The Review of Law and Social Change was proud to hold its 2026 Colloquium, entitled The Criminalization of the Body.

This year’s colloquium explored how the state criminalizes marginalized bodies, with conversations that touched on reproductive justice, LGBTQ rights, incarceration, and healthcare access. We brought together attorneys, advocates, and organizers from legal services and advocacy organizations to examine these intersecting systems of oppression and discuss strategies for combating them.

After our panels, we hosted a screening of the documentary Baby Doe and had a Q&A with the film’s director, Jessica Earnshaw. The synopsis of the film is below: 

“30 years ago, Gail Ritchey, a young woman from a conservative Christian community in rural Ohio, gave birth alone and left her newborn in the woods. Now a mother of three, her quiet suburban life is shattered when DNA evidence links her to “Geauga’s Child,” and she is arrested for murder – despite saying the baby was stillborn. Facing a life sentence, Gail leans on her family for support as she confronts the weight of societal and religious pressures. Directed by Jessica Earnshaw (Jacinta), BABY DOE cuts through the headlines to uncover the human complexity of Gail’s case – examining the intersection of women’s health, justice, and the outside forces that continue to shape stories like hers.”

We deeply appreciate everyone in the movement who took the time to join our colloquium, including: Jamie Sgarro (ACLU of Missouri & InReach), Kristin Mulvey (ACLU of Missouri), Paige Suelzle (Lawyering Project), Luna Floyd (Lambda Legal), Kulsoom Ijaz (Pregnancy Justice), Kiera Goddu (Lawyering Project), Mishka Terplan (Doing Right by Birth & Friend Research Institute), Joyce McMillan (Just Making a Change for Families), Miriam Mack (Movement for Family Power), Ericka Brewington (Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem), and Jessica Earnshaw (Baby Doe). 

We are also grateful for the financial support from the NYU Law Intellectual Life Fund, NYU OUTLaw, NYU If When How, and the NYU Defender Collective.