This is the first in a series of posts by our resident bloggers as they look back on the past school year and their involvement with LSRJ. Jess Wilkerson, 2L at Vermont Law School, is first up. She was not only a resident blogger for LSRJ this year, but she put on the amazing Northeast Regional Conference as Regional Coordinator and she will be serving VLS next year as the Student Bar Association President!

This year of leading Law Students for Reproductive Justice has been incredible. The Vermont Chapter has been lucky to put on a number of informative events that seemed to have a real impact on our small community. I feel like my tenure as a leader and blogger has made those around me more aware of the importance of reproductive justice issues and of that I am extremely proud. The last event of the year was especially important to me.

A week before the official International Take Back the Night events, Vermont Law School held its own healing fire ceremony. At 7:30 in the evening, we met in our Town Green and started a small fire in a tin. We lit candles and stood in a circle and told our stories as a community. During the week, people anonymously put slips of paper containing written accounts of their experiences into a box we had left out all week. We started by reading those stories and then those of us in the circle that wanted to, shared their experiences. There were many, many survivors in our midst and nearly every kind of sexual abuse was represented.

I was moved by the courage of those who came forward and brokenhearted that sexual abuse is so prevalent. Not one of the perpetrators of this violence was charged or prosecuted in the cases we heard about that evening. Many of the women (all of the people who shared that evening about personal experiences) had never talked about their experiences publically in any way. They said they felt relieved to recognize their experiences and shed some of the shame they felt. After people spoke, many of them wrote a bit of their stories onto pieces of paper and burned them in the fire, along with some healing herbs or incense.

The night was windy and we had trouble keeping the candles lit. However, a number of men’s rugby players came to show their support and they worked hard to keep their candles lit and to pass the flame around the circle. It was beautiful to watch these men work so hard to keep the flames alive. They expressed their concern and their solidarity by making sure that there was always a candle burning in our circle. Everyone there created an atmosphere of trust and healing and people left with a new awareness.

My life is richer because of Law Students for Reproductive Justice. Sometimes, I am busier than my fellow students because of my involvement but I am always learning and sharing and remembering my reason for being in law school. Too many people do not have voices and I have too much not to give back. I am so grateful for LSRJ.

It was the winter of 2007, when I got the call. Cari Sietstra, a friend and colleague, asked me to join the Board of Directors of Law Students for Reproductive Justice. I admit I was surprised. I had never gone to law school and knew close to nothing about the law school experience. My work in the reproductive health, rights and justice movements focused on lifting up the voices of young women, particularly young women of color, and advocating for them. I was trained in communications, leadership development and movement building, not the law. What could I offer an organization whose mission was to support and train law students and therefore, guarantee that the ongoing fight to protect and expand reproductive rights would continue? Luckily, my lack of legal training and my own doubts didn’t stop me from saying yes. In fact, it took almost no persuasion at all. Why? Because I had been impressed by every person I had ever met with a connection to LSRJ. Any organization that could command the leadership, service and passion of people like Cari Sietstra, Louise Melling, Priscilla Huang, Kara Loewentheil, Jill Adams and Heather Busby was an organization I wanted to part of.

Fast forward 4 years, and I am now into my second term as a member of the Board of Directors. In that time, I have seen the organization grow in phenomenal ways. From the number of campuses where we have chapters to the programming we offer (like the Leadership Institute and the RJ Fellowship Program), I see the impact we are making every day in the reproductive justice movement. On a more personal note, I have built relationships with remarkable people and feel lucky to call them my friends and colleagues. These are relationships that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. When I asked fellow Boardies to share their experiences serving on LSRJ Board of Directors, this is what they had to say: (more…)

LSRJ is thrilled to introduce four passionate and thoughtful resident bloggers for the 2010-2011 school year. They will be sharing their insights, opinions, and experiences as RJ advocates on law school campuses across the country. Post questions, challenge them and yourself, and join the conversation! They are:

Lucy Panza – Georgetown University Law Center

Lucy is a 3L at Georgetown. Originally from Argentina, she was raised in Maryland and has loved politics and dogs from a young age. She is co-president of her LSRJ chapter this year, which offers the ever-exciting opportunity to grapple with a Catholic university over free-speech issues, coverage of reproductive health benefits in the student insurance plan, and heading up an unfunded, unsponsored student organization. Lucy is excited to bring a Latina perspective to RepoRepro — and she’s excited to be nearing the end of law school!

Lara Shkordoff – Northeastern University School of Law

Lara is a 2L at Northeastern. She hails from Toronto, Canada and has led many different lives in her journey from Canada-land to Beantown to LSRJ resident blogger. She was a waitress at an Irish pub; an almost-Masters student in Longdon; a receptionist at a cosmetic surgery clinic; and co-founder of an education advocacy organization that fights to end sexism, racism, classism, and homophobia in Ontario high schools. Lara is particularly fond of watching New York Undercover marathons and listening to early-mid 90′s R&B. She is not fond of questionnaires, speaking in third person, or wearing sunglasses in the club. Lara is excited to blog about RJ for many reasons, one being that since taking up residence south of the Canadian border, her uterus and ovaries have felt a little less legally protected.

Sara Taylor – University of Michigan Law School

Sara is a 3L at Michigan and a proud LSRJ intern alumnus! She loves to bake and makes a life-altering ginger scone. Sara had a rich professional life before the oppressive nature of law school took over, from bartending to biology, most of which required a sense of humor and sometimes an anal probe. Her goal in life is to help women and girls feel safe and supported no matter where they’ve been or where they’re headed. She knows she is going to love being a resident blogger because she can finally stop having conversations with herself.

Jess Wilkerson – Vermont Law School

Jess is a 2L at Vermont. As a strong believer in the equal distribution of power among all peoples, she is interested in asking critical questions about the state of access to reproductive information and health globally. At VLS, she actively seeks to engage the entire community in discussion about how these issues play out for each individual personally and how future clients may be affected as well. She is excited to be bringing this conversation to the greater online community! When she has time, she loves to put her off-road driving certification to use by getting outside!

If you are interested in guest blogging for or cross-posting on RepoRepro, email reporepro at lsrj dot org.

I got distracted by the Washington Monument.  I mean, who wouldn’t?  I took a picture with my cell phone and captioned it “Pshhh, men.  Typical.”  I found a police officer and asked him, “Which way to the National Archives?”  He directed me back from whence I’d been walking.  I mean, there were arrows pointing to the White House, there were arrows pointing to the National Aquarium, the Ronald Reagan Building, the Smithsonian, not a single one pointing to the National Archives.  So, I walked back.  Small pretzel detour, eyeballed the Internal Revenue Service, thunk some good thoughts to Ms Kagan at the DoJ, and crossed 9th and Constitution Ave wondering how in the world it’s taken me this long to do so.

Finally, I was there.  It was a little late in the day, so the line was fairly heinous but, without the glaring midday sun, we stalwart many couldn’t benefit from queue attrition through overheated impatience.  And so we all waited, treated to a few low-flying helicopters and entertained by an audio tour available via recorded phone message.  I learned all about the exterior of the building.

Finally, I was in.  I darted politely to the rotunda, gave a slight nod to the Magna Carta, and listened to a very funny diatribe by one of the security guards about the movie National Treasure (FYI – no secret passages.  Suuuuurrrre.).  Then, the velvet rope was lifted.

Finally, I saw it.  And I whispered – without humor or hesitation – you’re the reason I’m here. (more…)

Inspiring.  Motivating.  Invigorating.  These are all words that can be used to describe the vibe at Day 1 of the 2010 Leadership Institute.  With a national cast of law students from a variety of backgrounds but with a common interest, the enthusiasm for reproductive justice was palpable.  Though many of us may not have been ready to be back in the law school environment (summer’s not over yet!), the atmosphere at George Washington University School of Law was full of promise, excitement, and opportunity.

After an exciting round of icebreaking Bingo to get a chance to know more about the other student leaders in the room, LSRJ National Office staff members Mariko Miki and Jill Adams set a great tone for the day with an overview of LSRJ and a primer of the fundamental elements of reproductive justice. Both sessions provided attendees with a common framework to engage in the variety of afternoon sessions.  During lunch, several caucuses on issues such as fundraising, new chapters, law students of color, and ideologically or religiously conservative campuses allowed members to dig deep into specific issues facing their chapters and collaborate on creative solutions.  Attendees were presented with opportunities to improve their leadership skills and discover tools to engage and recruit students on their campus through workshops on coalition building, effective messaging, and blogging techniques. (more…)

The theme of this year’s Law Students for Reproductive Justice Leadership Institute is “Justice Doesn’t Just Happen.” When I first heard the theme, I was enthusiastic because it reminded me that I am becoming educated for a worthwhile purpose that is larger than myself. I immediately knew that I would arrive in Washington, D.C. and find people that are energized, creative and passionate about making a positive difference in the world.  I could not wait to re-connect with the larger community of reproductive justice advocates.

Then I wondered, why doesn’t justice just happen?  Why is it that when we make laws, it is hard to remember that different people will be impacted differently?  Why is it that some people work to purposefully restrict access to resources and rights for others?  Why do we need to organize around a large variety of human rights issues?  Why will many of us be able to make careers around protecting people’s rights to reproductive health, access and freedom?

Personally, I occasionally get distracted from the immediate work by larger questions of humanity.  For instance, how did we arrive at the year 2010 without a healthy respect for each other?  How are we still harboring the fear that there is just not enough for everyone and so we better just grab:  grab power, grab resources, grab money?  But the truth is, people have made progress in learning about and even appreciating one another in the last few hundred years.  The important part is that I end the day with hope that we can continue to move forward and that I can make a difference, especially when I am given so many tools by LSRJ along my journey.

Jessica Wilkerson

I am not a worthless piece of trash, but rather a valuable asset to people, families, the community—and the world. I hope that my story will help to alleviate the disgraceful practice of shackling women during labor, which in turn will help alleviate the negative behaviors of prison guards and hospital staff toward women who give birth while incarcerated.—Kimberly Mays

As of this spring, thanks to women like Kimberly Mays and fellow reproductive justice advocates across the state, Washington state can boast two large victories against the practice of shackling pregnant incarcerated women. On March 23, 2010, the Governor signed into law HB 2747 which bans the use of restraints on female inmates in labor or post-partum recovery, making Washington only the 7^th state in the nation to pass anti-shackling legislation. Just a couple of weeks ago, Legal Voice, a women’s rights organization based out a of Seattle, sent a press-release confirming that on May 3, 2010, the federal district court agreed that shackling laboring women violates the Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. The Department of Corrections also agreed to pay plaintiff, Casandra Brawley, $125,000 to settle her lawsuit. But, nationwide, jails and prisons and immigration detention centers continue to put non-violent women in restraints such as leg irons and wrist shackles during childbirth. Pregnant women are shackled on the way to the hospital, while they are giving birth, and during recovery.

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Last week, University of San Diego LSRJ lured over 120 people to our last event of the semester with a sultry title, Chipotle, and a raffle for chocolate body paint, but the attendees stayed for a substantive conversation about the evolution and limitations of the constitutional “right to privacy.”

The split between the 5^th and 11^th Circuits over Lawrence v. Texas’ application to the sale and promotion of sex toys spawned “My Body, My Bedroom.”  Whereas the 11^th Circuit ruled in Williams v. Attorney General of Alabama, 378 F.3d 1232 (5th Cir. 2004), that Lawrence does not protect the sale of sex toys, the 5^th Circuit examined the question in Reliable Consultants, Inc. v. Earle, 517 F.3d 738 (11th Cir. 2008), and came to the opposite conclusion.

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On April 1, 2009, I stood in front of a room full of my friends and peers, lured by the promise of cookies and baked goods, and timidly proclaimed that I was beginning a new chapter of Law Students for Reproductive Justice (LSRJ) at our school, Thomas Jefferson School of Law (TJSL) in San Diego

Coming upon LSRJ at the time that I did was a matter of fate.  I started playing roller derby during my first year of law school as a stress reliever.  Within about nine months of joining the local league, I was sitting on the sidelines with a pulled muscle and spending a significant amount of time undergoing rehabilitation.  It suddenly dawned on me that I was halfway through law school and all I had to show for it were some healing bruises and a weak groin.  I met with my career counselor who was aware that I was interested in practicing surrogacy and family formation law.  In her research prior to our meeting, she came across an organization called Law Students for Reproductive Justice.  She asked if I had heard of it—I hadn’t.  She navigated to the fact sheets located on LSRJ’s webpage and showed me that this organization focused on a myriad issues including assisted reproductive technology.  This piqued my curiosity so I went home and researched LSRJ.  I sent an inquiry to the national office, and the TJSL Chapter was born. (more…)

On January 1, 2010, I began a three-year service on the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties.  Last week, I experienced my first event as an official board member by attending the President’s Council Speaker Series at one of our local affiliates.  I was one of the first to arrive, and since I am new to the board, I only knew a handful of people.  However, I eventually found myself speaking with Dawn and Connie, two members of the community who feel incredibly committed to serving Planned Parenthood and its mission.  They recounted how they worked as volunteers for Planned Parenthood when they were in college in the 70’s and now that they are retired, they are feeling an urge to volunteer again.  These women were lovely to speak with; they were funny, intelligent, and passionate.  And then Dawn said, “Now tell me, Jenn.  Why are you the youngest person in this room?  Why aren’t more people your age here?”  I turned around and noticed that the reception area had filled with more than a hundred people in the time I had spent getting to know my new acquaintances . . . and they were right.  Aside from the Planned Parenthood staff, I was the youngest guest in attendance—it was easy to tell that everyone else was from a completely different generation.  And then it really hit me—why am I the only 20-something in this room?  Why aren’t my peers more represented?  Why aren’t more law students here? Aren’t law students interested in protecting “people’s rights”?

            Law students are busy.*  There’s no denying that.  And it can be difficult to motivate students to attend an event where there may not be many lawyers present.  But women (and men) worked hard to gain the rights my generation often takes for granted.  We forget that there was a time when our mothers and grandmothers couldn’t walk into their nearest health clinic and walk out with a year supply of birth control, no questions asked.  Many of us may enjoy certain rights today, but that doesn’t mean those rights aren’t limited for many people out there or can be taken away from the rest of us.  There are people out there actively opposing us and trying to limit our rights . . . especially our right to control our reproductive freedom.  I shouldn’t be the only 20-something in a room full of reproductive rights advocates and supporters.  I urge those of you who want to get more involved but haven’t been able to find the time, to make the time. 

*I realize that people may read this who are not law students.  However, this is the lens I am applying since I am a law student, surrounded on a daily basis by other law students.

Jenn Kish