Category Archives: Feminism and Law

A report about New York’s domestic work industry prepared by Datacenter and Domestic Workers United (see also this site) can be downloaded here. Among the report’s findings: 90% of workers lack health care benefits. 33% of workers subjected to abuse … Continue reading →

According to the Daily Feminist News: President Bush signed the Federal Pension Protection Act, which includes two provisions that will greatly benefit same-sex couples and other non-spouse beneficiaries. The first provision allows the transferal of a deceased person’s retirement plan … Continue reading →

Over at Concurring Opinions, Dave Hoffman posted a YouTube vignette in which a recent law school graduate is “punked” at a phony deposition. The premise of the mock depo is that the young associate is representing a woman who is … Continue reading →

Innocent man haunted by decades in prison Wilton Dedge hits the brakes every time he sees a patrol car, even if he’s driving under the speed limit. He keeps boxes of receipts from gas stations, stores and fast-food places — … Continue reading →

LA Times article entitled LA judge tells illegal immigrant to leave court or be deported is indented, with commentary interspersed: Superior Court officials were reviewing a hearing in which a judge told an illegal immigrant seeking a restraining order against … Continue reading →

You’ll probably want a copy of this NYT Magazine article. Below is a short excerpt: …“To whom it may concern,”she typed,”I am writing to you to appeal for the return of my children.”Marie (I am using her middle name, as … Continue reading →

No! The Rape Documentary is described as a “groundbreaking feature-length documentary that unveils the reality of rape, other forms of sexual violence, and healing in African-American communities.” An interview with Aishah Shahidah Simmons, the producer, writer, and director, is available … Continue reading →

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 →

Here’s an excerpt: Although we are pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision in Burlington Northern v. White, the decision is also a harsh reminder of the power of the lower courts, and the irrevocable damage they can cause before the … Continue reading →

The National Women’s Law Center has a new post here at NominationWatch.org evaluating recent Supreme Court decisions. Here’s a brief excerpt: The”new”Supreme Court – with John Roberts at the helm as Chief Justice and Samuel Alito in place of Sandra … Continue reading →

Available in PDF here. A NOW Foundation overview of the Report states: The 49-page “Gender Shadow Report” details women’s status and treatment in a variety of areas:in the criminal justice system, under increasingly harsh immigration and asylum laws and from … Continue reading →

Laurie and Debbie’s Blog “body impolitic” notes: In Missouri, they’re now requiring a selection of women athletes (pro wrestlers, pro boxers, and martial artists) to take pregnancy tests before any match. Nineteen-year-old wrestler Julie Utley is protesting the regulation on … Continue reading →

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 →

Access it here! Check out this recent post: What the courts are up to: not always a pretty sight. The National Women’s Law Center does great work. The organization’s home page is here.

As a group of workers at an IBM facility watched a breaking news story on an office television about the capture of two men suspected of being the Washington, D.C. area snipers, one employee said, “They should put those two … Continue reading →

A little over a month ago Oxford held an “Andrea Dworkin Commemorative Conference.” The program included: Prof. Sheila Jeffreys, University of Melbourne: “Not just about pornography: the radical politics of Andrea Dworkin” Prof. Alison Assiter, University of the West of … Continue reading →

This site, maintained by the National Conference of State Legislatures, notes: More than half of the states (39) have enacted legislation related to breastfeeding. Thirty two states: * allow mothers to breastfeed in any public or private location (California, Colorado, … Continue reading →

There is a strange post by Eugene Volokh about “involuntary sexual arousal and touching” here, at the Volokh Conspiracy. It elicited a very strong negative reaction from Belle Waring, which is posted here, at Crooked Timber. Volokh’s theory seems to … Continue reading →

According to Families USA: S. 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization Act (HIMMA), was introduced by Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY) and has been approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. This legislation, if enacted, will strip … Continue reading →