he Scale +65 MCCA WEIGHS IN ON THE NEWS Law Schools Are Going Global


T is January a program called Law Without Walls will bring together stu- dents from the University of Miami Law School; Peking University School of Transnational Law in Shenzhen, China; Harvard Law School; Fordham University School of Law; New York Law School; and University College London to discuss problems within legal education and the profession. T e point of the program is for students to work across borders while learning the basics of business and entrepre- neurship. T e program represents a shift in preparing students for an international work environment. More schools will realize that the profession has gone global and that young lawyers need more than just a solid foundation of U.S. law. +1


“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Military Policy Repealed


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President Obama signed the landmark repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, handing a major victory to advocates of gay rights. In remarks before the bill’s signing, Obama said “No longer will our country be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans who are forced to leave the military—regard- less of their skills, no matter their bravery or their zeal, no matter their years of exemplary performance—because they happen to be gay. No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie, or look over their shoulder in order to serve the country that they love.” +4


Despite Media Hype, Women Lose Ground in Congress


T is election cycle was unkind to a number of groups: T e Senate will once again have no African Americans and the House will have considerably fewer veterans. But perhaps the biggest surprise, given the media coverage of Sarah Palin, is that the number of women in Congress decreased for the fi rst time in 30 years. Women waded steadily into politics from 1971 until 1991, culminating with the famous Year of the Woman in the 1992 election. T at fall, 24 new women were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and fi ve to the Senate. But in retrospect, that election was more a high-water mark than harbinger of things to come. Women’s political participation has been fl at-lining ever since. State legislatures across the country have experienced the largest single drop in the percentage of women serving since the Center for American Women and Politics began collecting data in 1971. -3


THIS ISSUE’S READING: +1 LAST ISSUE: +64 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 DIVERSITY & THE BAR® MCCA.COM


Transgender Basketball Player Welcomed on and off Court


Kye Allums, who plays on George Washington University’s women’s basketball team, is believed to be the fi rst Division I college basketball player to go public about being a transgender person. Allums, a junior guard from Hugo, Minn., said none of the feedback he has received has been negative. Because he opted to forgo hormone treatments or surgery until after his eligibility has expired, Allums will continue to play for the Colonials. +1


“Dream Act” Blocked by Senate


T e Senate blocked a bill that would have created a path to citizenship for certain young illegal immigrants who came to the United States as chil- dren, completed two years of college or military service, and met other requirements, including a criminal background check. Supporters said they will continue to press for it, either on its own or as part of a wide immigration overhaul that may hap- pen next year. -2


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