By: Zach Wright, Volume 104 Staff Member The Seventh Circuit decided Tran v. Minnesota Life Ins. Co. (“Tran”) in April of 2019.[I] Tran stemmed from a beneficiary’s claim for benefits under an ERISA-governed life insurance policy after their spouse died engaging in autoerotic asphyxiation.[ii] The court held that a reasonable person would conclude death by autoerotic asphyxiation…

By: Melanie Griffith, Volume 104 Staff Member INTRODUCTION The tides are turning on the trend of conversion therapy bans. Conversion therapy is a controversial practice that purports to “cure” homosexual or transgender individuals by attempting to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.[1] Therapists use methods ranging from aversion therapy and shock therapy to seemingly-benign…

By: Chuqiao Yu, Volume 104 Staff Member  Imagine you, as a taxpayer, wanted to know how your hard-earned money had been used and filed a request to a federal agency asking for some information about a commercial program it was administering. The agency declined your request and explained to you that the information you requested…

By: Casey Epstein, Volume 104 Staff Member INTRODUCTION Imagine you are poor, mentally-ill, and struggle to manage your finances. You granted your adult son durable power of attorney (“DPA”),[1] but are no longer on speaking terms with him. You work a low-wage, menial job and your paychecks are subject to typical tax withholdings. Because of…

By: Erik M. Jensen* In 2009, the GreenBag, which (with justification) bills itself as An Entertaining Journal of Law, published my revealing essay on judicial attire—or, more precisely, on what is hidden by judicial attire[i]—Under the Robes: A Judicial Right to Bare Arms and Legs and . . .?[ii]  Along the way I hypothesized that, because a judicial…

March introduced a new kind of madness into collegiate athletics this year. Just as the regular basketball season came to a close and players geared up for the annual all-around tournaments, a ruling issued from the Northern District of California that further blurred the line between amateur and professional sports.

During the Saints-Rams NFC championship game in early 2019 the referees missed a pass interference call that many experts agree cost the Saints the game. Even the National Football League (NFL) acknowledges that its referees missed the penalty call. With that call, the Saints very likely would have won the game and earned a spot in Superbowl LIII because the penalty would have given the team a first down, which would have allowed them to run out the clock before attempting their game winning field goal.

Confetti! Bright colors! Candy! Little Billy’s eyes are fixed on the screen. He just broke open a Llama Piñata in his favorite video game, Fortnite, with hopes of receiving a rare in-game item he has long desired. Alas, he sees the results and sighs in disappointment. Nothing. Just some useless items he won the day before.

In 1893, Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote that “[t]he pen is mightier than the sword.” That may be so, but more power lies with he who interprets the words than he who writes them. By using ordinary tools of statutory construction, the Supreme Court interpreted the Apprehension and Detention of Aliens Act and sealed the fate of countless aliens in the United States.