By Samantha Cook, Staff Writer In 2003, the City of Pittsburgh filed for the status of a “financially distressed municipality.” Now, over 14 years later, Mayor Peduto is celebrating its exit from Pennsylvania’s Act 47 program. The Pennsylvania Municipalities Financial Recovery Act, otherwise known as Act 47, was a program […]
Juris Blog
The Mueller Indictment
By David Zvirman, Staff Writer On Friday, February 16, 2018, a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. indicted 13 Russian nationals and 3 Russian companies for their involvement in meddling in U.S. elections, specifically the 2016 presidential election.[1] While there is currently an ongoing public debate about the extent of […]
Legal Resources for Working Mothers Who Breastfeed
By Natalie Tupta, Staff Writer One of the most important bipartisan political issues today is finding ways to support working parents by adopting policies that allow parents to both care for their children physically and financially. Women’s health and career needs are at the heart of this dialogue, because working […]
Attack on Public Sector Unions Positions First Amendment Against Workers
By Katherine Enright One case pending before the Supreme Court of the United States this term has the potential to disrupt the functioning of unions all around the country. On September 28, 2017, the Court granted certiorari in the matter of Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal […]
Leaving on a Jet Plane, but only before January
By Jennifer Carter, Staff Writer By now, most Pennsylvania residents have heard the news that their Pennsylvania license or identification card will be unacceptable to gain admittance onto planes and into federal buildings or military bases, beginning January 22, 2018.[1] But as can happen with multi-layered bureaucratic issues, there is a […]
A Look at New York’s New Law Guaranteeing Access to Counsel in Eviction Proceedings
By Natalie Tupta, Staff Writer In August 2017, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio signed a new law that guarantees New Yorkers access to legal counsel in eviction proceedings.[1] This ordinance is the first of its kind in the United States, and it has drawn national attention since legal […]
Justice Department Alleges Clayton Act Antitrust Violations Against AT&T and Time Warner Merger
By Phil Raymond, Staff Writer On November 20, 2017, the United States Justice Department, led by the Department’s antitrust division head Makan Delrahim, filed suit against media giants AT&T and Time Warner for a proposed merger worth nearly $85.4 billion. The Justice Department made its case in a 23-page complaint […]
PA Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on Whether Rap Lyrics Can Be Considered Terroristic Threats
By Amy Kerlin, Staff Writer Are rap lyrics protected by the First Amendment? Can limitations be placed on artistic expressions? On Tuesday, November 28, 2017, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court heard oral arguments regarding the extent of free speech protection of lyrics in a rap song. In 2014, two Pittsburgh area […]
‘Resurrecting Truth’ Symposium Explores Importance of Trust in Public Discourse
By Nicole Prieto, Editor-in-Chief Additional Reporting by Natalia Holliday, Web Editor Duquesne University School of Law hosted the symposium “Resurrecting Truth in American Law and Public Discourse: Shall These Bones Live?” last Thursday through Friday, featuring a keynote presentation and two panels of distinguished scholars from various institutions across the […]
Can Disney Play for All the Marvels?
By Samantha Cook, Staff Writer Over the last few weeks, the Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox have reportedly discussed the sale of many of Fox’s media and entertainment assets to Disney.[1] Though the details of the talks have been confidential, it seems clear that Disney’s ultimate goal is […]
2016 Best Legal Blog Nominee
