Rachel Lopez
@rlopez.bsky.social
Law prof writing on intl law, human rights, crim law, & participatory law scholarship.
Things I've written:
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2211717
Things I've written:
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2211717
Took a late night flight back from Guatemala to make it back in time to see my longtime co-author Terrell graduate from Drexel with a master’s in creative writing. Hard to believe that only three years ago he was serving a life sentence. What a joy to be a part of his journey and this moment!
June 12, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Took a late night flight back from Guatemala to make it back in time to see my longtime co-author Terrell graduate from Drexel with a master’s in creative writing. Hard to believe that only three years ago he was serving a life sentence. What a joy to be a part of his journey and this moment!
The Guatemalan human rights defenders remarked on how much it meant to them too, giving them a chance to reflect on how far they've come & how to better strategize for the future.
So much gratitude to Temple for funding this & to my co-author Geoff Dancy for his partnership in this research.
So much gratitude to Temple for funding this & to my co-author Geoff Dancy for his partnership in this research.
June 10, 2025 at 10:43 PM
The Guatemalan human rights defenders remarked on how much it meant to them too, giving them a chance to reflect on how far they've come & how to better strategize for the future.
So much gratitude to Temple for funding this & to my co-author Geoff Dancy for his partnership in this research.
So much gratitude to Temple for funding this & to my co-author Geoff Dancy for his partnership in this research.
Today I had the immense privilege of presenting decades worth of research on Guatemalan transitional justice to the human rights and indigenous rights advocates who pushed for accountability on the ground. It reminded me of why I do this work & how important it is to bring research back to its home.
June 10, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Today I had the immense privilege of presenting decades worth of research on Guatemalan transitional justice to the human rights and indigenous rights advocates who pushed for accountability on the ground. It reminded me of why I do this work & how important it is to bring research back to its home.
The best conference so far this year! Congratulations to @ninareiners.bsky.social & @debremaria.bsky.social on fostering such a rich interdisciplinary discussion on this timely topic!
Not to mention an incredible opening event at the historic Norwegian Nobel Institute!
Not to mention an incredible opening event at the historic Norwegian Nobel Institute!
June 5, 2025 at 9:16 AM
The best conference so far this year! Congratulations to @ninareiners.bsky.social & @debremaria.bsky.social on fostering such a rich interdisciplinary discussion on this timely topic!
Not to mention an incredible opening event at the historic Norwegian Nobel Institute!
Not to mention an incredible opening event at the historic Norwegian Nobel Institute!
In this time of polarization and democratic decay, how might legal educators cultivate more citizen lawyers like Kneedler?
My latest *now published* in the Minn. L. Rev. argues that we need to better equip our students to facilitate dialogue & contest the law.
minnesotalawreview.org/article/crit...
My latest *now published* in the Minn. L. Rev. argues that we need to better equip our students to facilitate dialogue & contest the law.
minnesotalawreview.org/article/crit...
May 1, 2025 at 6:16 PM
In this time of polarization and democratic decay, how might legal educators cultivate more citizen lawyers like Kneedler?
My latest *now published* in the Minn. L. Rev. argues that we need to better equip our students to facilitate dialogue & contest the law.
minnesotalawreview.org/article/crit...
My latest *now published* in the Minn. L. Rev. argues that we need to better equip our students to facilitate dialogue & contest the law.
minnesotalawreview.org/article/crit...
So proud of my friend and sister in law Professor Wendy Greene @wendy who is giving the keynote at Duane Morris’s George Boyer Vashon Lecture! Always a treat to grow from her wisdom!
April 25, 2025 at 8:40 PM
So proud of my friend and sister in law Professor Wendy Greene @wendy who is giving the keynote at Duane Morris’s George Boyer Vashon Lecture! Always a treat to grow from her wisdom!
To vote without registering, just hit "skip for now"
Here's the abstract:
Here's the abstract:
April 19, 2025 at 2:46 PM
To vote without registering, just hit "skip for now"
Here's the abstract:
Here's the abstract:
Our findings reveal a paradox. While prosecutions of state officials are associated with some pro-democracy outcomes, like increased civil society activism and pro-democratic mobilization, they are also associated with greater political polarization and anti-system backlash.
March 10, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Our findings reveal a paradox. While prosecutions of state officials are associated with some pro-democracy outcomes, like increased civil society activism and pro-democratic mobilization, they are also associated with greater political polarization and anti-system backlash.
These cases are not just relics of the past. In The Paradox of Punishing for a Democratic Future, we show how these cases continue to impact democratic institutions and behaviors in Guatemala today, both increasing political engagement, but galvanizing anti-democratic backlash.
March 10, 2025 at 3:14 PM
These cases are not just relics of the past. In The Paradox of Punishing for a Democratic Future, we show how these cases continue to impact democratic institutions and behaviors in Guatemala today, both increasing political engagement, but galvanizing anti-democratic backlash.
As of this morning (see live action shot), The Guatemala Atrocity Trials Archive is now up Princeton University Library: dpul.princeton.edu/guatemala_at...
It is comprised of court records from the ground-breaking atrocity trials in Guatemala’s domestic courts that I collected starting in 2016.
It is comprised of court records from the ground-breaking atrocity trials in Guatemala’s domestic courts that I collected starting in 2016.
March 10, 2025 at 3:14 PM
As of this morning (see live action shot), The Guatemala Atrocity Trials Archive is now up Princeton University Library: dpul.princeton.edu/guatemala_at...
It is comprised of court records from the ground-breaking atrocity trials in Guatemala’s domestic courts that I collected starting in 2016.
It is comprised of court records from the ground-breaking atrocity trials in Guatemala’s domestic courts that I collected starting in 2016.
I’m taking this as NOLA preparing for a Bird’s win! Fly Eagles Fly!
February 9, 2025 at 10:45 PM
I’m taking this as NOLA preparing for a Bird’s win! Fly Eagles Fly!
Posting for no other reason than this makes me smile… finding joy in the small places.
February 8, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Posting for no other reason than this makes me smile… finding joy in the small places.
Hard to get her to go home!
January 6, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Hard to get her to go home!
Nothing better than a birthday care package from home! 🥰🥰🥰
December 5, 2024 at 3:05 AM
Nothing better than a birthday care package from home! 🥰🥰🥰
One of the articles I'm most proud of is now out in the world as the lead article in the latest volume of the Minnesota Law Review thanks to its wonderful editors.
Co-authoring it w/ Rell Carter fundamentally altered how I think about the production of knowledge.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Co-authoring it w/ Rell Carter fundamentally altered how I think about the production of knowledge.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
December 4, 2024 at 2:24 PM
One of the articles I'm most proud of is now out in the world as the lead article in the latest volume of the Minnesota Law Review thanks to its wonderful editors.
Co-authoring it w/ Rell Carter fundamentally altered how I think about the production of knowledge.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Co-authoring it w/ Rell Carter fundamentally altered how I think about the production of knowledge.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
To illustrate this, Songster explains how the legal frameworks that he and others serving what they term "death by incarceration" sentences (& documented in our PLS piece Redeeming Justice) have been adopted by United Nations human rights bodies. For example:
November 21, 2024 at 4:22 PM
To illustrate this, Songster explains how the legal frameworks that he and others serving what they term "death by incarceration" sentences (& documented in our PLS piece Redeeming Justice) have been adopted by United Nations human rights bodies. For example:
It situates PLS within the framework of “demosprudence”—a concept developed by Lani Guinier and co-author Torres that examines how ordinary people, often acting collectively, participate in making legal meaning by shifting societal narratives that inform the law.
November 21, 2024 at 4:22 PM
It situates PLS within the framework of “demosprudence”—a concept developed by Lani Guinier and co-author Torres that examines how ordinary people, often acting collectively, participate in making legal meaning by shifting societal narratives that inform the law.
What a treat to be able to spend two hours discussing my latest paper on the Paradox of Punishing for a Democratic Future @ the Global Justice Workshop at Harvard Law! It was a such rich discussion on critical topics of the day with students from around the world!
November 18, 2024 at 10:59 PM
What a treat to be able to spend two hours discussing my latest paper on the Paradox of Punishing for a Democratic Future @ the Global Justice Workshop at Harvard Law! It was a such rich discussion on critical topics of the day with students from around the world!
Tomorrow is going to be a big day for Participatory Law Scholarship!
Columbia Law Review is hosting an Author Talk to highlight our two forthcoming PLS pieces, including my piece describing this emerging movement: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
If you're in NYC, hope you will join us!
Columbia Law Review is hosting an Author Talk to highlight our two forthcoming PLS pieces, including my piece describing this emerging movement: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
If you're in NYC, hope you will join us!
October 16, 2023 at 2:39 PM
Tomorrow is going to be a big day for Participatory Law Scholarship!
Columbia Law Review is hosting an Author Talk to highlight our two forthcoming PLS pieces, including my piece describing this emerging movement: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
If you're in NYC, hope you will join us!
Columbia Law Review is hosting an Author Talk to highlight our two forthcoming PLS pieces, including my piece describing this emerging movement: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
If you're in NYC, hope you will join us!