3L partners with Prof. Sweeny on article for international journal

For Brandeis Law 3L student John Slack, being published alongside Professor JoAnne Sweeny marks a milestone in a fulfilling mentoring relationship. 

Slack and Sweeny's article, "Sexting as ‘Sexual Behavior’ Under Rape Shield Laws," was published in the July-December 2017 issue of the International Journal of Cyber Criminology.

The article compares rape shield laws in four countries — the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia — and argues that consensual sexting should be protected under rape shield laws.

Slack had been working on a law review note about Rule 412 in the Federal Rules of Evidence, which states that a victim's sexual history is not admissible unless it meets specific parameters.

Sweeny provided feedback on that note, and when she received a notice from the International Journal of Cyber Criminology, she asked Slack if he wanted to collaborate on an article.

"Professor Sweeny is an amazing professor, and it was great to work for her in this regard," Slack says.

They spent the spring of 2017 working on the article, and Slack says that in addition to expanding his knowledge of the laws in other countries, the experience also allowed him to improve his writing and research skills.

He is better at using the active voice now, and he knows the importance of being succinct in one's writing. He also learned the process of submitting an article to a journal and how to search for international cases.

Throughout the process, Slack says Sweeny was always available and maintained a balance of helping and encouraging independence.

"If I'm at all decent as a writer, it's because of her," Slack says. "She's very honest, which I appreciate."