Articles by Thomas O. Robbins, Co-Editor-in-Chief Emeritus

About Thomas O. Robbins, Co-Editor-in-Chief Emeritus (5 Articles)

Thomas (“Thom”) O. Robbins graduated from Campbell Law School in 2013. He was actively involved at Campbell Law, where he served as SBA Vice President, Justice of Phi Alpha Delta, and a member of the Moot Court and Mock Trial National Teams. Thom is a summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and received his master’s degree from Oxford University (St. Antony’s College). He also holds a specialization in international relations and negotiation from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, where he studied as a Fulbright Scholar. In the Summer of 2011, he clerked in the Chambers of the Honorable Wanda Bryant at the North Carolina Court of Appeals and continued clerking throughout the Fall 2011 Semester. Thom clerked in the chambers of the Honorable Linda McGee at the North Carolina Court of Appeals and in the chambers of the Honorable J. Rich Leonard of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern Division of North Carolina in Raleigh, as well as serving an intern for the Honorable W. Earl Britt, Senior U.S. District Judge for the U.S. District Court, Eastern Division of North Carolina in Raleigh.

Contact: Email

No Girls Allowed: Single-Sex Education and the U.S. Constitution

December 19, 2012

On August 13, 2012, the Wake County Public School System offered parents the opportunity to have their children educated in a single-sex learning environment. The boys-only Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy and the girls-only Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy would join the ranks of more than 500 similar single-sex programs throughout the United States. According to the News and Observer, “[d]emand was high from families attracted by old-fashioned staples such as single-sex [...]

Second Amendment Rights in the Cross Hairs?: Small Arms, Big Debate

August 6, 2012

The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the U.S. Supreme Court, in striking down a ban on possession of handguns in the District of Columbia, held that “the Second Amendment conferred an individual right to keep and bear arms. Of course, the right was not unlimited, [...]

Spies in the Sky: Unmanned Drones and the Coming “Surveillance Society”

July 9, 2012

“Hey! Look up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!” No, it is not Superman, and it is not fighting for “truth, justice, and the American way.” It is a domestic unmanned aerial surveillance aircraft, commonly referred to as a “drone.” Earlier this year, the U.S. Congress paved the way for the domestic use of unmanned drones by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies as well as by civilians. The [...]

“Can you hear me now? Good?”

June 11, 2012

“Can you hear me now? Good!” is perhaps one of the most recognizable quotes from a Verizon Wireless television commercial which advertises the extent and reliability of its cell phone coverage, but cell phone companies are providing more than just reliable service for their customers nationwide. Local law enforcement agencies (LEA) around the country have been using cell phone tracking as a routine tool in criminal investigations without first obtaining search warrants based on [...]

Pro Bono Publico Service: Should it be mandatory for lawyers in North Carolina?

May 10, 2012

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 [...]