Professor Marcy Karin, Director of the Work-Life Policy Unit in the Civil Justice Clinic at the
College of

Marcy Karin Carissa Byrne Hessick

Law, and Professor Carissa Byrne Hessick wrote an opinion article for The
Arizona Republic, titled “Karin and Hessick: Returning vets need jobs, help with courts.”

In the Nov. 9 article, Karin and Hessick said unemployment is a major problem for returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, with an 11.7 percent national unemployment rate.

They called for additional support from Arizona lawmakers in employment and criminal justice services for veterans.

“[Veteran’s] laws and programs are critical,” the authors stated. “Unfortunately, many employers and veterans do not know about them, their requirements or how to enforce their protections. Nor do they go far enough to meet veterans' employment needs. We must do more to keep veterans working.”

Karin and Hessick also highlighted the need for support in the courts system for veterans, as they pose a lower risk in reoffending, and deserve gratitude for their service.

“Arizona should follow the example of states like North Carolina and Tennessee and amend Arizona Statute 13-701 to identify military service as a mitigating sentencing factor,” they wrote. “This would allow judges to use their discretion when imposing lower sentences for veterans as appropriate.”

Read more here.

Karin teaches and researches workplace law, policy and practice, administrative advocacy, legislative lawyering, and women’s legal history. Her responsibilities include supervising student attorneys in the Civil Justice Clinic working on economic security, housing and consumer matters for low-income and military families. She is regularly invited to speak about the role of thoughtful public policy in these areas and is listed in the Sloan Network’s Who’s Who in Work and Family.

Hessick joined the College of Law faculty in 2007 after spending two years as a Climenko Fellow at Harvard Law School. Her research focuses on aggravation and mitigation at sentencing. She teaches criminal law and criminal procedure, and in 2009 she was voted outstanding teacher of the year by the graduating third year students.