TJSL Student Published in Major Law Journal

February 19, 2014

Congratulations to third-year TJSL Criminal Law Fellow Samantha I. Morales on her recent publication in Seattle University School of Law’s American Indian Law Journal, a major law journal focused on Native American issues.

Morales’s article “Until Yesterday: Deterring and Healing the Cyclical Gender-Based Violence in Indian Country” discusses the advances and limitations of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in protecting Native women from violent crimes.

“Ms. Morales’s paper addresses one of the most serious and important social and law enforcement problems affecting Native American communities across the United States,” said Professor Bryan H. Wildenthal.

“Native women have spent generations enduring extremely high levels of gender-based violence without adequate legal protections or remedies. That is appalling and unacceptable,” said Morales — who originally wrote the paper for Professor Wildenthal’s American Indian Law Course last spring before interning for the Department of Justice’s Office of Tribal Justice in Washington, D.C. last summer.

“I am extremely honored by Seattle University’s recognition and opportunity to share my work which highlights my passion for advocating on behalf victims of violent crimes,” said Morales.

“This is a great example of a Thomas Jefferson student combining legal research and writing skills with passion for an important social issue to produce a publication that will benefit lawyers and policymakers nationwide,” said Professor Wildenthal.