, have been charged with assault and ethnic intimidation of three Palestinian students.   National Public Radio interviewed Guilford’s Dean for Campus Life, Aaron Fetrow. … Continue reading →

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CNN and the Feminist-as-Man-Hater Stereotype (Again)

Posted on January 21, 2007 by Bridget Crawford

Last week, the Paula Zahn NOW show on CNN ran a segment called “The Duke Assault Case: A Question of Race.”   One of the guests on the show was feminist academic Gail Dines of Wheelock College.   Professor Dines … Continue reading →

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New On-Line Forum on Gender & Legal Education/Profession

Posted on January 5, 2007 by Bridget Crawford

We received this e-mail notice of a new on-line community concerned with gender issues in legal education and the legal profession: This past year, a group of women from law schools across the country met to discuss gender issues both … Continue reading →

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Civil Unionization?

Posted on December 16, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

The progressive media group bluejersey.com has a series of ads criticizing the NJ legislature’s endorsement of  civil unions and not marriage for same-sex couples.   The funniest one is available here. -Bridget Crawford

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CFP – Re/constructing Higher Education:Feminist Poststructural Perspectives and Policy Analysis

Posted on November 30, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Elizabeth Allan (University of Maine), Susan Iverson (Kent State University) and Becky Ropers-Huilman (Louisiana State University) invite proposals for chapters to be included in an upcoming volume on the potential of feminist poststructural perspectives to enhance our understandings of assumptions … Continue reading →

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Varona on Politics, Pragmatism, and the Courts

Posted on November 29, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Feminist Law Prof Anthony E. Varona has posted to ssrn his article, “Politics, Pragmatism, and the Courts: Foreword to the Second Annual Review of Gender and Sexuality Law.”   Here is the abstract: Professor Varona analyzes the legal and political … Continue reading →

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Lawyers at Their Desks

Posted on November 25, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

 This clothing ad ran in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly with the caption, “A custom-tailored suit is a natural aphrodisiac.”    Several  readers have complained that the ad portrays women in a negative light,  reports a Boston Globe article.   In a … Continue reading →

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Make Sure Your Breasts Are Securely Stowed

Posted on November 24, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

 Last week the Associated Press  reported that a women was removed from a Delta Airlines flight for breastfeeding her child: A commuter airline has disciplined a flight attendant who ordered a passenger off a plane for refusing to cover herself … Continue reading →

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Raeder on Domestic Violence in Federal Court: Abused Women as Victims, Survivors and Offenders

Posted on November 23, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Feminist Law Prof Myrna Raeder has posted to ssrn her article, “Domestic Violence in Federal Court: Abused Women as Victims, Survivors and Offenders.”   Here is a portion of the abstract: While domestic violence is typically thought of as a … Continue reading →

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When Will It Stop?

Posted on November 22, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Today’s New York Times reports that the bodies of four women were found in a ditch outside Atlantic City: None of them were wearing shoes or socks. Each was discovered face down in several inches of water, head tilted slightly … Continue reading →

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Do Women Find Borat Funny?

Posted on November 15, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Gail Dines, a Professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies at Wheelock College in Boson, has published a sharp critique of Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat movie.   In CounterPunch magazine, Professor Dines argues: [W]hen Cohen makes misogynist jokes about rape, prostitution … Continue reading →

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Did They Photoshop In Some Nursing Pads, Too?

Posted on November 15, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

According to the Drudge Report, this picture of former ABC News anchor Elizabeth Vargas from the December issue of Marie Claire magazine is a fake:   A source close to the anchor says Vargas’ is disappointed but has a sense … Continue reading →

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Eleven (or More) Unpleasant Ways to Discover Anti-Woman Bias at Your Law School

Posted on November 9, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

A blog  reader  writes in with the following list of “Eleven (or More) Unpleasant Ways to Discover Anti-Woman Bias at Your Law School.” 1.   The school has no formal maternity leave or parental-leave policies, meaning the  Dean gets to … Continue reading →

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Call for Proposals: Feminism, Activism and the Academy

Posted on November 2, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

The Women’s Studies Committee at The College of Saint Rose invites you to join Activist/Scholar/Publisher Barbara Smith and Authors/Activists Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards for the First Annual Saint Rose Women’s Studies Regional Conference on Saturday, March 24, 2007. This … Continue reading →

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Decision in NJ Same-Sex Marriage Case

Posted on October 25, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled today that denying same-sex couples the benefits that opposite-couples receive through marriage violates the New Jersey Constitution and that the state legislature should determine the appropriate remedial steps.   The Court reasoned: Denying committed … Continue reading →

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Conference Announcement: Pornography and Pop Culture: Reframing Theory, Re-thinking Activism

Posted on October 19, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Wheelock College in Boston announces a conference on “Pornography and Pop Culture: Reframing Theory, Re-thinking Activism,” to be held at Wheelock March 23-25, 2007. The so-called “porn wars” that were fought over the feminist critique of contemporary mass-marketed pornography derailed … Continue reading →

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Feminist Law Profs and Others Respond to NY Times Article on Voting Rights in Mississippi

Posted on October 13, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

A group of professors, led by Feminist Law Prof Kathleen Bergin (South Texas College of Law) and including Feminist Law Profs Margaret Montoya (University of New Mexico) and  Tracy McGaugh (South Texas College of Law), plans to submit the following … Continue reading →

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Young and Boyd on Same-Sex Partnerships in Canada

Posted on September 28, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

 Claire Young and Susan B. Boyd, both of the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law, have posted to SSRN their article, “Losing the Feminist Voice? Debates on the Legal Recognition of Same Sex Partnerships in Canada.”   Here is … Continue reading →

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Colonial Maryland in 1656: Test Jurisdiction for Abortion Prosecutions?

Posted on September 23, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

  As you got up on September 22, I doubt you gave a thought to Judith Catchpole.   Ever hear of her?   On September 22, 1656 in the Royal Colony of Maryland she was tried for the murder of … Continue reading →

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What Is “Feminist” Legal History?

Posted on September 8, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

A  student  asked  me this  question: may legal history scholarship properly be categorized as “feminist” because it includes (or even centers) women in an otherwise conventional narrative?   I think the answer is no, not any more.   Writing about … Continue reading →

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Reactions to NY’s Negative Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage

Posted on July 12, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

This week at advocate.com, Evan Wolfson, the executive director of freedomtomarry.org, has published a thoughtful critique of last week’s decision by the New York Court of Appeals against same-sex marriage. Here is an excerpt from Wolfson’s article: Just five weeks … Continue reading →

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Levit on Confronting Conventional Thinking: The Heuristics Problem in Feminist Legal Theory

Posted on July 11, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Feminist Law Prof Nancy Levit (University of Missouri —  Kansas City School of Law) has posted to ssrn her article, “Confronting Conventional Thinking: The Heuristics Problem in Feminist Legal Theory,” Cardozo Law Review, Vol. 28, 2006.   Here is the … Continue reading →

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Legal and Socio-Legal Feminist Scholars From Around the World Confront the Nation State

Posted on July 4, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Having just returned from several weeks visiting at the AHRC Research Centre for Law, Gender and Sexuality, I offered to guest blog about the recently hosted conference ‘Up Against the Nation-States of Feminist Legal Theory’. The conference was held from … Continue reading →

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Why So Few Female Supreme Court Law Clerks?

Posted on June 30, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

On June 29, 2006, the Supreme Court ended its 2005-2006 term.   The Justices employed 37 law clerks this past term, 13 of whom were women.   During the 2004-05 term, 15 of 35 law clerks were women.   Initial … Continue reading →

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Forell on The Meaning of Equality: Sexual Harassment, Stalking, and Provocation in Canada, Australia, and the United States

Posted on June 16, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Feminist Law Prof Caroline Anne Forell (University of Oregon School of Law) has posted to ssrn her article, “The Meaning of Equality: Sexual Harassment, Stalking, and Provocation in Canada, Australia, and the United States,”  8 Thomas Jefferson L. Rev. (2006). … Continue reading →

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Cahn on Women in Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Dilemmas and Directions

Posted on June 15, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Feminist Law Prof Naomi Cahn (George Washington University Law School) has posted to ssrn her article, “Women in Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Dilemmas and Directions,” 12 William & Mary J. of Women & L. 335 (2006).   Here is the abstract: A … Continue reading →

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Pornography’s Market Share

Posted on June 14, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

BusinessWeek (June 19, 2006) reports the results of a survey of 10 million internet users in the United States during one week last month.   “Adult entertainment” sites accounted for 13.7% of visited sites, while search engines (7.4%), “business & … Continue reading →

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Infanti on Homo Sacer, Homosexual: Some Thoughts on Waging Tax Guerrilla Warfare

Posted on June 14, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Feminist Law Prof Anthony C. Infanti (University of Pittsburgh) has posted to ssrn his article, “Homo Sacer, Homosexual: Some Thoughts on Waging Tax Guerrilla Warfare,” Unbound: Harvard Journal of the Legal Left, Forthcoming.   Here is the abstract: Inspired by … Continue reading →

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Supreme Court Clerks: All Washed Up at Age 26?

Posted on June 13, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Slate has an interesting article defending the role of the Supreme Court law clerk: Poor Supreme Court law clerks. Most of them finish doing the coolest job they will ever have when they are 26 years old. All they will … Continue reading →

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Are Your On-Line Activities Hurting Your Job Chances?

Posted on June 12, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

The New York Times had an interesting article yesterday  about how students’ postings  on the internet can  sometimes redound to their detriment.   Here is an excerpt:   Many companies that recruit on college campuses have been using search engines … Continue reading →

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Rosenblum on Parity/Disparity

Posted on June 9, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

  Feminist Law Prof Darren Rosenblum (Pace University School of Law) has posted to ssrn his article, “Parity/Disparity: Electoral Gender Inequality on the Tightrope of Liberal Constitutional Traditions,”  39 UC Davis Law Review, Vol. 1119 (2006).   Here is the … Continue reading →

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Gallup Poll: Voices of Muslim Women

Posted on June 8, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

The New York Times has reported the results of a Gallup Organization survey entitled “What Women Want: Listening to the Voices of Muslim Women:”   Muslim women do not think they are conditioned to accept second-class status or view themselves … Continue reading →

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The Connection Between Soccer and Prostitution

Posted on June 7, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Soccer and prostitution  aren’t words one typically sees in the same sentence, but yesterday the New York Times  reported that:   The United States, in its annual report on forced labor and trafficking in persons, called Germany, which has legalized … Continue reading →

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Feminist Law Prof Profile: Laura I Appleman

Posted on June 5, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Laura I Appleman will join the faculty of Willamette University College of Law in the fall as an assistant professor, where she will teach criminal law, criminal procedure, law and race, and sentencing.   For the past year, she has … Continue reading →

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NY’s Highest Court Hears Argument on Gay Marriage

Posted on June 1, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

From the New York Times today: As the issue of gay marriage finally reached New York State’s highest court on Wednesday, the six judges who heard the passionate arguments from both sides put forth a fundamental question: Has marriage been … Continue reading →

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Ventry on “For Richer, For Poorer: How Tax Policymakers Have Protected and Punished American Families, 1913-2006”

Posted on May 31, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Scholars of family law, taxation, economics, history and gender studies will be interested in a forthcoming book by Dennis J. Ventry, Jr., a rising star who joins the faculty at American University Washington College of Law this Fall.   Ventry’s … Continue reading →

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Who is in the Academic Dungeon?

Posted on May 31, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Slate reports today on an academic study by Paul Oyer, Associate Professor of Economics at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.   Professor Oyer has published a study that examines, among other things, the impact of one’s first job placement … Continue reading →

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Zalesne and Barnes on A Unifying Theory of Contract Damages

Posted on May 30, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Feminist Law Prof Deborah Zalesne (City University of New York School of Law) has posted to ssrn her article (co-authored with David Barnes of Seton Hall University School of Law), “A Unifying Theory of Contract Damages,” 55 Syracuse L. Rev. … Continue reading →

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Sunder Named Carnegie Scholar

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Congratulations to Feminist Law Prof Madhavi Sunder of University of California, Davis, who was recently named as a Carnegie Scholar by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. According to the Carnegie Corporation’s press release, each of the twenty Carnegie Scholars … Continue reading →

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Moss on Against ‘Academic Deference’

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Feminist Law Prof Scott Moss (Marquette Law School) has posted to ssrn his article “Against ‘Academic Deference’: How Recent Developments in Employment Discrimination Law Undercut an Already Dubious Doctrine,”  1 Berkeley J. Empl. & Labor  L. (2006)  Here is the … Continue reading →

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Sturm on The Architecture of Inclusiveness: Advancing Workplace Equity in Higher Education

Posted on May 19, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Feminist Law Prof Susan Sturm (Columbia Law School) has posted to ssrn her article, “The Architecture of Inclusiveness: Advancing Workplace Equity in Higher Education,” 29 Harv. J. L. & Gender (2006).    Here is a portion of the abstract:   … Continue reading →

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Report on Bard Conference on Gender Equality, Tax Policies and Tax Reform in Comparative Perspective

Posted on May 18, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

 Today was the second day of the conference on “Gender Equality, Tax Policies and Tax Reform in Comparative Perspective” held at The Levy Economics Institute of Bard College. Both the formal presentations and informal conversations among conference participants explored how … Continue reading →

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Sunder on The Invention of Traditional Knowledge

Posted on May 4, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

 Madhavi Sunder of University of California, Davis – School of Law has posted to ssrn her paper The Invention of Traditional Knowledge.  This is the abstract: James Boyle’s cultural environmentalism metaphor laid the foundation for the recognition and protection of … Continue reading →

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Brooks on “Feminists, Angels, Poets, and Revolutionaries: What I’ve Learned from Ruthann Robson and Nicole Brossard”

Posted on April 24, 2006 by Bridget Crawford

Feminist Law Prof Kim Brooks of the University of British Columbia – Faculty of Law has posted to ssrn her essay “Feminists, Angels, Poets, and Revolutionaries: What I’ve Learned from Ruthann Robson and Nicole Brossard on What it Means to … Continue reading →

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