Rutgers Law Professor Chrystin Ondersma reimagines household debt that opens a new path to financial security for all Americans in her new book Dignity Not Debt: An Abolitionist Approach to Economic Justice. Weaving together the histories and trends of U.S. debt policy with her own family story, she debunks the myths that have long governed debt policy, like the belief that debt leads to prosperity or the claim that bad debt is the result of bad choices. Find out how Professor Ondersma's book could revolutionize how policymakers think about debt, thereby changing the legal landscape, in this Q&A by the publisher, University of California Press.

Private First Class Jahvaughn Chedale Gabbidon achieved his dream of becoming a U.S. citizen after serving nearly two years in the U.S. Army. “I decided to become a [U.S.] citizen because I want to be a part of America,” the Jamaica native said.

The Rutgers Law School International Human Rights Clinic sent a formal request for an investigation to two United Nations Investigative Bodies: the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls and the Commission Against Torture. The request urges them to investigate the United States’ failure to investigate rape, and to test and process “rape kits.”

This year, the UPCEA Outstanding Professional, Continuing, and/or Online Education Student Award will be presented to Joshua Perez, who recently earned Rutgers Law School’s Certificate in Cannabis Law and Business. Perez will receive this award at the 2024 UPCEA Annual Conference later this month in Boston, Massachusetts. Each year, the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) awards individuals and institutions for their achievements in innovative programming, leadership, teaching, online learning, and more.

On Sunday, the 2024 entertainment awards season will culminate with the live broadcast of the 2024 Academy Awards. Each year, millions of television viewers tune in to the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, Tonys, and Golden Globes for a taste of Hollywood’s glitz and glamor. That global fascination is the subject of a new Rutgers study, which examines the cottage industry of entertainment awards and explains how the law plays a pivotal role in nearly every aspect of show business’s most glamorous microeconomy.

The New Jersey State Bar Foundation awarded more than $4 million in multi-year grants to fund new and existing law school clinics at Rutgers Law School in both Camden and Newark.

Two Rutgers Law students were selected as New Jersey State Bar Foundation (NJSBF) post-graduate law fellows who will work with nonprofit organizations on public interest legal matters. Elias Bull '24 (Newark) will join Make the Road New Jersey to work on community education and group litigation to protect and support immigrant and low-income tenants. Joelle Paull '24 (Camden) will join the Fair Share Housing Center to help address the housing shortage for New Jersey's lowest income residents by preserving existing affordable homes, working to extend affordability controls, and conducting outreach on New Jersey's affirmative marketing standards and enformcement mechanisms. 

In the thick of the Information Age, the Rutgers Institute for Information Policy and Law (RIIPL) is a much-needed hub for interdisciplinary research and policy work, illuminating legal issues impacting software, media, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and more. But for two alumni, RIIPL was a jumping off point for prestigious careers in pharmaceuticals.

Erinmarie Byrnes ‘23 always had a passion for social justice, and knew she wanted to dedicate her legal career to serving communities in need. Unfortunately, this path is incredibly difficult for new attorneys because the nonprofit sector often lacks the time and resources needed to pay, train, and mentor them. But Byrnes is meeting this challenge head-on thanks to the Maida Postgraduate Public Interest Fellowship, a two-year program specifically designed to support and sustain public interest legal work by graduates of Rutgers Law School.

For new attorneys, a judicial clerkship is an experience like no other. It’s an opportunity to intimately understand the judicial system, collaborate closely with a judge, and fine tune various legal skills in a unique environment. That said, even applying for one of these positions can be overwhelming, and not just because it’s highly competitive—most applicants find themselves juggling a law school career or a full-time position while also compiling and tracking several applications at various stages. The good news is that Rutgers Law School’s Center for Career Development can help carry some of the load.

Please join us in celebrating the distinguished careers of Rutgers Law School faculty who are retiring soon or have retired this past academic year. Each professor has left an indelible mark on the law school community and the legal field around the world.

Whether they met on campus or attended as a married couple, these pairs journeyed through Rutgers Law School together and emerged stronger.