law

Michael Meltsner, the George J. and Kathleen Waters Matthews Distinguished University Professor Law, has argued before the Supreme Court six times and written more than a half dozen books, novels, and plays. Photo by David Leiter.

‘A true renaissance man’: Northeastern to honor law professor Michael Meltsner

Michael Meltsner, a national leader in the fight for civil rights and the abolition of the death penalty, has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court six times and paved the way for desegregation in the Jim Crow South. The School of Law will host a two-part panel discussion to honor his work on Friday in Dockser Hall.

by Jason Kornwitz October 26, 2017

From left to right: Jacob Stowell, associate professor of criminology and criminal justice; Tim Leshan, vice president of government relations at Northeastern; Jean Fahed, head of Lebanon's Higher Judicial Council; law professor Margaret Burnham; law professor Daniel Medwed; and Khushal Safi, associate director of international security at Northeastern.

Northeastern faculty, Lebanese judiciary convene in Beirut to discuss alternatives to incarceration

A delegation of Northeastern faculty members recently traveled to Beirut to help Lebanon’s Higher Judicial Council explore the possibility of using plea bargaining as a tool to alleviate the nation’s overcrowded prison system. “Any reform will have to be tailored to suit the Lebanese system and their legal culture,” said law professor Daniel Medwed, who participated in the discussions.

by Jason Kornwitz October 17, 2017

Visiting Scholar Alfred Brownell poses for a portrait on July 18, 2017. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

‘There’s no way I’ll be silenced’

Alfred Brownell has been the target of smear campaigns, a statewide manhunt, and an attack mob that threatened his life.

by Molly Callahan July 20, 2017

Northeastern University hosted Bryan Stevenson, one of the country's most visionary legal thinkers and social justice advocates at the John D. O'Bryant African American Institute on June 15, 2017. A MacArthur fellow and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, Stevenson is a founding leader of the movement against mass incarceration in the U.S. He recently served on President Obama's task force on 21st-century policing. Photo by Casey Bayer for Northeastern University

Social justice advocate examines how to change ‘a broken system’

“There are some things we need to do to change the world, and there’s a great need for it. This country is in a challenging place, and a lot of people have become indifferent to the plight of this crisis,” said lawyer and social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson told a standing-room-only crowd last week during a lecture on campus. Those things—and there are four of them, Stevenson said—include going to the source, changing the narratives, staying hopeful, and getting uncomfortable.

by Molly Callahan June 20, 2017

Could new federal sentencing policy increase nation’s prison population?

Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently ordered federal prosecutors to charge criminal suspects with the most serious offense they can prove, replacing comparatively lenient guidelines issued by longtime Obama administration Attorney General Eric Holder. We asked associate professor Natasha Frost, a mass incarceration expert in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, to discuss the policy’s potential impact on public safety and the nation’s prison population.

by Jason Kornwitz May 23, 2017

After three years at the School of Law, Zach Heath is prepared for his future at one of the nation’s premier law firms. Photo by: Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

Meet the graduates: Zach Heath

Zach Heath is one of more 200 students who will receive degrees at the School of Law’s graduation ceremony on Friday at Matthews Arena. Here, he explains how his co-op experiences have prepared him for his future at one of the nation’s premier law firms.

by Jason Kornwitz May 23, 2017

09/20/16 - BOSTON, MA. Alexa Mills CAMD'16 poses for a portrait on Sept. 20, 2016. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

Recent graduate shines investigative light on 75-year-old civil rights cold case

Pvt. Felix Hall, a 19-year-old African American from Millbrook, Alabama, was lynched in the woods of Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1941. More than 70 years later, Alexa Mills dug into the case as part of her course work in the School of Journalism’s Media Innovation program and then wrote a front-page feature on her findings for The Washington Post.

by Jason Kornwitz September 23, 2016

Constitution Day was this weekend, but should it have been?

This weekend marked the 229th anniversary of the day the 39 men who drafted the Constitution met as a Constitutional Convention for the final time to sign it. Here are some interesting historical facts about it—including the case for why it should be in the summer—and how to celebrate it on campus.

by Molly Callahan September 19, 2016

3Qs: Why voting rights rulings will help the Democrats at the polls

Over the past two weeks, courts in five states have ruled against voter ID and proof-of-citizenship laws, citing their discriminatory impact on minorities. Martha Davis, law professor and human rights expert, says that the court rulings will likely favor the Democrats, particularly in the swing states where restrictive voter laws have been struck down.

by Jason Kornwitz August 8, 2016

3Qs: What can a crime drama teach us about justice?

Law professor Jessica Silbey will discuss the history of law in American film on Wednesday at a Law Library of Congress event. Here, she looks at the pitfalls of crime shows, names her favorite legal drama, and explains how the depiction of law in film has changed over the past 125 years.

by Jason Kornwitz July 20, 2016