When the Judiciary Tries to Teach the Legislature a Lesson: Leandro v. State
Three decades, five cases, and one unfinished fight for education equity in North Carolina. [...]
State Law
North Carolina’s Looming Constitutional Crisis
Legislative change, especially on a state level, is often a result of active constituents who contact their legislators time and time again until either the funds or dedication sets bills in motion. Legislators will focus on pleasing their constituents to ensure favorable results in upcoming elections, so how will students who are unable to vote until they are 18 years old be able to influence the enactment of similar legislation protecting their rights? [...]
Necessary Reform or Blurring Transparency: A Look into The New State Bar Review Committee
An essential aspect of the State Bar’s grievance process is the transparency it provides for the public. Limiting public access to disciplinary actions against lawyers diminishes that transparency and may even be said to go against the purpose of the State Bar to protect the public and maintain the integrity of our profession. If a prospective client is trying to find an attorney, they should be able to see that attorney’s discipline record regardless of the severity of it. [...]
Unpacking North Carolina’s Ballot Initiative Shortfall
. . . voting measures are opportunities for citizens of a state to propose a change in legislation or a state constitutional amendment. Ballot initiatives are commonly viewed as a pure form of democracy and may be utilized by those who feel underrepresented by their state or local politicians. [...]
Lost Owners: North Carolina’s Limitation of Veterinary Practice Property Rights
Without any change, local owners of veterinary practices entering retirement must either close down, find another veterinarian to buy their practice, or in many cases, submit to selling their local practice to a large national corporation. [...]
To Drink or Not to Drink?
The 21st Amendment was passed on December 5, 1933, ending the nationwide prohibition. North Carolinian drinkers rejoiced, although their celebrations were short-lived. The state stayed true to its temperance roots and continued to enforce its state-wide prohibition for several months. [...]
Tag, You’re It! – Internet Jurisdiction “Enters the Chat”
One core subject every law student learns in their Civil Procedure course is “personal jurisdiction.” “Personal jurisdiction is the power of a court to make a decision about the party being sued in a legal suit. Simply put, a person or entity can only be sued in a legal jurisdiction if the jurisdiction has the power to compel the Defendant’s attendance. This makes sense if we examine the meaning and origins of the word “jurisdiction” itself. Jurisdiction is a combination of two [...]
The Eviction Crisis and the Attempt to Harmonize Gideon in Civil Courts
“‘While an eviction moratorium is an essential step, it is a half-measure that extends a financial cliff for renters to fall off of when the moratorium expires and back rent is owed.’” – Diane Yentel, CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) Nationwide, millions of people rent homes and apartments. Renters made up 36% of the 122.8 million households in the country in 2019. As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation in 2020 and states went into quarantine to try and [...]
Banning Books: School Board Attempts to Ban Certain Ideologies
“Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight.” -Stephen Chbosky For the past 25 years, Wilkes County Schools have participated in a program called “Battle of the Books.” Battle of the Books encourages reading among students in 3rd through 12th grade by creating and circulating a reading list to parents and students. After reading the books, students compete against one another in a quiz bowl style [...]
North Carolina Lighthouses: Shedding Light on Our State’s History
Lighthouses were born out of necessity—to guide mariners into harbors and to warn them of perilous shoals, shallows, and coastlines. To those seafarers, lighthouses soon became symbols of hope, safety, and home. North Carolina is fortunate enough to have seven historic lighthouses. Having survived hundreds of years along our coastline, battling not only hurricanes and shifting sands, but also legal disputes, these lighthouses remain steadfast because of preservation efforts by the [...]