Anne Traum

What's the most important thing you are working on right now?

My latest article, which will be published in Cornell Law Review, focuses on the emerging role of federal courts as a venue for state criminal justice reform litigation. For decades, federal courts refused to hear––based on federalism principles-––civil rights cases challenging important issues in state criminal proceedings, including money bail, debtors’ prison, and the adequacy of indigent defense services. Thanks to some innovative civil rights advocacy, that is now changing. Federal courts are embracing a new kind of federalism, what I call “distributed federalism.” Instead of relying on federalism as a gatekeeper to block cases, courts are relying on federalism at all stages to shape rights and remedies. The good news is that federal courts seem to be removing a major roadblock to vindicating constitutional rights, but the path forward may still be rocky.

How do your teaching and service relate?

I love appellate litigation, so working on pro bono cases with my students and lawyers in the community is a real passion. I helped found the Nevada Appellate Pro Bono Program in 2013 and last spring created a new course in which I paired students to work on pro bono appeals with fantastic appellate lawyers. Over the summer, I helped my former student, Nick Shook, ’13, prepare for his first oral argument before the Nevada Court of Appeals. It was a Boyd family affair: Nick hired two students, Justin Berkman and Greer Sullivan, to help out and we recruited several lawyers to moot him, including Jackie Gilbert and Kelly Dove, both ’07. The Boyd team effort made his eventual victory all the more sweet. I’m so proud of what this law school is accomplishing in our community.

How have you stayed sane during the quarantine?

Camping is our family’s secret weapon. We spent more nights camping this summer than we have in years: hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and backpacking. Being in nature is the perfect way to reset. Nothing beats the quarantine doldrums like swimming in an alpine lake or pitching a tent just in time to take cover from an impending storm. I love the mix of being together and the solitude of wild places.