Open PDF in Browser: Abigail Franke,* Foreword
The current state of the world is far from perfect. Systems and organizations that aim to help the world become a better place are under attack. With every passing year, a growing climate crisis seems more and more likely to cause destruction on a massive scale. Amidst this growing turmoil, the world is intertwined and complex to the point that it seems impossible that any one person would ever have the resources, will, or understanding of the systems necessary to correct its long‑persisting inequities. When looking at the scope of the problems facing the world, they seem imposing and permanent. The articles within this Issue expose deep problems within our water systems, ecology, and the distribution of resources. But I ask you—in the face of these deep problems—to instead give your attention to these issues to find hope. Hope is available and present—and to find it, we must pay attention.
Sustained attention is necessary to find hope. Our sustained attention brings out the work people are doing to solve inequity, even in small ways, and can aid us to not feel alone in the face of these problems. This attention allows us to seek to understand complicated problems and not sink into the feeling that the multitude of difficulties plaguing our planet are too big for us. At the root of these problems, there are people who must be helped amidst all systems of inequity and injustice. This is why attention is important. Without looking at the problems and seeking to understand them, we can never make progress. If we believe the problem is so big that it intimidates us into inattention, we’ve lost our ability to move forward.
With sustained attention, one can find hope. But paying attention to hope is hard. It is hard to grab hope with both hands and not let go. However, hope helps us not only to see the problems, but also to look for the solutions. When we have hope for a better world, we can look for ways to make that better world a reality. To look for hope is not to be naive about inequity; instead, it is to look at problems as ones driven by an imperfect reality which can be made better.
Pay attention. Pay attention, because it is the pathway to hope. The problems within this Issue might seduce you into despair, but I ask you, pay attention anyway. Thank you to all the members of the University of Colorado Law Review who set a powerful example by giving their sustained attention to the articles within this Issue.
Seek hope within the human stories and natural beauty contained here. You will find it.
Abigail Franke*
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Editor,
Colorado Law Review, Volume 96
* J.D. Candidate, 2025, Barristers’ Council Mock Trial Division President. Thank you to all the members of the University of Colorado Law Review who have put in countless hours of work to ensure this Issue and Volume pushes legal scholarship forward. Additional thanks to my family who have supported my educational journey across the country. Extra special thanks to my cat, Armadillo, who is a constant source of joy and comfort to all who know her.