‘TRANSGENDER NEED NOT APPLY’[1]: HOW THE SESSIONS MEMO THREATENS ESSENTIAL WORKPLACE PROTECTIONS FOR TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS By: Libby Bulinski, Volume 102 Staff Member On October 4th, 2017, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memorandum stating that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act does not prohibit discrimination based on gender identity in the workplace.[2]…

SCANDAL IN THE NCAA: A FIDUCIARY TALE By: Andrew Escher, Volume 102 Staff Member Common wisdom holds that sports bring people together. In circumstances as varied as a Texas high school at a Friday night football game or an entire country during the Olympics, athletics gives disparate groups of people reason to find common cause.…

INVESTIGATING JUROR MISCONDUCT IN MINNESOTA By: Melanie Johnson, Volume 102 Staff Member In the American criminal justice system, jurors are expected to be unbiased. [1] It’s an issue most often litigated pre-trial during the jury selection process as counsel for the defendant and state grapple over diversity of the jury venire or defects in voir…

STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM: WHAT DRAKE’S FAIR USE WIN MEANS TO THE FUTURE OF MUSIC SAMPLING By: Veena Tripathi, Volume 102 Staff Member True, just like it’s probably easier to snap a picture with that camera [looks at camera] than it is to actually paint a picture. But what the photographer is to the painter…

YOUR CAR IS WATCHING YOU: SHOULD THE POLICE NEED A WARRANT TO FIND OUT WHAT IT KNOWS? By: Clayton Carlson, Volume 102 Staff Member Out of all the things that people own that could be spying on them, they seldom suspect their cars. If you have purchased your car within the past few years, however,…

PATENT APOCALYPSE: WILL OIL STATES RESURRECT THE VICTIMIZED PATENT RIGHTS OF IPR? By: Clint Maynard, Volume 102 Staff Member Where does a patent go to die? Some patent holders might say the Patent Trials and Appeals Board (PTAB). Since the enactment of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act [1] (AIA), patent holders have seen the rise…

“UBER” UNCERTAINTY: WHY COURTS ARE ILL-EQUIPPED TO DETERMINE COMPENSABILITY IN A GIG ECONOMY By: Joshua Greenberg, Volume 102 Staff Member In an increasingly digital world, people are finding new ways to earn a living. Specifically, the “gig economy,” also known as “on-demand employment,” continues to “grow[] at a rapid rate along with the supply of…

A COURT HEARS ALABAMA PRISONERS’ CRY FOR HELP By: J.D. Davis, Volume 102 Staff Member In June of 2017, Judge Myron Thompson issued his second major opinion in a three-part class action lawsuit.[1] This 302-page ruling came out of a massive 2014 lawsuit filed by inmates held by the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC).[2] In…

THE ALGORITHM MADE ME DO IT AND OTHER BAD EXCUSES: UPHOLDING TRADITIONAL LIABILITY PRINCIPLES FOR ALGORITHM-CAUSED HARM By: Rebecca J. Krystosek, Volume 101 Staff Member As the outputs of algorithms increasingly pervade our everyday lives—from wayfinding apps and search engine autofill results to investment advice and self-driving cars—we must also come to terms with who…

ALL (PRIVACY) IS NOT LOST: ATTORNEYS GENERAL AND PRIVACY PROTECTION By: Mitchell Noordyke, Volume 101 Staff Member In March, the House and Senate voted to prevent portions of the FCC Privacy Rule from going into effect.[1] This rule would have required more demanding protocol from broadband internet access service and telecommunications service providers to ensure…