Public Interest Law
Focusing on local, state, and national topics in areas of public concern, including education, public policy, and constitutional matters.
In 2004, the California legislature passed a bill, SB 1520, making California the first state to ban the force-feeding of birds. Force-feeding is a process wherein a bird, usually a duck or goose, is forced to consume more food for the purpose of enlarging its liver. This enlarged liver becomes foie gras, a rather expensive delicacy. The bill not only bans the act of force feeding for the purpose of enlarging the liver, the bill also bans the selling of foie gras produced by
Cake Liver: The California ban on foie gras">[...]
Every college student who worked his or her way through freshman composition has done it. The research paper is a rite of passage on American university campuses. It is a project that teaches students the nature of academic thought and writing: utilizing credible sources to support an argument or point of view. There is an emphasis not only on citing sources, but also on evaluating the sources the student uses to support her argument. But what actually counts as “research”? And
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The law deems minors too young to vote, drink, or drive; however, a minor may be sentenced to life without parole for committing certain crimes. The issue of whether juveniles can be sentenced to life without parole is currently pending before the Supreme Court and there are strong proponents on both sides of this controversial issue. In 2005, the Court held in Roper v. Simmons that juveniles cannot face the death penalty, and in 2010 the Court further held that juveniles can no longer
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When it comes to sports, there is the good, the bad, and the ugly. I would classify the good as somewhere around the Boston Celtics and the bad would definitely have to include the New Orleans Saints. Please allow me to preface this article with full disclosure: I absolutely abhor the Saints. I make it a point to cheer for any team that is playing them. Then, to add fuel to my hatred, “bountygate” occurs. Over the course of the past few seasons, several players and coaches,
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American Staffordshire Terrier. Chow Chow. German Shepherd. Doberman Pinscher. Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Bulldog. Akita. Boxer. Chinese Shar-Pei. Mastiff. Great Dane. Rottweiler. Siberian Husky. Pit Bull. These are only some of the breeds affected by Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) throughout the United States. Defined as a statute or regulation directed toward one or more specific breeds, BSL is an ugly term that strikes fear in the hearts and minds of
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We have heard it repeatedly: “A criminal defendant is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” There is no doubt this is a high standard; indeed, the highest standard our judicial system has to offer, and rightfully so. As Justice William Blackstone judiciously declared, “it is better for ten guilty men to go free than for one innocent man to be condemned to the gallows.” Of course not everyone shares this sentiment, just compare that of former Communist leader
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The State of New York recently announced that it is implementing a 50 hour pro bono requirement for admission to the NY State Bar. The news was heralded by some legal scholars as a step in the right direction, while others have derided the new requirement as another obstacle for an already beleaguered profession. The legal profession has a long, venerable tradition of being service-oriented, and many lawyers volunteer their time, talent, and legal services at no charge to support
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In March 2010, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper commissioned former FBI agents Chris Swecker and Michael Wolf to investigate the policies, procedures, and practices of the SBI forensic laboratory. The state mandated independent review of the North Carolina SBI forensic laboratory occurred after questions arose as to whether lab serologists improperly withheld or incorrectly recorded lab results in criminal investigations. The investigation, covering the years between 1987 and 2003,
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The time has finally come. I am days away from graduating from law school, and while words cannot adequately describe my excitement for making it to this point, alive, the lingering question still exists: What’s next? The short answer is a great weekend of celebration with friends and family, followed by two months of bar preparation classes, capped off with the dreaded two-day exam at the end of July. The long answer is, unfortunately, the same, because I am one of the many graduating
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Standard protocol in academia includes the implementation of a code of conduct for matriculating students. These codes, often in the form of a student handbook or manual, typically govern student conduct in the internal community of an academic institution. Law schools have been particularly careful to provide students with an explanation of their rights and responsibilities due to the recognition that law school is a student’s first step toward becoming a member of the legal profession.
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Imagine being a ten-year-old child in the foster system, growing up believing that no person truly loves you and feeling as if you are only seen as a quick solution to a monetary need. Feeling lonely and desperate, you run away. Running away seems like a great option because this way, you become your own master, set your own rules, and live or die by your decisions. The circumstances described above are faced by hundreds of young children in North Carolina. Within 48 hours of running away, one
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