Self-Represented Litigants and the Pro Se Crisis

(Source)   In Latin, pro se means “for oneself” or “on one’s own behalf.” In court, pro se means at least one party represents itself without an attorney’s assistance. While criminal defendants may also appear pro se, this article focuses on the challenges present in civil pro se cases. Pro se litigants’ case outcomes are

Say It Ain’t So, Joe! Biden Turning His Back on Campaign Pledge to Fight Against Death Penalty

(Source)   As the first president in American history to publicly oppose capital punishment, Joe Biden came into office with many hoping that he would take some action on his stated stance. Of course, he could not unilaterally repeal the federal death penalty, nor could he end capital punishment administered by the states, but there

Eaten Alive: Inaction as a form of Cruel and Unusual Punishment in State Jails and Prisons

(Source)   If you have watched a lot of Law and Order, cop shows, or even viral TikTok videos involving the police, you have probably heard the phrase “this violates my constitutional rights.” You might have also heard people on the news say “this is cruel and unusual punishment” when something outrageous happens to someone

Copyrights and AI: A Solution

(Source)   Copyrights are everywhere. There’s a copyright on the Gideon the Ninth book, the Eras Tour movie, the Thomas the Tank Engine theme song, and so much more. Virtually every book, movie, painting, recording, script, etc. that you can think of has a copyright. But what is a copyright? And how do you get

School Book Bans: The Fight for Students’ Right to Read

(Source)   1,557 books. 33 states. 153 districts. The 2022-23 school year saw record-breaking numbers of book bans in schools and libraries across the country. PEN America, a nonprofit committed to promoting free expression, recorded 3,362 instances of book bans in the 22-23 school year, a 33 percent increase from the year before. These books,

The Fourteenth Amendment: Toothed or Toothless against Trump?

(Source)   Few people are as controversial as Donald Trump. Even after 7 years, 4 indictments, and over 50,000 tweets, the former president and current Republican lead candidate seems to be just as controversial as when he clinched the 2016 Republican nomination. Many feel that history will repeat itself with Trump again winning the nomination

Rise of the Shadow Docket

(Source)   In Allen v. Milligan (2023), the Supreme Court ruled that a redistricting plan adopted by the State of Alabama prior to the 2022 congressional midterm elections likely violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The 5-4 majority affirmed a District Court’s findings that (1) the plan impermissibly undermined the voting rights of

The Congressional Insider Trading Conflict of Interest

(Source) On February 13, 2020, former Senator Richard Burr sold between $628,000 and $1.7 million in personal stocks. A week later, the stock market crashed because of anxiety concerning the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, prior to his trades, Burr projected confidence in the US’s response to the pandemic. Hours before he sold the shares, Burr was

The Kids Online Safety Act: A Censorship Bill or a Champion of Children’s Online Safety?

(Source)   Overview of KOSA Just before the August recess this year,  , the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) passed unanimously out of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Originally introduced by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in February 2022 and reintroduced in May 2023, KOSA is the latest

Should Medical Treatments be Patented?

(Source)   Over the decades, hospital visits and medications have become more and more expensive for the average American. This problem has become such a dilemma for the United States that people often cannot pay for their life-saving medication and affordable healthcare is a hot-button issue for presidential administrations. While insurance companies, lack of regulation

1 4 5 6 7 8 38