Andrea Branson, Esq. – Pitt Law 2012 and former Senior Editor JURIST
Andrea Branson, Esq. – Pitt Law 2012 and former Senior Editor

JURIST’s public service mission is to give people the tools they need to educate themselves about the law. To meet this goal, a team of law student volunteers and professional staff work round-the-clock to write, edit, and post legal new updates and in-depth legal articles in an accurate and unbiased format. As a nonprofit organization with a small budget, JURIST still manages to present the information without advertising. The website covers the big news and the news that is often overlooked by the major news outlets and gives readers more depth on key issues with links to original sources and helpful backgrounders. And all for free.

As a former law student volunteer, I can tell you that an impressive amount of hard work and professionalism goes into making JURIST run at peak level, 365 days a year. Behind that drive is a deep commitment to serving the public and putting the law within everyone’s reach. But the volunteers and staff can only go so far to promote these goals with their time and effort. JURIST also needs financing to continue the hard work and to keep the website free to the public and without the bias of advertising.

I donate to JURIST to preserve its mission of delivering free and accessible legal information. Please consider joining me in making a gift to this exceptional nonprofit. Together, we can support documenting law to empower people.

Andrea Branson, Esq.
Pitt Law 2012

THIS DAY @ LAW

Line of Demarcation divides the New World between Spain and Portugal

On May 4, 1493, Pope Alexander VI promulgated the Line of Demarcation, dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal in response the return of Christopher Columbus from his discovery of the American continents. However, neither country was entirely satisfied with the placement of the Line. A year later on June 7, 1494, the two nations signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, which moved the Line of Demarcation further west, giving Portugal claim to Brazil.

Kent State student shootings precipitated lawsuits

On May 4, 1970, National Guardsmen at Kent State University opened fire on students protesting the US invasion of Cambodia, killing four.

Review a legal chronology of the Kent State shootings, from May 5, 1970 (the day the FBI investigation started) to January 4, 1979 (the day the state of Ohio reached an out-of-court settlement for $675,000 with victims and relatives of victims).