By: Margaret Potter, Staff Writer On February 19, 2019, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a concurring opinion in McKee v. Cosby in which he urged the Supreme Court to reconsider its seminal decision in New York Times v. Sullivan.[1] In McKee v. Cosby, actress Katherine McKee sued comedian Bill Cosby, whom […]
Juris Blog
UPMC and Highmark Split
By: Christina Pici, Staff Writer As June 30th, 2019 approaches more articles and news stories are sure to come out concerning the long deliberated split between two of Pittsburgh’s largest health care providers, University of Pittsburgh’s Medical Center [“UPMC”] and Highmark.[1] June 30 is the day that the consent […]
The Rate of Rights: Wrongful Conviction Compensation
By: Kyle Steenland, Feature Editor Imagine finding yourself trapped in the criminal justice system and later thrust into the hands of the department of corrections. Along the way, you pled your innocence but for reasons outside your control, your last contact with outside society was a judge handing down […]
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court Revives Lawsuit Filed by UPMC Employees Affected by a Data Breach
By: Stephen Hodzic, Staff Writer While many businesses are aware of the concept of cybersecurity, it is unclear how many businesses take active steps to protect not only their proprietary data, but also personal employee data. Several large profile cyberattacks have taken place in recent years. The United […]
Law in the Wasteland
By: Rachel Pressdee, Staff Writer As a law student, I walked out of my last final of the semester and I did not want to think about the legal world until I had to step back through the school’s doors. However, once you become a law student something […]
Euthanasia in America
By: Emma Hurst, Staff Writer Oregon, Montana, Washington, Vermont, Hawaii, California, Colorado, and Washington D.C. were among the first states to introduce and pass legislation that would allow physician assisted suicide, or euthanasia, to terminally ill patients.[1] In Oregon alone, 1,275 patients have died from the drugs provided to […]
Pennsylvania Offers Clean Slate for Misdemeanor Records
By: Samantha Cook, Feature Editor “Get a clean slate!” offers the Community Legal Services of Philadelphia. “Do You Have a Criminal Record that Might Be Sealed Under Pennsylvania’s New Clean Slate Law?”[1] Studies of the criminal justice system in recent years have addressed the issue of collateral consequences, the concept […]
States Shifting Their Stance on the Death Penalty Reflects the Growing Trend Towards Abolishing Capital Punishment
By: Brandon Schall, Staff Writer Currently, 30 states have capital punishment laws for certain crimes.[1] In recent years, four state legislatures, have abolished their death penalty and replaced it with life imprisonment, those states include, New Mexico (2009), Illinois (2011), Connecticut (2012), and Maryland (2013).[2] Additionally, Nebraska’s legislature abolished […]
Laying the Death Tax to Rest: The Left and Right Quarrel Over the Federal Estate Tax
By: Natalia Holliday, Editor-In-Chief “It’s the government’s final insult to force grieving families to visit both the undertaker and the IRS on the same day,” remarked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in a plea to repeal the federal estate tax, commonly known as the “death tax.”[1] On […]
A Step in the Right Direction: Laws Allowing the Homeless to Live in Their Vehicles
By: Elizabeth Fitch, Staff Writer On February 5, 2019, San Diego City Council members voted unanimously to repeal a 35-year-old law stating that it is illegal for people to live in their vehicles.[1] Councilman Mark Kerseysays the law, first passed in 1983, has outlived its usefulness; “I think it’s pretty […]
2016 Best Legal Blog Nominee
