We are thrilled to share the Professor Deb Cantrell recently released her latest book, Emotions, Activism, and Social Change. The book  explores the role of anger in social activism, drawing from sociology, psychology, philosophy, and law. It contrasts activists' view of anger as a signal of commitment and justice with critics who see it as irrational and dangerous. The book suggests that perceptions of anger reflect societal power dynamics and rules on emotional labor, particularly around race and gender. It proposes shifting focus from individual emotions to relational contexts, offering new practices for using anger effectively in driving social change, including examples of legal reforms.

Learn more about the book in the following interview with Professor Cantrell. 

What inspired you to write this book? Was there a particular moment or movement?

DC: I was inspired to write my book for a few reasons. I have experience as an advocate in a few different social movements. Like most activists, sometimes I felt empowered and energized by the work, while other times I felt ineffective and demoralized. Writing this book gave me a chance to step back and reflect on those shared activist experiences and try to unpack them, especially because the emotions involved were so conspicuous. 

Next, I always am intrigued when I encounter contradictory narratives, and there are some prominent ones in social movement work. For example, “you can only be a good activist if you’re angry” compared to “angry activists aren’t helpful because they act irrationally.” My book gave me a chance to dig into why those kinds of contradictions exist and how each could be accurate and inaccurate at the same time. 

Finally, I have found the last handful of years very challenging in terms of how often social discourse is antagonistic and unyielding. I wanted to see if I could offer some thoughts about how to disrupt that pattern—whether within social movement work or beyond. 

 Why did you choose to focus particularly on anger among the range of emotions involved in activism? What makes anger a pivotal emotion in social movements?

DC: I suppose I’d note first that, to me, the book focuses as much on love (or lovingkindness) as it does on anger. To my mind, those two emotions travel together in social movement work. The lead chapters of the book start with anger because my own experience and the research both suggest that anger often is the emotion that comes most readily to mind when we think about social activism. And, it’s an emotion that generates complicated and competing beliefs for people. So, I thought it would be helpful and necessary to spend some time unpacking those beliefs about anger before offering thoughts about love.

Can you provide a specific example from the book of social change involving changing the law, and how this demonstrates the way in which a new approach to anger can be effective? 

DC: My main worry about anger leading activism is that it discourages activists from building a large enough group of supporters to be able to have the power to change the law. I argue that anger fosters disconnection, but social change requires expanding connection. I offer the marriage equality movement as an example of how social change typically requires people to come together across a range of perspectives in order to actually have enough power (political and otherwise) to change the law. I describe how efforts by lesbian mothers in the ‘60s and ‘70s to successfully litigate for their parental rights laid some foundation for the idea that a “family” could be something other than a married heterosexual couple with children. That expanded idea of “family” gained traction in the LGBTQ community and stimulated conversations about redefining marriage and changing laws to allow for “gay” marriage or “same sex” marriage. That then triggered notable social and political backlash, including in our own state of Colorado. 

To move forward, advocates had to build a bigger coalition and that included bringing in more folks beyond the LGBTQ community. The conversation about “same sex” marriage became one about “marriage equality”—a subtle shift, but one that put the focus on the dignity of any two people who wished to commit to a marriage, and that shift built connections beyond the LGBTQ community. But, that shift also meant that activists within the LGBTQ community needed to set aside disagreements about whether marriage did, or did not, reflect a history of paternalism that was too problematic to ever support. Those disagreements within the community often were heated. I argue that the marriage equality movement succeeded not because the disagreements about marriage were resolved, but because enough people believed that there was common ground on which to build connections and solidarity. In turn, that brought in more people, which built the power needed to change laws.

Based on your research, where do you see the future of activism heading, particularly concerning the role of emotions?

DC: My own view of “activism” is that it is less an object that can be studied and is more a dynamic and constantly changing set of interactions between humans who do and don’t agree with each other. So, I continue to be very interested in the dimensions of human relationality that seem to be most critical to community building. I think one of the most important take-aways that I have from working with the terrific body of research out there on social movements is that no one perspective tells us everything. I hope the perspective that I offer in my book about emotions is useful. Even more, I’m hoping that it prompts responses that then help me refine my knowledge. I’m eager to see where that takes my research.

What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

DC: All of us, all the time, are part of webs of relationships. Relationality is part of what it means to be a human being, and it is a less a choice, and more a fact. We are more likely to flourish if we can engage our webs of relationships positively and supportively, but that also means we have to be open to finding common ground with others. We find common ground less often through anger, and more often through lovingkindness. Social change requires a big tent in which people cultivate unexpected connections instead of valorizing unnecessary differences. So, find ways to interrupt habits that rely on caustic anger and replace them with habits that sound in more connective emotions, like lovingkindness. 

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Faculty publications

Maryam Jamshidi,  2024 U. Chi. Legal F. 161 (Westlaw login required).

Melanie Kay, Ronald M. Sandgrund, & Lindley Brenza (participants),  Colorado Lawyer 20 (Dec. 2024).

Media Mentions

T. Markus Funk [Colorado Law adjunct] & Ella Ulhade,  (January 4, 2025, Bloomberg Law).

[Blake Reid], Adi Robertson,  The Verge (Jan. 10, 2025).

[Blake Reid], Makena Kelly,  Wired (Jan. 10, 2025).

[Blake Reid], (Jan. 10, 2025)(Blake Reid & tech reporter Brian Fung debrief arguments on Twitch, Reid appearance begins around 3:16:50).

Faculty & Staff Activities 

Paul Campos, Lawyers, Guns, & Money (Jan. 3-10), blog posts 

Christopher Mueller received the 2025  (awarded at the AALS Annual Meeting).

Schultz Lecture in Energy with Tommy Beaudreau, GWC (upcoming, Feb. 25, 2025). 

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Widely recognized for its intellectual diversity and originality, the faculty at Colorado Law encompasses an array of prominent legal scholars who are widely cited, both in academia and throughout the national media landscape. We invite you to catch up on the latest faculty publications and media mentions with this weekly round up.

Faculty Publications 

T. Markus Funk [Colorado Law adjunct],  Ohio St. L. J. (2025).

Jennifer Hendricks,  51 Hastings Const. L.Q. 177 (2024).

Derek Kiernan-Johnson,  5 Proceedings 18 (2024).

Media Mentions

[T. Markus Funk]. Thy Vo,  Law360 (December 17, 2024) (discussing Colorado adjunct Markus Funk as a contender for US Attorney).

[Sarah Matsumoto], Bobby Macgill, , Bloomberg Law (Dec. 31, 2024).

[Wadie Said], Nimo Omer,  The Guardian (Dec. 30, 2024).

[Mark Squillace & Andrew Teegarden, GWC], Heather Sackett,  Aspen Journalism (Jan. 2, 2025)(Lexis login required).

[Korey Wise Innocence Project], Sam Tabachnik, , Denver Post (Dec. 24, 2024).

Faculty and Staff Activities 

Paul Campos, Lawyers, Guns, & Money (Dec. 20-Jan. 3), blog posts 

Vivek Krishnamurthy, TLPC, & Bolo Bhi,  Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law & Policy Clinic (Dec. 20, 2024). 

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Faculty Publications

Deborah J. Cantrell,  (Carolina Academic Press, 2024).

Jennifer Hendricks,  63 American Studies 

(2024).

Media Mentions

[Deep Gulasekaram], Elliot Davis Jr.,  US News (Dec. 19, 2024).

Faculty & Staff Activities

Paul Campos, Lawyers, Guns, & Money (Dec. 6-13, 2024), blog posts 

[Immigration Clinic], Erin Calkins, Navigating Uncertainty: The Clinical Education Program Supports Immigrant Communities, Colorado Law (Dec. 12, 2024). 

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Hunter Parnell ’26 and Natalie Mousa ’25, students in Colorado Law’s Immigration Clinic, share their experiences advocating for immigrant clients in the current political climate.

Why did you choose to participate in the Immigration Clinic?
HP: I chose the Immigration Clinic because I came to law school to become a public defender. Many clients who go through the criminal legal system also have immigration-related issues tied to their cases, and I wanted to learn how to support them effectively.

NM: I chose the Immigration Clinic for several reasons. I wanted to explore different areas of law, and this clinic gave me the chance to gain courtroom experience while also working on immigration and criminal law cases. Additionally, I have non-U.S. citizen family members and friends, and I wanted to learn more about immigration law to better support them.

How do you anticipate the election results affecting the clients you serve?

HP: For clients facing criminal charges with immigration consequences, they’re entitled to a public defender, which provides them some level of protection. But for people dealing only with immigration issues, the situation is much less certain.

We’re especially concerned about DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and TPS (Temporary Protected Status) recipients. If the administration ends DACA and TPS, it’s unclear what will happen to these individuals. Many DACA recipients have lived in the U.S. since they were 1 or 2 years old, and without a path to citizenship, their futures are in limbo. Similarly, many TPS recipients have been in the U.S. for 10 to 20 years, and the countries they left are now unfamiliar to them.

There are over 1 million asylum seekers stuck in a backlog, and they face unique risks because they are not entitled to an attorney. This is a significant concern for the clinic because these individuals, who tried to follow the rules, will be the easiest targets for enforcement.

NM: I’ve been getting a lot of emails from clients who are worried about what’s going to happen. We don’t have many answers yet, but clients are eager to move forward with their cases out of fear that the new administration might delay or deny their applications. We’re trying to advise them on how to stay safe and navigate these uncertainties.

How might the clinic’s advocacy efforts change given the political climate?
HP: We’re focusing on outreach to these vulnerable communities. Our goal is to partner with organizations to provide education and resources so people are better prepared for what might happen.

NM: We’ve talked about hosting focus groups on areas the administration may target and holding more information sessions to provide general advice and resources. Our goal is to support as many people as possible.

What has been your greatest takeaway from your clinic experience so far?
HP: I’ve realized just how broken our immigration system is. Many people genuinely want to follow the rules, but the system makes it nearly impossible for them to comply. It’s a system built on luck.

For instance, if a DACA recipient marries a U.S. citizen, they have a pathway to citizenship. But if someone was brought here as a child without DACA protections, there’s no pathway at all. It’s fundamentally unfair and frustrating. This experience has opened my eyes to how many people in our communities have undocumented or uncertain statuses, and how difficult it is for them to navigate this system, even when they want to do things the right way.

NM: The courtroom experience has been invaluable. I’ve learned how to communicate with judges, handle opposing counsel, and navigate courtroom procedures. Building trust with my clients and knowing I’m making a positive impact in their lives has been deeply rewarding.

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Widely recognized for its intellectual diversity and originality, the faculty at Colorado Law encompasses an array of prominent legal scholars who are widely cited, both in academia and throughout the national media landscape. We invite you to catch up on the latest faculty publications and media mentions with this weekly round up.

Faculty Publications 

Harry Surden & Andrew Coan, SSRN.com (Nov. 12, 2024).

Media Mentions

[Maryam Jamshidi], Sondos Asem, Middle East Eye (Nov. 8, 2024).

[Blake Reid], Academics Concerned Over Accessibility in Broadband, Media, Websites,  Communications Daily (Nov. 12, 2024)(Lexis login required).

[Korey Wise Innocence Project], Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post (Nov. 13, 2024).

Faculty and Staff Activities

[Nathan Boyer-Rechlin, GWC], GWC Welcomes New Acequia Assistance Project Director, Colorado Law (Nov. 7, 2024).

Paul Campos, Lawyers, Guns, & Money (Nov. 8-15, 2024), blog posts

[Dale Hatfield, SFC ], National Chengchi University (Nov. 13, 2024).

[Amanda Parsons], Paul Caron,TaxProf Blog (Nov. 14, 2024).

Harry Surden, & Monday Bagel Bytes: Legal Tech & AI Podcast (Nov. 2024). 

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Colorado Law student veterans make an exceptionally valuable impact on our community with their unique blend of discipline, leadership, and real-world experience.

“We're grateful to our student veterans for their service,” said Assistant Dean of Student Services Emily Horowitz. “Our school community is better for their presence in the classroom, in student organizations like the Military Law Society, and in their many leadership roles.

In Honor of Veterans Day, we are thrilled to highlight Colorado Law’s Military Law Society (MLS). We spoke to MLS President Zach Cohen ’25 to learn more about this student organization.

What are the primary goals of the Military Law Society?

ZC: The CU Military Law Society is an inclusive student-run organization designed to bring together military veterans, law students interested in pursuing military careers, and currently serving military members. Our goal is to help MLS members realize their career goals, whether that is military service as a JAG officer or transitioning into a non-military legal career. We will facilitate these goals by providing JAG interaction and information, furthering understanding of military life, networking with veteran attorneys and judges, and providing substantive professional information for those seeking to move into a non-military legal field.

How do you think veterans bring a unique perspective to legal practice?

ZC: A common theme amongst veterans is the general feeling that no matter what role they played in their respective services, the military often gives its servicemembers more responsibility than the individual thinks they are prepared for. In other words, service members are frequently required to perform in areas where they once lacked experience, but the very process of placing such large responsibility on individuals promotes self-confidence and improved problem-solving skills. This allows veterans to accept new responsibilities with profound confidence and flexibility as they pursue challenging higher education and career paths.

How do you help MLS members realize their career goals? 

ZC: Mostly, MLS invites current and past Judge Advocates to speak to current law students about their experiences within military legal fields. For example, we hosted National Security Law Judge Advocates for a conversation about the Law of Armed Conflict. That session emphasized the laws of war and how the United States conducts wartime operations according to these laws.

Separately, MLS has partnered with CU’s Business School Veterans Club (Leeds Vets Club) for social events and networking opportunities in ways that are less common at law school. These joint events allow business and law students to interact (sometimes with employers) to gain a deeper understanding of each interests.

As someone who served in the military, how has your service influenced your approach to law school or your legal career path?

ZC: Serving in the military has given me a more profound sense of the rights and freedoms that are at stake both in America and throughout the world. Before law school, I had a general (and often nebulous) understanding of what rights our legal system guarantees, and as a result, which freedoms the military is asked to protect. As a law student, this experience has grounded these freedoms and rights in historical and legal conversations that further contextualize the actions I take in uniform.

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Founded in 1978, the Getches-Green Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law Clinic is one of the country's first environmental law clinics. Students in the clinic engage in litigation and related advocacy efforts, most commonly on behalf of national or local environmental groups. Clinic students draft pleadings and briefs, counsel their clients, develop case theories and legal strategies, participate in settlement negotiations, and, occasionally, present oral arguments in federal court. Read more about what the clinic has been up to this past year below. 

Recent Successes

• The clinic represented a community organization in southwest Oregon in a challenge to BLM’s program for vegetation management in the region. Students brought claims under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. A student team drafted a motion for summary judgment last fall, and a response brief in the spring. A student argued a case in federal court last April. We received a partially-favorable decision in May, and now wait for that decision to be adopted by an Article III judge. Read more here.

• A team of clinic students worked with the Getches-Wilkinson Center to research and draft an amicus brief on behalf of legal scholars in Utah’s and individual plaintiffs’ challenges to the restoration of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. That collaboration served as a launchpad for renewing the past practice of hosting 10th Circuit oral arguments here at the law school. In September, the case was argued at Colorado Law, along with 4 other appeals. Learn more about the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals oral arguments.  

• Clinic students represented a client in a rulemaking proceeding held by the Energy and Carbon Management Commission. The proposed rules dealt with “cumulative impacts” from the industry, and were aimed at a category of pollution that can disproportionately impact lower-income communities and communities of color who are often already overburdened with pollution. A team of two students appeared before the Commission and presented the client’s suggested changes to the rules. 

Current Happenings 

• Clinic students are currently working with a community group in their engagement with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Xcel over Xcel’s planned remediation of groundwater and coal ash landfills at the Valmont Station.  

• Clinic students are advising a neighborhood organization concerned about a proposed oil and gas development in their community. The team supported the client in preparation for a local public hearing and the hearing on the permit application.  

• Clinic students are working with a client interested in improving their state’s wildlife and endangered species laws. The students researched other states’ laws and assessed the current law to recommend potential improvements. 

• Clinic students are representing a regional environmental organization as an opposer in a water law proceeding. The students participated in a negotiation session with the applicant, and will be engaged in other litigation activities as the case proceeds toward trial. 

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Widely recognized for its intellectual diversity and originality, the faculty at Colorado Law encompasses an array of prominent legal scholars who are widely cited, both in academia and throughout the national media landscape. We invite you to catch up on the latest faculty publications and media mentions with this weekly round up.

Faculty Publications 

Lolita Buckner Inniss & Bridget J. Crawford, eds., (University of California Press, 2024).

Mark Loewenstein, 48 Del. J. Corp. L. 1 (2024).

Amanda Parsons, 26 Fla. Tax L. Rev. 308 (2023).

Media Mentions 

Violeta Chapin, KOA Colorado's Morning News (Nov. 7, 2024).

[Sarah Matsumoto], Bobby Magill, Bloomberg Law (Nov. 7, 2024).

[Daria Roithmayr], Jenni Fink, Newsweek (Nov. 4, 2024).

Doug Spencer, KOA Colorado's Morning News (Nov. 6, 2024).

[Doug Spencer], KOA Colorado's Morning News (Nov. 5, 2024).

[Christina Stanton], Daliah Singer, Colorado Sun (Nov. 2, 2024).

[Colorado Law], Michael Karlik, Colorado Politics (Oct. 24, 2024).

Faculty and Staff Activities 

Paul Campos, Lawyers, Guns, & Money (Nov. 1-8, 2024), blog posts

[Dean Lolita Buckner Inniss], 2024). 

(upcoming online event, Nov. 11, 2024 at 4pm MST).

[Deep Gulasekaram, Byron White Center], Reya Roussell, Fifth Circuit Judge Stephen A. Higgenson Provides Valuable Lessons at the 13th Annual Stevens Lecture, Colorado Law (Nov. 7, 2024).

[Deep Gulasekaram, Byron White Center], The Supreme Court of Colorado Visits Colorado Law,Colorado Law (Nov. 1, 2024).

Christopher Mueller to receive the 2025 (will be awarded Jan. 10, 2025 at the AALS Annual Meeting).

[Doug Spencer], Jennifer Soules, What a Second Trump Presidency Means Now and in the Future, CU �鶹ӰԺ Today (Nov. 7, 2024).

[Getches-Wilkinson Center], Oliver Skelly & Aidan Sterns, Reflections on the Martz Symposium on Public Lands, GWC (Nov. 7, 2024). 

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The 13th Annual John Paul Stevens Lecture was held in the Wittemyer Courtroom on Thursday, October 24th. The Honorable Stephen A. Higginson joined the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law to offer “The Nuremberg Trials: Lessons for Law Students, Lawyers, & Judges” to the Colorado Law community. Judge Higginson has served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit since 2011 and is currently serving as the presiding judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review.

In 1988, Judge Higginson clerked for Justice Byron White and is the first former clerk to Justice Byron White to offer the Annual Stevens Lecture. The courtroom was packed with over 100 in-person attendees while nearly 200 attendees watched virtually.  

In conversation with White Center Director, Professor Deep Gulasekaram, Judge Higginson analyzed the histories and decisions made by attorneys, judges, and medical professionals throughout the rise of the Nazi party, World War II, and the resulting Nuremberg Trials. Judge Higginson used his extensive research of the Nuremberg Trials to show how organizational affiliation can affect one’s legal career. Ambition and community dedication led early 20th century judges, doctors, and lawyers to support the rise of the Nazi Regime during a difficult time in Germany. The lesson here: even field experts and studied scholars can fall victim to group-think and the unfortunate subjugation of others.  Judge Higginson warned the Colorado Law community to be wary of the organizations that can gain your loyalty and membership. These things can follow your career and affect your better judgment.  

Second year law student McKenzie Porter attended the lecture and noted, “Judge Higginson’s lecture was an important reminder, especially as students in the day-to-day grind of law school, to look beyond our own goals and ambition when building our professional value systems and careers. Regardless of the role that affiliation in different groups might play in one’s life, it is definitely a danger when that leads to putting down others. It was interesting to hear about pockets of humanity in history: from those acquitted in the Nuremberg trials to the judges in Louisiana who resisted the external pressures and desegregated schools.”  

Despite the risks that are associated with strong affiliations, Judge Higginson encouraged those with ambitions to become public servants and field experts. He instructed attendees to trust public servants and experts but never be afraid to question them; never be afraid to criticize judicial opinions and extrajudicial activities.; and make a point to participate in judicial selection and ethics. Porter added, “Nevertheless, accountability and open discourse is critical, so I definitely feel more confident to challenge assumptions or practices across the board after Judge Higginson so strongly encouraged it.” 

After the lecture, several attendees accompanied Judge Higginson and several other Colorado jurists and attorneys for dinner. Students were able to connect with legal practitioners informally and share common experiences. Judge Higginson shared more intriguing stories throughout the evening. Porter expressed, “I really enjoyed the dinner afterward, particularly the chance to converse with a wide variety of people: from professors I haven’t taken yet, Colorado Law staff I had yet to meet, and Colorado Supreme Court justices that I had only ever seen from afar. It was wonderful!”  

If you missed this event, take a moment to and take in Judge Higginson’s lessons for yourself. Join the Byron White Center in 2025 for more exciting events with distinguished speakers covering emerging developments in constitutional law.   

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