Fifth Circuit rules strict Texas voter ID laws violate Voting Rights Act
A federal appeals court found that exceedingly strict voter ID laws in Texas violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965 due to the laws’ disparate impact on minorities.
Constitutional & Public Law
Think before you serve a drink—dram shop laws in North Carolina
Bars, restaurants, and social hosts can be held liable under dram shop laws for serving alcohol to intoxicated guests or customers that later cause an accident due to being intoxicated.
#BlackLivesMatter: the movement seeking to shed light on America’s racial problem
From Michael Brown to Eric Garner to most recently Sandra Bland; the United States has a serious policing problem.
The next step in the LGBTQ movement may have a leg up
The EEOC ruled to ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation as an interpretation of workplace gender bias.
May I vote please?
The systematic change in North Carolina election laws and the lasting impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Children in Massachusetts may not be calling “shotgun” anymore
Massachusetts introduces new legislation that will prevent children from sitting in the front passenger seats.
The Constitutional Dance
A California Gentlemen’s Club Fights for its Rights
Checks and balances for the medical profession
Michigan oncologist sentenced to forty-five years in prison for defrauding hundreds of cancer patients
“A nation of second chances”: President Obama commutes 46 sentences
In his push to overhaul the nation’s criminal justice system, President Obama commuted the sentences of 46 inmates who are currently incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses, making him the president who has commuted the most sentences in more than 40 years.
Second Circuit Rules Unpaid Interns Likely Not Employees Because of Educational Nature of Internship Programs
In an appeal to the Second Circuit, unpaid interns argue they are entitled to compensation, as they are employees – however, the Second Circuit rules that due to the educational nature of internships, in most cases, unpaid interns are not entitled to compensation based on a primary beneficiary test.
Re-thinking the use of solitary confinement
A federal appeals court decides that an inmate in solitary confinement may sue based on a procedural due process claim
Supreme Court OK’s new lethal injection drug
In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court holds that midazolam is a sufficient lethal injection substitute, and consequently does not violate the Eighth Amendment.
Sweet Briar’s (Almost) Sweet Ending
The college will stay open for now, but could be subject to future lawsuits
California’s new vaccine law creates more problems than it cures
California passed legislation that eliminates the personal belief exemption from vaccination.
#LoveWins: So what happens now?
After a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court in favor of gay marriage nationwide, where will the focus be for the LGBTQ movement?