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Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Professors Bridget J. Crawford and Emily Gold Waldman announce the release of their book “Menstruation Matters: Challenging the Law’s Silence on Periods,” published by NYU Press. The book explores the burgeoning menstrual advocacy movement and analyzes how law should evolve to take menstruation into account. It asks what the law currently says about menstruation and provides a roadmap for legal reform that can move society closer to a world where no one is held back or disadvantaged by menstruation.

Professor Crawford and Waldman used their years of research, experience, and knowledge to author this fascinating book. “In this book, we ask what the law would look like if it took menstruation into account,” said Waldman. “Our goal is to create a blueprint for a society where no one is held back by an involuntary biological process like menstruation.”

Throughout the book, Professors Crawford and Waldman examine these issues in a wide range of contexts, from schools to workplaces to prisons to tax policies and more. “The more we delved into the subject, the more we discovered new intersections of menstruation and law,” said Crawford. “Taxation, education, poverty law, constitutional law, prisoners’ rights, business law, employment law, disability rights, environmental law, consumer health and safety, human rights, urban design, public and private procurement policies — all of these areas allow us to see in a new way a common bodily process that has too long been the source of stigma and shame.”

The book has received critical acclaim from a variety of scholars, authors, politicians, publications, and more, including famed author Judy Blume, Publishers Weekly magazine, the Library Journal, First Minister for Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, and more. In its review, the Library Journal states “Crawford and Waldman present an insightful analysis of policies regarding menstruation in this groundbreaking work. An eye-opening look at how law could be used to better protect those who menstruate by providing a framework for how period products ought to be studied for health and environmental safety, how sensitive health information being sold by menstruation apps is being turned into a big business, and how incarcerated individuals face financial barriers to accessing menstrual products.”

Professors Crawford and Waldman have been participating in numerous panels connected to their publication. This past spring, the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University hosted two virtual book pre-launches for Professors Crawford and Waldman’s book, which included expert Haub Law faculty commenting on connections between their own subject matters (including prisoners’ rights law, education law, environmental law, and international law) and the issues explored in Menstruation Matters. They will also be speaking about the book at a Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance event on June 28.

Bridget J. Crawford is a graduate of Yale College (BA), the University of Pennsylvania School of Law (JD), and Griffith University (PhD) in Brisbane, Australia. Prior to joining the Haub Law faculty in 2003, she was a practicing attorney at Milbank LLP, where she specialized in taxation and estate planning. At Haub Law, Crawford teaches Federal Income Taxation; Estate and Gift Taxation; Wills, Trusts and Estates; Tax Policy; Corporations & Partnerships; and Feminist Legal Theory. In 2021, she was appointed as a Distinguished Professor by Pace University, the highest honor the University can bestow upon a faculty member. Crawford’s published work includes three casebooks, four books, and more than 100 scholarly articles and essays. Crawford is one of 26 law professors profiled in the book by Michael Hunter Schwartz et al., What the Best Law Teachers Do, published by Harvard University Press. She has been honored multiple times by graduating students at Haub Law as Outstanding Professor of the Year. She also is a prior recipient of Haub Law’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Goettel Prize for faculty scholarship, and the Ottinger Prize for Faculty Achievement.

Emily Gold Waldman is a graduate of Yale University (BA) and Harvard Law School (JD). She joined the Pace faculty in 2006, after clerking for the Honorable Robert A. Katzmann, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. At Pace, she teaches Constitutional Law, Law & Education, Employment Law Survey, and Civil Procedure. She has also served for many years as the Faculty Director of the law school's Federal Judicial Honors Program, which places students in externships with federal judges in the Second Circuit, Third Circuit, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York, and District of Connecticut. From 2003-05, she practiced in the litigation department of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP; prior to that, she clerked for the Honorable William G. Young, United States District Judge for the District of Massachusetts. She served as the chair of the AALS Section on Education Law during the 2011-12 school year, is a member of the Executive Committee of the AALS Section on Employment Discrimination, and is also a member of the Second Circuit's Judicial Council Committee on Civic Education & Public Engagement. An expert in the areas of education law, employment law, and constitutional law, Professor Waldman frequently presents on and serves as a panelist for programs focused on these topics and is often called upon by the news media for her expertise. Professor Waldman received the law school's Ottinger Award for Faculty Achievement in 2015 and 2018, the Professor of the Year Award from the Black Law Students Association in 2013, and the Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship in 2008. She currently serves as the Associate Dean for Faculty Development.

Together, Professor Crawford and Professor Waldman have developed the doctrinal and theoretical foundations for a state-by-state litigation campaign challenging state sales taxes on menstrual products in their article The Unconstitutional Tampon Tax, 53 U. Rich. L. Rev. 439 (2019). They have co-authored numerous other articles focused on menstruation in the law, including "Period Poverty in a Pandemic: Harnessing Law to Achieve Menstrual Equity," 98 Wash. U. L. Rev. 1569 (2021); “Title IX and Menstruation,” 43 Harv. J.L & Gender 225 (2020) (with Margaret E. Johnson); and “The Ground on Which We All Stand: A Conversation About Menstrual Equity Law and Activism,” 26 Mich. J. Gender & Law 341 (2020) (with Margaret E. Johnson, Marcy L. Karin, & Laura Strausfeld). Notably, Professors Crawford and Waldman (along with Naomi R. Cahn) have several forthcoming law review articles focused on the related subject of menopause, including "Managing and Monitoring the Menopausal Body," 2022 U. Chi. Legal Forum (forthcoming 2022), "Contextualizing Menopause in the Law," 43 Harv. J. Gender & Law (forthcoming 2022), and "Working Through Menopause," 99 Wash. U. L. Rev. (forthcoming 2022).

Watch a video of the Menstruation Matters Book Talk featuring the authors, along with a panel of Haub Law faculty experts below.

From award-winning journalist, to first female editor-in-chief, CEO, and publisher of the nation’s largest Spanish language newspaper, to New York State Secretary of State, Commissioner Rossana Rosado is inspired by the stories of others.

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You are currently commissioner of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). Tell us more about this role. How is this role meaningful to you and what do you hope to achieve through it?

I was confirmed as Commissioner in February of 2022 by the New York State Senate after being nominated for the position by Governor Kathy Hochul. Our mission is to enhance public safety by providing resources and services that better inform decision making and improve the quality of the criminal justice system.

DCJS administers more than $400 million in state and federal funding to local community organizations and law enforcement agencies. We also oversee nationally recognized gun violence prevention programs; provide training for police and peace officers, probation officers, correction officers, and security guards; and support probation and community correction programs, and forensic labs, among other programs. We provide comprehensive assistance to all facets of the criminal justice system. This allows us to be an integral part of moving our justice system forward—and ensuring it works fairly, equitably, and efficiently for all.

The most meaningful aspect of this work for me is to be able to influence policy, to bring a new perspective, and to constantly focus on how we can improve and make sure all these systems consider the humanity of everyone involved.

You received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Pace. What attracted you to pursue this course of study and how had it prepared you for your career in public office?

I think it is true that any degree can prepare you to be a good journalist, but I also believe that a degree in journalism prepares you for any role. The basics are reading, writing, and an honest interest in other people. I was always interested in the stories of others—how they got here and how they moved in the world. I was fascinated by the way in which people blend the values from their ancestry with our modern society. The most important part of being a journalist is to be a willing and patient listener and to be genuinely interested in opinions other than your own.

Have certain faculty been instrumental in your academic and/or professional journey?

Bob Klaeger was an influential professor for me at Pace because he pushed me to compete for an internship, which I won, and which was life changing, as I spent a summer at WCBS-FM radio with a wonderful mentor who just opened the media world to me. I also stayed in touch for many years with Dr. Betty Torrance who taught Spanish—that was my minor.

College is a significant time in a person’s life. As you look back at your time as a Dyson student, how did it influence you to become the person you are today?

College was my first time away from home. I was a whole 30 minutes away from my parents, but the contrast between my Bronx neighborhood and the small college campus (what is now Pace's Haub Law Campus) was significant. I think that time away from my household, making independent decisions about my interests and direction, was crucial to my development as a journalist and as a leader. I believe that I would not have grown as much at a school in the city. The ability to live on campus and still be close to my Puerto Rican family was perfect for me and my parents.

One of my jobs was at the pub on campus (love the '80s!). Pouring pitchers of beer for law students and undergrads gave me an opportunity to meet a cross section of folks, including commuters and night students. It really gave me a sense of the world outside my neighborhood, and I found I enjoyed meeting folks from all over the world. I was interested in their journeys. I liked being part of a bigger community.

The most meaningful aspect of this work for me is to be able to influence policy, to bring a new perspective, and to constantly focus on how we can improve and make sure all of these systems [in criminal justice services] consider the humanity of everyone involved.

Before entering public office, you had a very successful, award-winning career in journalism, with roles at WNYC, WCBSAM, and, later, as the first woman to be named editor-in-chief and to serve as CEO and publisher of El Diario, the country’s largest Spanish language newspaper. As both a woman and a Latina, were there challenges that you faced, and if so, how did you overcome them?

I had a wonderful 30-year career in media. I worked at jobs that I loved. I learned so much and had the opportunity to lead teams, to influence public opinion, and to empower the Latino community. I had many challenges as a woman and a Latina both inside my own newsroom and outside in the world.

Although there has been progress, I grew up in a chauvinistic society in a male-dominated profession. Challenges can drive you out or make you stronger. My way of dealing with them was to confront them, to push back and to challenge the perceptions that other people had about who I should be, what I should do, and what I should wear while doing it all. It could be exhausting at times, but I hired more people like me, and I built a team of change agents.

What drew you to public service and what initiatives or achievements are you most proud of and why?

I always knew that I wanted to enter public service in my 50s when my kids had graduated college and I got to live that dream when I was asked to be Secretary of State. I spent my first two years as Secretary building an infrastructure for immigrants in distress, as the presidential administration at the time was targeting them. I am proud to have been able to help so many immigrants in New York. And I am proud of the work we did during the pandemic to address the inequities in health care. I have met the most brilliant people I have ever worked with in government.

You are a first-generation college student, born in the Bronx, New York, with your family moving to the United States from Puerto Rico. How did your early life experiences inform the values you would have as an adult in both your personal life and career?

Being a Bronx born-and-bred Puerto Rican has shaped who I am in so many ways. My core values come from my amazing family and upbringing. They embody love and justice and are committed to helping others, especially those who have less. I grew up surrounded by loving adults who loved Puerto Rico, unpacked its traditions in our kitchens, and fed us that heritage in our rice and beans. When you learn at an early age who you are and where your people are from, your confidence comes from that history. You are armed for success.

What advice would you give to our students, as they navigate their college life?

My advice to all students is to Pace yourself—pun is intended—be present and enjoy the journey. I was always in a hurry to get through the four years. It is important to look up from your screen and cultivate your relationships with other students and especially with the adults at the College who are in a position to help you. The social gatherings and opportunities are as important as attendance in class. College is an experience, don’t miss it.

Also, don’t be concerned if you don’t know exactly what you want to do in the future. Enjoy the process of learning new things and meeting new people. Getting A’s is fine, but sculpting your future self is the higher mission.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? What inspires you creatively?

Most who know me would say I have no spare time, but I do try to protect my personal time, which I dedicate to my passions. I am a voracious reader; I keep a book journal and challenge myself to beat last year’s numbers! I prefer fiction and memoirs or biographies. Also, if I like a book, I will stalk the author until I find their email address and write to them. Roxane Gay responded to my email, and I was over the moon.

I also enjoy cooking and hosting friends and family. What inspires me creatively are other people. I am most moved and energized by the stories of others. This was very difficult for me during the pandemic. I hosted many Zooms with friends. Outside of my work hours, I am continuously involved in mentoring Latino professionals and assisting folks returning to the community from prison.

Partnership brings transfer opportunities to students

Pace University and the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) have partnered to offer transfer opportunities for BMCC students. At a signing ceremony held June 8, President Krislov and Dr. Anthony E. Munroe, President of BMCC, announced the program, becoming available this Fall.

"We are thrilled to join with the Borough of Manhattan Community College, our neighbor in Lower Manhattan, in this important and forward-looking agreement," said Pace President Marvin Krislov. "This partnership will allow us to help BMCC students achieve their dreams, and we are eager and excited to continue providing all our students opportunities to succeed in the ever-changing global economy.”

“All students should have the opportunity to fulfill their dream of earning a bachelor’s degree from fine institutions, like Pace University,” said President Munroe. “This partnership is one of many collaborations established to ensure students have access to higher education. We are very proud of this partnership, and we hope many of our students take advantage of this program.”

The jointly approved agreement provides a seamless and smooth pathway for students who are graduating from BMCC, with an Associate of Science/Arts, to participate in the BMCC/Pace University Articulation, leading to a Bachelor of Science/Arts in corresponding programs at Pace.

Students who complete their associate degree with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher are guaranteed admission to Pace University in various disciplines including Art, Biochemistry, Marketing, Finance, Management, Entrepreneurship, Criminal Justice and Childhood Education.

About Borough of Manhattan Community College

Borough of Manhattan Community College is a diverse teaching and learning community committed to advancing equity and the intellectual and personal growth of students. Working to strengthen a culture of care inside and outside the classroom, we share a passion for learning with students from around the world. We strive to increase degree completion, successful transfer, career achievement and service and leadership within our community, New York City, and beyond.

About Pace University

Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success because of its unique programs that combine immersive academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides.