Pictured here are the Honors students from the 2021-2022 cohort.
The 20th annual Lauren Edelman Legal Studies Honors Research Conference showcases original empirical research from undergraduate scholars in the Legal Studies Honors Program. The Honors theses presented have been developed over the 2025-2026 academic year via a sequence of two research seminars and with the support of dedicated faculty mentors. The conference is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the impressive work accomplished by these promising young scholars. The annual Legal Studies undergraduate research conference is dedicated to the memory of beloved professor, Lauren Edelman, who was the Honors Program Director for many years.
May 1, 2026, 10am - 3:30pm, Selznick Seminar Room, 2240 Piedmont
REGISTER HERE: bit.ly/EdelmanConferenceRSVP
A Zoom link will be circulated to registered guests the day before the event.
A Zoom link will be circulated to registered guests the day before the event.
10-10:15am Sarah Song, Associate Dean Jurisprudence and Social Policy/Legal Studies
Jon Marshall, Assistant Dean Jurisprudence and Social Policy/Legal Studies
Panel 1: Social Inequality Across Criminal and Civil Law
10:15-11:15am
Moderator: Cameron Gan, JSP
Jon Marshall, Assistant Dean Jurisprudence and Social Policy/Legal Studies
Panel 1: Social Inequality Across Criminal and Civil Law
10:15-11:15am
Moderator: Cameron Gan, JSP
Sofia Biagio
“Speaking FEMA:” An Analysis of Structural and Administrative Barriers in FEMA Disaster Assistance
Lane Gunsolley
The Partiality of a Partial Jury: Does Death Qualification Contribute to Disproportionate Death-Sentencing Rates in California’s Death Belt?
The Partiality of a Partial Jury: Does Death Qualification Contribute to Disproportionate Death-Sentencing Rates in California’s Death Belt?
Rory Powell
Subject to Their Terms: How Corporate Privacy Policies Subvert Digital Privacy Expectations
Subject to Their Terms: How Corporate Privacy Policies Subvert Digital Privacy Expectations
Claire Shintani
Beyond Access: The Possibilities and Limitations of Criminal Legal Databases for Police Accountability
Panel 2: Gender, Change and Law
11:30am-12:15pm
Moderator: Gunar Olsen, JSP
Beyond Access: The Possibilities and Limitations of Criminal Legal Databases for Police Accountability
Panel 2: Gender, Change and Law
11:30am-12:15pm
Moderator: Gunar Olsen, JSP
Layla Goldberg
When Justice Listens: How Models of Punishment and Repair Meet the Needs of Sexual-Violence Survivors
Ani Tutunjyan
Between Recognition and Reluctance: Judicial Understandings of Domestic Violence Law in Restraining Order Proceedings
Thomas Barbey
Law, Culture, and the Courts: Tracing Equal Opportunity from Women’s Athletic Access to Trans Athlete Inclusion
12:15-1:15pm Lunch Break
Panel 3: Workplace Hierarchies Across Cultures and Societies
1:15-2:15pm
Moderator: T.J. Mertikas, JSP
Jishan Jiang
Training the AI Future: How Legal Categories Structure Data-Labeling Work in Chinese Vocational Education
Ashley Howard
Straddling Two Worlds: Navigating Competing Expectations in US and Middle East-North Africa (MENA)
Kayla Yee
From Courtroom to Classroom: Realizing Lau v. Nichols’ Promise to Equal Education in a Bay Area School District
From Courtroom to Classroom: Realizing Lau v. Nichols’ Promise to Equal Education in a Bay Area School District
Neyda Pacheco-Lopez
Law in the Fields: Injury, Labor, and Farmworkers’ Encounters with the Workers’ Compensation System
Panel 4: Legal Consciousness, Ethical Boundaries, and Human Rights
2:30-3:30pm
Moderator: Laura Ramírez, JSP
Kayla Castro
Freedom of Speech on Campus: How Legal Status Shapes UC Berkeley Students
Iman Abdella
The Law Through Their Eyes: A Look into Eritrean Perspectives on Law, Power, and Justice
Kaila DuFour
Negotiating Humanity in the Paper Shield: The Normalization Trap and the Aesthetic of Accountability
Negotiating Humanity in the Paper Shield: The Normalization Trap and the Aesthetic of Accountability
Kaitlyn Liu
Navigating the Line Between Information and Advice: How California Legal Document Assistants Understand the Law, Shape Their Professional Identity, and Serve Their Clients
Navigating the Line Between Information and Advice: How California Legal Document Assistants Understand the Law, Shape Their Professional Identity, and Serve Their Clients
REGISTER HERE: bit.ly/EdelmanConferenceRSVP
A Zoom link will be circulated to registered guests the day before the event.