By Vynateya Purimetla (’21) Image courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times The civil rights movement of 1954 to 1968 was an African-American struggle to enforce desegregation rulings and achieve equal civil rights free of racial discrimination. This movement relied on three separate facets; mass mobilization, legal verdicts, and media publicity. Although mass mobilization, including grassroots activism, protests, and marches, was an integral component of achieving civil … Continue reading IA Law Review: Legal Legacies (Law in Conjunction with the Civil Rights Movement)

By Vynateya Purimetla (’21) Tandon v. Newsom et al., 593 U.S. (2021) Throughout the ongoing pandemic, there has been a fervent debate between individual liberty and collective security. This universal debate takes a religious face in Tandon v. Newsom. Currently, California Governor Gavin Newsom upholds restrictions against gatherings of four or more in accordance with CDC guidelines. Ritesh Tandon, however, brought this issue to the … Continue reading IA Law Review: Constitutional Interpretation (Tandon v. Newsom)

By Vynateya Purimetla (’21) As the anniversary of the 19th amendment approaches, the right to vote remains as pertinent in our civic landscape as ever. Throughout United States history, voting rights have expanded from simply land-owning white men in 1776 to all law-abiding citizens over 18. Although the law has expanded to remove explicit discrimination, through measures like voter suppression and gerrymandering, systematic obstacles still … Continue reading IA Law Review: Constitutional Interpretation (19th Amendment)

By Vynateya Purimetla (’21) Mandatory minimum sentencing is a statute stating that offenders that commit crimes must be imprisoned for a minimum term; and not at the discretion of a judge (“Oxford”, 2017). The original intent of mandatory minimum sentencing was to increase consistency in sentences.  Currently, more than half of the inmates in federal prison have been convicted on an offense carrying a mandatory … Continue reading IA Law Review: Legal Legacies – Mandatory Minimum Sentencing’s Pervasive Effects on the Economy and Social Structure of the United States

By Vynateya Purimetla (’21) Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman to ever serve on the Supreme Court, and her unwillingness to be set back by her gender made her one of the most influential Justices in legal history. Her approach to practicing law was unflinchingly meticulous and rooted deeply in steadfast interpretation of the facts.   Sandra Day O’Connor, born in El Paso, Texas, … Continue reading IA Law Review: Acclaimed Biographies: Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-)