A delectable day of firsts in the world!

Happening in the World: On Monday, French parliamentarians from the upper and lower chambers will meet in a special session in the Palace of Versailles to vote to amend the constitution of the Fifth Republic by adding the right to abortion. Polls show that 85% of the French public support this reform. This move, however, is likely more for political gain as the right to abortion has been firmly within the law since 1975, and France’s constitutional council has never questioned the constitutionality of these laws. (BBC)

Happening in the US: In Saturday night’s game, LeBron James surpassed 40,000 career points in the NBA. James became the most scoring player in NBA history on February 7, 2023, when he scored his 38,38868th point, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 points. James wishes to defend his point total and legacy, and—as he hits 40—his health is his utmost priority. (NBC)

Happening in NYC: Staten Island is holding its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, which begins at 12:30 pm. This year, the 60th anniversary of the parade, will be the first year where there are two parades—the traditional parade and one that includes LGBTQ+ groups, which did not get included in the main parade as the organizes felt that accepting such groups would go against Catholic beliefs. The second parade will occur on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. (CBS)

Happening in Our Community: On Monday, March 4, from 12:10 to 1:10 pm, The Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute, the Columbia Law Students Human Rights Association, Columbia Society of International Law, the Public Interest Law Foundation, the Columbia Law Women’s Association and the Institute for the Study of Human Right are hosting a conversation with Lopa Banerjee, the Director of the Civil Society Division at UN Women. The conversation will discuss strategies for advancing gender equity in democracy. More information and registration for the event can be found here.

LeBron James via Wikimedia Commons