by John Dickinson, Staff Editor The 2020 regular session of the General Assembly dramatically expanded the role of absentee voting in Virginia. Absentee voting transitioned from a back-up for those who were unable to make it to their in-person polling place on Election Day to a general expansion of the voting period, enabling any registered voter to vote between the time the ballots are printed … Continue reading Virginia Absentee Voting Reform
Authored by: Andrew Mullen; Staff Editor As the United States struggles to get control over the COVID-19 outbreak and a consequential presidential election in three weeks, local government is a vital, often overlooked function of American society. While many people may be tempted to focus on national politics and national policy, most of the decisions relating to the pandemic have been made by mayors, school boards, county … Continue reading A Global Pandemic Highlights the Need for Robust Local Government
Authored by: Kelley Flint; Staff Editor As America faces a racial reckoning, renewed interest in tackling systemic inequality is pressuring courts and legislatures alike. Environmental Justice is one such movement gaining popularity both with lawmakers and challengers in court.[1] The concept sits at the intersection of civil rights and environmentalism. It is a bridge between the technical aspects of regulating pollution and the human element … Continue reading From the Streets to the Court: Virginia’s Fight for Environmental Justice Has Just Begun
Reprint from the International Enforcement Law Reporter (24 Sep. 2020). Authored by Mitchell Beebe; Staff Editor In an unusual rebuke by one of America’s closest allies, the Canadian Federal Court decided that the Safe Third Country Agreement (“STCA”) between the United States and Canada was unconstitutional. The Court determined that in light of recent U.S. immigration policies, it was a deprivation of human rights for … Continue reading Opinion in Canadian Council for Refugees v. Canada Spotlights U.S. Immigration Policies
Authored by: Chris Davis, Staff Editor President Trump celebrates his appointments to the Supreme Court as political victories.[1] At a rally he boasted to his supporters that “Justice Kavanaugh now sits alongside Justice Gorsuch to defend your rights, your Constitution, and your God-given freedom.”[2] Trump recently released a list of people he is considering appointing if he gets reelected and there’s a vacancy on the … Continue reading How Political Parties Divided the Supreme Court
Authored by: Emily Siron; Staff Editor Central to the conversation in favor of reproductive justice advocacy is the issue of safe, accessible reproductive healthcare, including access to abortion care. Abortion care is particularly difficult to access safely for pregnant teenagers, largely due to the prevalence of parental consent laws in the United States.[1] Thirty-seven states require some form of parental consent from … Continue reading Judicial Bypass for Pregnant Teenagers Seeking Abortions in Virginia
Reprint from the International Enforcement Law Reporter (Aug. 2020). By Mitchell Beebe (Staff Editor) and Bruce Zagaris (Attorney) In the past it has been notoriously difficult for foreign tax authorities to go directly after U.S. persons who are or were involved in fraudulent tax schemes. These lawsuits often fail on jurisdictional grounds as the people involved and the evidence needed to substantiate a claim … Continue reading New Weapon of Choice? Foreign Tax Authority Armed with Letters Rogatory Goes After U.S. Tax Fraud Scheme
By Chandler Huffer, Staff Editor Millions of Americans have Ring Doorbells, a modern doorbell with video capabilities, to protect their homes and privacy. [1] However, these doorbells may actually be invading their privacy more than protecting it. Ring uses an app called Neighbors to connect its users, but this app also allows police departments that have contracted with Amazon, the parent company of Ring, to … Continue reading Are Ring Doorbells Creating a Surveillance State?: The Effects of Local Government and Private Surveillance
By Kim Simmons, Lead Articles Editor On Wednesday, March 31, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) announced a new program, known as the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program (CTAP), to expedite the development of potentially safe and effective life-saving treatments for the COVID-19 virus[1]. As part of the CTAP, the FDA has redeployed medical and regulatory staff to serve on review teams dedicated to … Continue reading FDA Fights for COVID-19 Cure
By Tyler Moses, Staff Editor Countries around the world are struggling to adjust to life with the COVID-19, the pandemic that has unapologetically altered the infrastructure of nearly every society. In the United States, the healthcare industry struggles to adjust to supply shortages and hospital capacity issues. The stock market has gradually plummeted, as much of the country issued stay-at-home orders and asked that only … Continue reading Crime and COVID-19 – How the Coronavirus Pandemic Has and Will Affect Crime
