The Cornell Law Library is pleased to announce the 2015 recipients of The Cornell Law Library Robert Cantwell Prize for Exemplary Student Research:
First Prize:
“Nobody’s Saying We’re Opposed to Complying”: Barriers to University Compliance with VAWA and Title IX, by Charlotte Savino, 2L
Charlotte Savino researched a complex array of historical and contemporary sources to take on the timely topic of sexual assault on college campuses.
Savino examined potential barriers university administrators face complying with federal sexual assault legislation such as the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Title IX. She synthesized a trove of legislative, administrative and judicial sources to examine federal government’s efforts to address sexual assault on the national level and the potential logistical and legal barriers those efforts present to universities seeking to comply. Building on that analysis, Savino explored the current political climate’s impact on future legislation and the financial and legal consequences of universities’ action or inaction in addressing sexual assault.
Most rewardingly, Savino explained that her research facilitated a deeper understanding of administrative and education law. “I am most proud of how this research prepared me to have meaningful and insightful discussions with the policymakers at Cornell who are doing the same kind of research and coordination among government guidance documents and regulations,” she said.
Second Prize:
Don’t Forget About the Jury: Advice for Civil Litigators and Criminal Prosecutors on Differences in State and Federal Courts in New York, by Ariel Atlas, 2L
Ariel Atlas’ research involved statistical analysis of whether or not there are appreciable differences between state and federal juries in New York.
Atlas’ approach required developing a diverse collection of traditional legal and interdisciplinary sources, including United States Census Bureau census data (available on a county-level, and then aggregated to match the four federal New York district courts), New York state jury statistics, jury procedures and case law addressing challenges to the constitutional right of a fair trial, as well as scholarly literature.
She used her research to test her hypothesis that there are considerable demographic differences between the county/state and the federal courts in New York. Ultimately, she concludes that “the jury afforded to a criminal defendant differs depending on the type of crime—state or federal—that the defendant commits” (pp. 24-25), while in civil cases differences in the jury pool between state and federal courts vary from county to county.
About the Cantwell Prize:
A review panel comprised of Librarians Amy Emerson, Matt Morrison, Nina Scholtz, and Mark Williams selected the winners from among 14 competitive entries.
Funding for the Prize is provided by an endowment given to the Law Library by Barbara Cantwell in honor of her late husband, Robert Cantwell, a 1956 graduate of Cornell Law School.
In addition to receiving a monetary award, the winners are invited to publish their papers in Scholarship@Cornell Law, the Law Library’s digital repository, and to feature their papers in Reading Room displays.
