By Tanmay Gupta The role of the defense attorney is one that is very controversial in criminal law. On October 27th of this year, a federal judicial panel rejected a proposal to force defense attorneys to disclose more information, primarily financial statements of a defendant when he asks for a court appointed lawyer. [1] These issues seem to constantly get debated by legal panels on … Continue reading The Role of the Criminal Defense Attorney: How to Reconcile Protecting the Client and Being Ethical

By Danni Bian The #MeToo movement has prompted widespread recognition that sexual harassment is pervasive both in and out of the workplace.[1] About twenty-two percent of employed women in the United States reported experiencing sexual harassment at work, compared with seven percent of employed men.[2] Approximately forty-two percent of employed women in the United States have faced some kind of gender discrimination at work, including … Continue reading Restorative Practices on Workplace Sexual Harassment

By Daniel LaLonde What does it mean for a supervisee to answer to a supervisor? Does it remind you of your workplace? Where a supervisor can punish the supervisee if they do not perform their tasks appropriately? Do images of a supervisee working to handle their job appropriately to avoid reprimands from their supervisor spring into your mind? If so, to whom do you think … Continue reading Transparency at the Virginia Department of Corrections

By Nicole Evans The decision of Olmstead v. L.C. was a monumental moment for the disabled community. It held that under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), unjustified isolation of a person with a disability is discrimination on the basis of the person’s disability.[1] Olmstead also held that the states need to provide treatment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the least restrictive … Continue reading Virginia’s Continued Non-Compliance with DOJ Settlement is Disability Discrimination

By Kat Beatty One of the most rapidly growing new technologies is the use of drones for recreational and professional use, with a total “[o]f…865,505 drones registered with the [Federal Aviation Administration] FAA.”[1] Due to the growing number of drones, in 2016, Congress required the FAA to establish regulations for the usage and identification of drones, called the Standard Remote ID requirement.[2] Part of the … Continue reading Drones and the Fourth Amendment

By Ben Raab Each year, thousands of people are subject to debt collection. Sometimes, debtors are subject to unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices by debt collectors. Because consumers do not choose the debt collectors they engage with, consumer protection laws and regulations are particularly important.[1] To provide consumers with protection, Congress passed the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). The FDCPA created guidelines under which … Continue reading [Un]Fair Debt Collection

By Owen Giordano This summer, President Biden’s administration announced that low- and middle-income individuals who have unpaid student loan debt could have $10,000 of said debt cancelled through the American Rescue Act.[1] While this development is a welcome change to many, only half the battle has been won. There is presently disparate treatment of such relief for income tax purposes amongst the states. Specifically, there … Continue reading Only Half the Battle: The Disparate State Response to the Taxation of the Biden Administration’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan

By Madison Neale During the process of prosecuting a case of child abuse, the testimony of a medical professional hired as an expert witness for the state is often pivotal.[1] This can pose a number of difficulties for defendants, because juries tend to find expert witnesses highly persuasive.[2] The very term “expert” holds a lot of weight, and juries tend to accept what an expert … Continue reading The Legal and Scientific Pitfalls of Prosecuting “Shaken Baby” Cases

By Kyara Rivera Rivera             The 4th Amendment states that “[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”[1] This … Continue reading Are My 4th Amendment Rights Being Violated When I Go Through U.S. Customs?