By: Margaret Potter, Blog Editor Enacted in 1972, the Clean Water Act (the “CWA”) has provided for the federal protection of the “waters of the United States” for over forty years.[1] Under the CWA, the federal government can regulate water quality standards and implement pollution control to protect the integrity […]
By Samantha Cook, Editor-in-Chief Research from Cornell University predicts that by the year 2100, 2 billion people may be refugees due to the rising sea levels and high numbers of people who live along the world’s coastlines.[1] Two of the most hotly contested political and legal topics, immigration and climate […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]