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Boston, MANatasha Varyani has written a new book, Owning Our Values, Understanding Systemic Racism Through the Lens of Property Law (And Skills to Do Something About It) which has been published by Carolina Academic Press. Natasha is a member of Sullivan's Tax Group as well as an Associate Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law.

Owning Our Values offers a close examination of what "systemic racism" means through the lens of property law, in particular through areas heavily tested on the bar exam. Though systemic racism is not new, the way in which law schools and policy makers are thinking and talking about it has changed dramatically in recent years. Those who come to law school seeking to contribute to the cause of social justice may find themselves disappointed with a first-year curriculum that deals largely with arcane common law cases. In Owning Our Values, Natasha brings her experience as a doctrinal professor teaching in the fields of Property and Critical Race Theory along with her educational psychology background to approach property law from a different perspective.

Each chapter is divided into two parts: one that examines the history of the doctrine and the ways it has been used and the way it has impacted groups based on their race, class, gender, and other identity characteristics. The second section of each chapter contains a suggestion for a skills exercise that provides students and professors with opportunities to see and practice culturally responsive legal skills in context, including a question set from the Next Generation Bar Exam.

"This project has been such a labor of love. I am optimistic that this work will come to people at a time when they are open to absorbing some basic tenets and concepts about the law and help to develop an understanding of the way legal rules have been used to create and uphold inequitable systems and structures around us. Most importantly, I hope it empowers lawyers to use the same tools in the law to find ways to navigate the rules as they exist to help create access to justice in ways big and small," said Natasha.

About Sullivan
Sullivan & Worcester (Sullivan) is a global, mid-sized law firm with lawyers in Boston, London, New York, Tel Aviv and Washington, D.C. Sullivan’s clients, including Fortune 500 companies, leading financial services firms and asset managers, boards of directors, real estate companies, and emerging businesses, rely on Sullivan’s ability to navigate complex legal and operational landscapes, the impeccable judgment of its lawyers, and its commitment to best‑in‑class client service.