Tag: Anna Katherine Sherman

Female Pioneers in the Legal Profession

by Anna Katherine Sherman

The American Bar Association reports that until the late-1960s, less than 5% of students admitted into law schools were female and there was no legislation in place that required employers to hire women. In the mid-1970’s, the number of female law school students increased dramatically, but women were still not being hired after graduation. Today, the law school student body is about equal between men and women, but the gender disparity is still apparent in the low number of women in top leadership positions at law firms.

Legislative Note: Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal

by Anna Katherine Sherman

Last November, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress in the record-breaking midterm elections of 2018. She represents New York’s 14th Congressional District, which includes the Bronx, Queens, and Rikers Island. Since her election, Ocasio-Cortez’s presence in the White House has been somewhat controversial, with some news outlets even calling her “ignorant of everything”. Nevertheless, her support is substantial, as she won her election over the incumbent of 20 years, Joseph Crowley, who was expected to become the next Minority Leader.

Sexual Assault Laws in Alabama

by Anna Katherine Sherman

The Alabama Code Title 13A. Criminal Code § 13A-6-60 defines “forcible compulsion” with regards to rape and sexual assault cases as “physical force that overcomes earnest resistance or a threat, express or implied, that places a person in fear of immediate death or serious physical injury to himself or another person.” The problem with this definition is the phrase ‘earnest resistance’ that must be involved in order for it to be considered a sexual assault. This phrase has historically been used in our state (and, yes, the city of Tuscaloosa) to neglect victims of this crime and dismiss these cases. While most states in America have eradicated the need for physical resistance of a victim, Alabama is now the only state that has maintained this wording.

Violence Against Women Act

by Anna Katherine Sherman

Less than a week ago, the House of Representatives voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). This act has had a complicated past of expiring and being passed through Congress multiple times to get reinstated. Originally, the bill was intended to provide funding for prosecuting perpetrators of violent crimes against women when it was passed in 1994. The large debate now is that, as Republicans argue, the act may infringe upon one’s Second Amendment right to a firearm, and some claim that it will not be able to pass through the Republican-majority Senate.