By: Zuleika Rivera With the passing of Edith Windsor one cannot help but think about the LGTBQI movement in the United States and how much progress was made in the last few years.[1] Strategic litigation was crucial in the passage of progressive laws including the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges[2], but we must […]
Will R. Kelly’s Recent Cult Allegations Ignite a Change in the Laws Concerning Cult Leaders?
By: Chanel Chasanov On July 19, 2017, the famous musician known as R. Kelly was accused of running a cult of women in his homes in both Chicago and the Atlanta area. While this is not his first time in the spotlight for sexual assault allegations, it is the first in which the families of […]
Costly Consequences: The Implications of the Ninth Circuit’s Interpretation of the Clean Water Act
By: Elizabeth Platt Congress enacted the Clean Water Act (CWA) to restore and maintain the nation’s waters.[1] The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is the primary system for issuing permits and controlling point sources.[2] NPDES permits are issued one of two ways. Either, the EPA administrator may issue permits,[3] or EPA may authorize a […]
No Shelter to Be Found: How Gentrification Exacerbates Domestic Violence in Washington, D.C.
By: Felise Ortiz In the District of Columbia and other metropolitan areas, gentrification greatly exacerbates domestic violence and limits the access to resources for survivors.[1] From 2011 to 2015, domestic violence calls in Washington, D.C. rose from 31,000 calls a year to almost 35,000 a year.[2] In 2015, over one thousand people in D.C. area […]
The UCCJEA and Shari’ah Law
By: Samuel Jay It would be absurd to declare that a religion violates fundamental principles of human rights, but that’s where section 105(C) of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act (“UCCJEA”) puts courts in the United States of America.[1] Under this section of the UCCJEA, a court can refuse to recognize a foreign country’s jurisdiction […]
Justice Gorsuch and Natural Law
By: Katherine Holcombe Before taking office, Supreme Court justices take an oath in support of the Constitution, stating in part to “bear true faith and allegiance to the same… without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.”[1] Nevertheless, on some occasions, the Supreme Court has engaged in analysis that references natural law, a notion that […]
Decriminalization of Child Prostitution in California: Should Other States Follow?
By: Sara Medina Recently, California passed S.B. 1322 that prevents law enforcement officials from arresting sex workers under the age of eighteen for soliciting or engaging in prostitution.[1] Decriminalizing commercial sex was designed to protect children of human trafficking from suffering the stigma of prostitution by providing counseling services.[2] However, decriminalizing these sexual acts actually […]
The Social Policy on Private Prisons: An Incentive to Incarcerate?
By Noma Ndlovu On February 23, 2017, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Department of Justice would rescind an Obama Administration policy that instructed the Bureau of Prisons to phase out the use of private prison contract agreements due to overall concerns for inmate safety and security.[1] In a one-paragraph memorandum, Sessions […]
An Uber Bad “Employer”
By: Samantha Fournier Uber Technology (“Uber”) is no stranger to lawsuits. In 2015, fifty federal lawsuits were filed against Uber, which is more than three-times as much as Lyft, Uber’s closest competitor.[1] The contents of these lawsuits vary from the five-star rating system, whether the drivers are employees, and insurance disputes.[2] Uber repeatedly settles the […]
Knowledge is Power: The Present and Future of Data Collection on Missing Children
By: Cassandra Doran Introduction Over the past two weeks, an increasing amount of media focus is on the many missing girls of color from Washington, D.C.[1] Mayor Muriel Bowser asserted that the number of missing has not increased.The coverage has caused many in the public and lawmakers to take notice and call for action to […]