What constitutes a “public nuisance”? And does an injury rooted in religious belief override general public concerns? Those questions arose in a recent Arizona lawsuit, Hopi Tribe v. Arizona Snowbowl Resort Limited Partnership, when the Hopi tribe ... [Read more...]
In The News
Legalizing Recreational Marijuana: A New State Revolution?
Election night 2018 brought about several changes in the legal landscape, but probably none so stark or so surprising as the spread of recreational marijuana laws. States that have voted conservatively in recent elections voted on ballot measures ... [Read more...]
Tampering with Digital Locks: New Laws and Smartphones
It’s a common experience: the smartphone that is supposed to make your life easier and more manageable develops a glitch. You don’t have the time or the money to send it off for repair, but you do have enough know-how to fix it yourself, so you try ... [Read more...]
Teachers, Guns, and Schools: Issues of Local Law
Recently, a small school district in eastern Pennsylvania became the first school district in the state to permit teachers and other school employees to carry concealed weapons in schools. The measure, which the school board passed unanimously, ... [Read more...]
State Gun Laws and Ballot Measures
During the 2018 midterms, Washington State asked voters to consider a ballot initiative outlining one of the most sweeping platforms of gun safety laws in the nation; the initiative passed with 60 percent of the vote. Initiative 1639 took a broad ... [Read more...]
Legal Challenges to Daylight Saving Time
It’s that time of year: leaves fall, shadows lengthen, and we turn back our clocks, offering a one-time gain of an hour of sleep and a months-long loss of daylight. However, legislative challenges to Daylight Saving Time (“DST”) may reshape our ... [Read more...]
Facing the Proposed H-1B Visa Revisions
The face of U.S. immigration law is changing, drastically and rapidly. While much of the attention has focused on migrants crossing the country’s southern borders, other aspects of immigration law are being transformed as well. The Department of ... [Read more...]
Hate Crimes and Domestic Terrorism
On October 27, 2018, a man walked into a synagogue in Pittsburgh and opened fire, killing 11 people and injuring several others. The shooter, Robert Bowers, was arrested and charged with 29 separate charges: 11 counts of obstruction of exercise of ... [Read more...]
The Benefits and Costs of Flipping
A few weeks ago, President Trump made news (again) when he complained about his former attorney agreeing to cooperate with federal prosecutors. He said that Cohen’s action was “called flipping and it almost ought to be illegal.” The president’s ... [Read more...]
California and the End of Cash Bail
California is on track to become the first state to eliminate money bail with the passage of California Senate Bill 10, but, even as the bill becomes law, it continues to attract controversy. California SB10 has been shaped over two years of ... [Read more...]