Legal Studies Latest News as of 4/29/26

April 29, 2026
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1) Pre-Law Panel
2) FLY Volunteer Opp.
3) Honors Rsrch Conf.
4) Late Change Deadline
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1) Pre-Law Panel
Pre-Law Panel
Join the ASUC Offices of Senator Rayne Xue and Senator Anamaria Abnusy this Thursday 12-1PM for a virtual pre-law panel with corporate and commercial lawyers from Cooley LLP! Bring any questions about the journey to law school, the legal profession, and more. RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelvIHI1ccryKEspm2v7XfhTlq-9fp1oB_OiSvYhu78D59Qqg/viewform 
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2) FLY Volunteer Opp.
FLY Volunteer Opp.

My name is Alex Ford and I'm the Alameda County Law Program Manager with Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY). I am reaching out to share our Fall 2026 volunteer opportunities.This could be an enriching opportunity for the students you work with, especially if they need internship hours!

FLY is an award-winning non-profit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence, crime, and incarceration of teens. FLY Law is a semester-long law related education and life skills course that uses role-play, debates, and mock trials to teach high school youth about the law. 

We are looking for volunteers/interns who enjoy working with youth, engaging in discussions about systems of oppression, and learning about the justice system. We have flexible hours with school sites available from Tuesday through Thursday and only require 1.5 hours a week. 

Our interns and volunteers are required to be 21 years old and fully vaccinated. We provide plenty of training and support so all our facilitators feel confident and prepared. 

Alex Ford (she/hers)

Alameda County Law Program Manager

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3) Honors Rsrch Conf.
Honors Rsrch Conf.
The Lauren Edelman Legal Studies Honors Research Conference showcases original
empirical research from undergraduate scholars in the Legal Studies Honors Program,
developed over the 2025-2026 academic year through two research seminars and with the
support of dedicated faculty mentors. The annual symposium is dedicated to the memory
of our beloved professor, Lauren Edelman, the Honors Program Director for many years.

Please join us to celebrate the impressive work of these promising scholars.
REGISTER HERE: bit.ly/EdelmanConferenceRSVP
A Zoom link will be circulated to registered guests the day before the event.
Friday, May 1st
Seminar Room 
2240 Piedmont
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

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?

Rory Powell
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

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

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

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

A Zoom link will be circulated to registered guests the day before the event.
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4) Late Change Deadline
Late Change Deadline
Friday, May 1st.
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