Interview with Arlie Russell Hochschild: American Sociologist and Author of “Strangers in Their Own Land”

Interview by Michaela Shelton (PO’ 21), Staff Writer and Jerry Yan (PO’18), Senior Editor Arlie Hochschild is an American sociologist and academic. She currently serves as Professor Emerita of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. Hochschild’s areas of expertise primarily consist of social psychology and the sociology of emotions, gender, and politics. She has authored nine books,…

Evenwel v. Abbott: The Future of “One Person, One Vote” and the Role of the Courts

By: Jerry Yan (PO ’18) and Zachariah Oquenda (CMC ’16) FOREWORD It seems obvious that every citizen in the United States is entitled to an equally-weighted vote, regardless of age, race, sex, or socioeconomic status. But, as far as the courts are concerned, the concept of an equally-weighted vote did not emerge until relatively recently.…

Scalia’s Death and This Year’s Docket

Written by: Jerry Yan, PO ‘18 Every term, the Supreme Court’s docket contains cases that have the potential to redefine the American political landscape. Oftentimes, these cases are resolved by a Court split 5-4: four conservative justices on one side, four liberal justices on one side, and Justice Kennedy in the middle. However, Scalia’s passing…

The Relationship Between Lawyers and Democracy: A Response to Alexis de Tocqueville

Written by: Jerry Yan, PO ’18 From day one, lawyers have fundamentally reshaped American political discourse. Countless lawyers have been elected judges, and lawsuits have reformed prisons, struck down abortion laws, decided elections, and forced a president to resign. In Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville argues that lawyers should play fundamental role in shaping…

Criminal Intent at Pomona College

By: Jerry Yan, PO ’18 Two maxims are central to the practice of criminal law: “beyond a reasonable doubt” and “innocent until proven guilty.” Both have appeared in countless movies, TV shows, and news articles. A third concept, equally important but less ubiquitous, is that a person should only be punished if he or she…