Penn Law

Five people sit together in a meeting; sign behind them reads "UN Women"

Global women’s rights 

Rangita de Silva de Alwis makes the case for ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women by the United States.

Kristina García ・



In the News


The New York Times

Puerto Rico’s oversight board says it will have to pay certain bondholders less

The federal board leading Puerto Rico’s bankruptcy process announced a deal in which the island would pay less of its general obligation debt than initially required. “For a long time, the bond market thought general obligation bonds were the gold standard, and they couldn’t be restructured,” said David Skeel of the Law School. “The reality has become clear that they can be restructured.”

FULL STORY →

The Washington Post

Law enforcement diversity may improve policing, study shows

Research by Dean Knox of the Wharton School and colleagues suggests that diversity in law enforcement can lead to improvements in how the police treat people of color. “We see two groups of officers going out, and they’re treating the same group of civilians differently,” Knox said. “It’s troubling.”

FULL STORY →

Bloomberg

Sweetening senior status is potential path to boost judge supply

Stephen Burbank of the Law School co-authored a study that explored why many eligible judges don’t pursue senior status, in spite of the perks. Without senior status judges, he said, “the judiciary could collapse.”

FULL STORY →

Philadelphia Inquirer

Philly police contract fight is on: FOP seeks 5% ‘accountability’ bonus for body cam use

John Hollway of the Law School’s Quattrone Center for Fair Administration of Justice said a proposal to bar arbitrators from overturning discipline for proven police misconduct is just a part of the solution. “If arbitration was where people fought before, maybe now they’ll fight upstream,” he said. “Giving more ability to the department to remove officers who clearly shouldn’t be on the job is a good thing, but it doesn’t mean that one change is going to all of a sudden solve every problem.”

FULL STORY →

WUNC Radio (Chapel Hill, NC)

Pauli Murray vs. Jane Crow

Serena Mayeri of the Law School spoke about the life and accomplishments of legal scholar and poet Pauli Murray. Murray “essentially argued that sex like race was used to limit and oppress individuals for reasons that were really unrelated to their ability or their humanity,” said Mayeri. “It’s one of the most cited early articles on women’s rights and the law.”

FULL STORY →