The Law Comics Collection brings a unique perspective to legal concepts, emphasizing themes of access to justice and advocacy through comics and illustrations. At the University of Richmond, the course "Comics + the Law," led by Professor Roger V. Skalbeck and Professor Robert McAdams, explores the legal aspects of comics. Including copyright, ownership, and the craft of visual persuasion. Students read a range of comic selections, exploring and creating their own comics using a mix of traditional and digital tools. The online repository includes a range of law-related comics from this course and other contributors.
The Law Comics Collection and the associated course highlight innovative approaches to make legal concepts accessible and engaging through the power of visuals. This effort underscores the critical role of creativity to promote understanding and access to justice, aspiring to inspire comic creators and readers everywhere.
The Richmond Law Library and Boatwright Memorial Library support this effort by hosting the online repository, and by preserving a print collection of all sources in the Law Comics Collection.
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Know Your Copy-Rights
Savannah Throneberry
A comic designed for visual artists that explains fundamental aspects of copyright law in the United States. The characters in the comic explore and discuss exclusive rights in copyright and some related rights.
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Communicating Justice...With Comics
Roger V. Skalbeck
This mini-comic was created for a presentation at the SubTech 2024 conference, hosted by Northwestern Law in Chicago, Illinois. It explains why and how comics can help improve access to justice. It also includes tips on using Artificial Intelligence and recommendations for finding cartoon artists..
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Law Comics Exhibit Catalog - Spring 2024
Roger V. Skalbeck
A mini-comic produced to accompany the inaugural launch of the Law Comics Collection and a limited-run exhibit of comics printed for display at the University of Richmond School of Law Library.
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Artificial Intelligence: Accessibility for Artists
Madison Edenfield
Exploring the ways that artificial intelligence tools can enhance accessibility for artists, while simultaneously creating challenges in copyright protection and freedom of expression.
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Accessing Justice with Professor S: Prosecution v. Defense Edition
Katie Hall
An exploration of government funding for prosecution and defense services in the area of criminal law. The comic includes visualized data to illustrate disparities in access to justice for criminal law matters, even where there is a guaranteed right to representation.
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You're Out of Luck
Katy Knuckles
This comic highlights the stark differences individuals face within the U.S. legal system. It presents a case involving both criminal and civil aspects. While individuals are entitled to legal representation in criminal proceedings, the same guarantee doesn't exist to civil cases. So, if someone uses their money for a lawyer in a criminal case, they might not have any left for the civil case, even though both cases are related.
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Learning Legalese
Mimi Mays
Putting the art in "term of art". This illustrated guide walks non-law-trained readers through an A-to-Z of tricky legal terms, complete with recommended pronunciation and etymology. Artwork inspired by characters from Graphic Advocacy Project & Harvard A2J Lab, and many definitions constructed with the help of the online legal encyclopedia by Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute.
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Evolution of the U.S. Jury
Joe Probus
A visual history of the evolution of the jury system under United States law, tracking the evolution of juries from the times of Anglo-Saxon England to the modern doctrine, reflected in the 6th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights.
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Tenant Warrior
Clara M. Rawlings
An illustrated depiction of the legal requirements and quirks to a process called "tenant's assertion." This remedy allows renters to assert their rights against landlords to fix housing problems to ensure adequate living situations.
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Hold the Phone!
Roger V. Skalbeck
A mini-comic illustrating access to justice issues when courts restrict cell phone use for parties and litigants, focusing on courts in Virginia. Spanish translation for “¡Guarda su Celular!” from Sylvia Yanes.
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The Walls of Legal Research
Daniel Smith
A comic exploring the impact of fee-based legal research services and the potential impact that fees and commercial services can have on effective preparation and self-representation in civil legal matters in the United States