Areas of Study
Equality & Civil Rights
Aspire to make justice equal
"The class before the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday, music greeted us as we entered the classroom for Professor Tokaji's legislation class. This was a bit unusual, but not that far out of the ordinary. However, as the music continued to play, the words of the song grabbed my attention. It turned out Professor Tokaji's brother and his band wrote the original lyrics and music as a tribute to Dr. King.
Professor Tokaji spoke briefly about Dr. King's monumental positive influence on our country and recommended we spend the holiday serving our community rather than simply lounging.
In my view, this is just a small example, not only of Moritz's recognition of the importance of past Civil Rights accomplishments, but the law school's overall dedication to training lawyers who are also leaders, capable of challenging society to continue to progress towards equal treatment – both under the law and in fact – for all American citizens."
Raphael Davis-Williams, Class of 2010
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Summer Job: Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff (Columbus)
Equal justice for all is the mission of many lawyers, and several Moritz College of Law faculty have made it their priority to pursue equality in the legal system. Moritz students will have the opportunity to learn from these experts – who strive for equality in a variety of areas, including age, race, gender, sexual preference, disabilities, and sex, among others.
Students have the opportunity to take a number of courses involving equality and civil rights. Students with a litigation-oriented focus should elect core statutory courses, such as Employment Discrimination and litigation subjects. A student with more general-orientation interest may focus on advanced or specific constitutional law courses and seminars. Seminars provide an opportunity for research and writing on controversial and unresolved issues, and students can build on the foundation of the survey courses by taking a seminar on a related topic.
Moritz's Justice for Children Project allows students to represent some of the most vulnerable members of our society. Child and family law include constitutional and jurisprudential issues touching deep moral and emotional issues, as well as a wide area of diversity issues, all of which are in flux. Moritz is one of the only top-tier law schools in the country that provides a Certificate in Children Studies.
The Justice for Children Practicum provides students with the opportunity to represent children in a variety of legal proceedings. The cases may include abuse and neglect, delinquency, status offense, custody, and termination of parental rights cases pending in various courts.
Other basic children studies courses include Children and the Law and Family Law. Students who wish to pursue a certificate in the field are required to take the basic courses as well as additional law courses and graduate-level courses within the University.
Professor Ruth Colker is one of the leading scholars in the country in the areas of constitutional law and disability discrimination. Colker is a frequent guest on National Public Radio where she discusses disability law topics. In addition to her heavy scholarly output, Professor Colker is also an innovator in the classroom. The students in her Disability Discrimination class produce studies which have helped the University improve accessibility for students with disabilities.
Professor Marc Spindelman is an expert on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender rights, and Professor Martha Chamallas is a nationally recognized women's rights scholar.
Professor john a. powell has dedicated his career to the areas of civil rights, civil liberties, and issues relating to race, poverty, and the law. He too is a national leader on the topics and executive director of the Moritz-sponsored Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity.
The Kirwan Institute is a University-wide interdisciplinary research institute. Its goal is to deepen our understanding of the causes of and solutions to racial and ethnic disparities and hierarchies. This includes an explicit focus on Ohio and the United States, but also the Americas as a whole and our larger global community. The institute brings together a diverse and creative group of scholars and researchers from various disciplines to focus on the histories, present conditions, and the future prospects of racially and ethnically marginalized people. These scholars are consulted nationally for their expertise in the area.
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