Blog

When the government needs outside services, they look to The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) for guidance on how to properly conduct their procurement contracts.[1] Among other restrictions, FAR includes provisions which limit conflicts of interest (OCI) between the government and their contractors. [2] Although the regulations provide this guidance, OCI are still commonplace in the procurement system.

Joel Chandler Harris popularized the fabled figure known in American folklore as Brer Rabbit.[1] The tale likely captured the hearts of the American public due to its pure yet profound message: The smaller side can overcome the stronger and larger opposition.[2]

On July 1, 2021, the world of college athletics changed forever with the implementation of interim NCAA policies allowing college athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL) across all 50 states.[1] However, the NCAA’s suspension of its traditional amateurism rules, which barred any form of compensation, was not a voluntary one. Eight states were poised to implement NIL laws on July 1.[2] Further, in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court held in NCAA v. Alston that the NCAA’s limitation of education-related benefits violated the Sherman Act.[3]

While social media sites hold great value to society, they are also one of the greatest downfalls when it comes to human trafficking. With new social media applications continuously arising, it is easy for predators to seek out innocent youth on these sites and coerce them into human trafficking.[1]

Challenged by landlords in nearly every state throughout 2020 and 2021, the courts were forced to tackle the moral and legal assessment of the proper balance between landlords’ property interests and the rights of tenants to remain within their home when Congress enacted the federal eviction moratorium in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] When the Center for Disease Control (CDC) extended the eviction moratorium, courts were then also compelled to interpret whether the CDC had the statutory authority to protect tenants from eviction—knowing that if it did not, tenants throughout their state (and soon the entire country) would be at risk of homelessness.[2]

The meme-stock phenomenon that took investment markets by storm in early 2021 created chaos for both investors and regulators. Individual investors—led by the subgroup “WallStreetBets” on Reddit.com—collaborated to increase the stock prices of certain companies through a coordinated effort to purchase the stocks and generate losses for hedge funds who took opposing positions.[1]

Recently Britney Spears has recaptured the nation’s attention. However, it is not for a new song, interview, or viral clip. Instead, the world is focused on the state of Britney’s legal affairs centering around her conservatorship.[1] The New York Times released a documentary, “Framing Britney Spears” that explains Britney Spears’ treatment by the media and how she found herself placed under a court appointed conservatorship for the past thirteen years.[2] A conservatorship is an interesting legal construction that most people find difficult to understand especially, as in Britney Spears’ case, when the conservatorship is imposed on a seemingly independent and financially successful adult.

Boasting over one hundred thousand student-athlete signees,[1] Barstool Sports is positioning itself to be one of the first big winners following the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) decision allowing student-athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness.[2] Even so, there remains a looming potential that student-athlete partnerships with Barstool Sports may violate the law, even in the seeming Wild West[3] of NIL regulations.

Coal’s reign in the energy domain may be at its twilight hour,[1] but it still remains to be an important mineral: Coal accounted for 23% of U.S. electricity production[2] in 2019 and it also provides the primary source of funding for ongoing mine site reclamation. Usually, income from mining operations fund reclamation efforts directly as operators pay to restore mined land after extracting permitted coal reserves. However, income from operations may also indirectly fund reclamation considering that premiums paid on surety performance bonds create the economic incentive for insurance companies to guarantee reclamation in the event of a default.[3] As a result of this reclamation system, returning mined land back to its original state depends, to some degree, upon the continued success and survival of the coal industry.

As the medical field continues to devote much of its attention towards the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a new threat to public health has unfortunately emerged—E-cigarettes or Vaping Associated Lung Injury (“EVALI”).[1] Although EVALI is a relatively new medical phenomenon, as of February 18, 2020, sixty-eight Americans have died from EVALI, and a reported 2,807 Americans have been hospitalized as a result of the illness.[2] With the number of individuals who vape expected to reach 55 million this year,[3] the vaping industry is in desperate need of uniform, federal regulation aimed at ensuring manufactures adequately warn individuals about the serious health risks associated with vaping.[4]

On February 2, 2021, Electronic Arts (EA) announced the long-awaited return of their popular college football video game.[1] The game highlights the college football experience from recruiting, to on field play, and the most popular feature–a Dynasty mode where players can act as a coach and build their dream teams.[2] EA Sports, a subsidiary of EA, started their college football franchise in 1993 with “The Grandaddy of Them All” Bill Walsh College Football.[3] The game did not feature any of the schools until it received the proper licensing in 1995 with the next game in the franchise, College Football USA, which was the first game to include all Division 1-A teams.[4]

In their most recent consideration of abortion rights, the Supreme Court’s decision in June Medical Services L.L.C. v. Russo seemed to reaffirm the Court’s protective standard for women established by Roe v. Wade and its progeny. June Medical invalidated a Louisiana statute requiring abortion providers to retain admitting privileges at local hospitals.[1] However, the 4-1-4 decision is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, delivering a clandestine blow to the Court’s protective standard for abortion rights. The splintered opinions risk a litany of ramifications that could denigrate Roe v. Wade[2] and abortion access.[3] Following June Medical, lower courts have struggled with determining what controlling rule remains to analyze restrictions on abortion services, arriving at different conclusions.

As recent violent altercations between the police and civilians have led to calls for Congress to pass legislative reform, the Supreme Court issued an opinion on March 25th, that appears to give victims of police violence a chance in court.[1] In Torres v. Madrid, the Court provided a bright-line rule for what constitutes a “seizure” which closes a large loop-hole that has allowed police misconduct to go unchecked for many years.[2]

With an estimated net worth of $113.9 billion by 2027, the short-term rental market is booming in the United States and abroad.[1] Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Americans are still loading up their minivans for short, weekend trips that are close to home.[2] Websites like Airbnb, Vrbo, and HomeAway offer stays in shared or private homes, apartments, condominiums, and the occasional hotel room. Other websites, such as Glamping.com and GlampingHub, cater to the more adventurous traveler, advertising unique stays in yurts, tents, teepees, igloos, and treehouses all across the country. One website in particular, Airbnb, has dominated the short-term rental market in recent years and is worth more than the three largest hotel chains, combined, as of December 2020.[3]

“The women of this country have waited over two centuries to be afforded equal protections under this country’s founding document.”[1] The Equal Rights Amendment (“ERA”) has endured an almost centennial-long battle in the United States’ legal system. Proposed in 1923 by two leaders of the National Women’s Party, Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman, the Amendment provides that: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”[2]

November 2019, the world of professional sports was rocked to its core when it was reported that Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros had cheated their way to a World Series victory in 2017,[1] using video technology to steal signs between the opposition’s pitcher and catcher and conveying the sign to Astros’ batters.[2]

“We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people have ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune.” –Theodore Roosevelt [1]

“Listening to music will never be the same again.” This was the declaration of Steve Jobs during the introduction of the Apple iPod. At the time, a portable MP3 music player with the capacity to hold over 1,000 songs was unheard of.

At the freeing age of sixteen, the only obstacle to unbridled rebellion is making sure you ask for permission to borrow the car. Unbeknownst to you, you are traveling in a speed restricted school zone and now have a ticket to explain to your parents. Years later, you apply to law school. Suddenly that ticket becomes relevant once again.