By John Paul Abda, Feature Editor Climate change has created a stark divide worldwide. Many individuals in the United States feel as though climate change should be a leading federal priority, while others place the issue relatively low on their list of causes.[1] As the issue gains more attention, the […]
Juris Features
Trump Administration Proposes to Loosen NEPA
By Giulia Schaub, Blog Editor President Donald Trump and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released their proposal on January 10, 2020 to modify the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), with the ultimate goals of bringing an end to the slow federal approval processes of new projects and […]
Mining Laws May Be Designed to Protect the Environment, But Do They?
By: Rachel Pressdee, Feature Editor There are thousands of abandoned mines in the United States alone.[1] Abandoned mines can pollute adjacent streams, lakes, and groundwater by contaminating the water “with high volumes of toxic waste.”[2] This pollution damages marine ecosystems, poisons drinking water, and poses serious health risks to local […]
A Neurosurgeon, a Cruise Liner, and a Stolen Port: The Helms-Burton Act Offers Redemption While Raising Questions of Extraterritoriality
By Samantha Cook, Editor-in-Chief Javier Garcia-Bengochea is a Cuban-American neurosurgeon who was 15 months old when his family fled Cuba.[1] He claims his family was an owner of a valuable piece of property confiscated by Castro’s regime.[2] Garcia-Bengochea, like many other certified claimants, considers himself and his family to have […]
The Radium Girls: A Tale of Workplace Safety
By Rachel Pressdee, Feature Editor Once upon a time, there was no expectation that employers needed to care about the well-being of their workers. However, throughout American history, women have fought on the front lines of labor reform movements by fighting for better wages, equal rights, and safer working conditions. […]
A Heartbeat Bill Has Been Detected in Pennsylvania
By Giulia Schaub, Blog Editor As of November 2019, all of the proposed “heartbeat bills,” the nickname given to pro-life legislation that places severe limitations on a woman’s right to have an abortion, have been blocked by federal judges in the seven states in which they have been passed.[1] Despite […]
Making Sense of Pennsylvania’s Two-Party Consent Law
By Christina Pici, Staff Writer During my internship with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office I had the opportunity to witness how the two-part consent law protects an individual, even though my initial reaction was to question why anyone would consent to such recording. Pennsylvania’s “two-party consent” law makes it […]
Pre-dispute Mandatory Arbitration Agreements Deprive Employees of Their Right to Access the Courts When the Agreements Are a Condition of Employment
By Amanda Leonard, Staff Writer More than 60 million American employees are subject to pre-dispute arbitration agreements, a required condition of their employment.[1] Pre-dispute agreements dictate that any legal disputes between an employee and an employer cannot be brought in court, but rather, must go through private arbitration.[2] The […]
Pennsylvania’s Shift Toward Marijuana Legalization: Legal Implications and Tensions with Federal Law
By John Paul Abda, Feature Editor The issue of marijuana legalization has permeated the legislative bodies of nearly every state in the country. Whether or not a particular state has enacted laws favoring legalization, it is more likely than not that their respective legislatures have had to deal with the […]
Impact of North Carolina Gerrymandering Decision on Upcoming 2020 Census
By Margaret Potter, Blog Editor On October 28, 2019, a North Carolina state court ruled that the state’s current congressional district maps could not be used in the upcoming March primaries.[1] The three-judge panel in Wake County ruled that proceeding with the current congressional maps would be “improper”.[2] In […]