Law & Public Policy Blog

Adamari Rodriguez, JD Anticipated May 2024, Law and Public Policy Scholar “Man, like a tree in the cleft of a rock, gradually shapes his roots to his surroundings, and when the roots have grown to a certain size, can’t be displaced without cutting at his life.” – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes from a letter dated April 1, 1907 Like a tree, the United States has a large undocumented immigrant population that has integrated and rooted themselves into …

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Lucas Masin-Moyer, JD Anticipated May 2024, Law and Public Policy Scholar Leading up to the 2022 midterm elections, discussion and legislative action on public education centered on what is taught in schools. The controversies over Critical Race Theory, “Don’t Say Gay” bills and parental rights have eclipsed serious issues regarding funding inequities in public education. For example, Pennsylvania’s “hold harmless” funding model remains largely unchallenged even though it creates an education system that fails many students, particularly English Language Learner …

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Hyo Jin Lee, JD Anticipated May 2024, Law and Public Policy Scholar Foodborne illness in the U.S. remains a costly and common public health problem. The number of Americans affected by foodborne outbreaks has been on the rise since 1998, despite countless attempts by the federal food safety oversight system to eradicate the problem. One of the main reasons that the U.S. government has had limited success in fixing the problem is the fragmentation of the federal food safety oversight system. …

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Billy February, JD Anticipated May 2024, Law and Public Policy Scholar A momentous shift is occurring for the cause of food security. The federal government set an ambitious plan to end hunger by 2030 and Pennsylvania is taking action to achieve that goal. Food Insecurity Historically It’s been over fifty years since President Nixon held the first White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health in 1969. It was here that Nixon reasserted his message to Congress that “the moment …

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Carley Felzer, JD Anticipated May 2024, Law and Public Policy Scholar Philadelphia has struggled with pollution and environmental contamination since the Industrial Revolution, earning by the 1980s the unflattering moniker of “Filth-adelphia.”  In 2012, it ranked as the second-worst northeastern metropolitan area for smog contamination.  Although conditions have improved, the American Lung Association awarded the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden metropolitan area a failing grade for ozone pollution in its latest State of the Air Report.  Exposure to high levels of air pollution increases …

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Emily Harris, JD Anticipated May 2024, Law and Public Policy Scholar Since the 2022-2023 school year has started, curriculum censorship is on the minds of parents, teachers, and students across the nation. If and how “Don’t Say Gay/Trans” laws should be enacted is at the forefront of political discussions. These conversations are happening on school boards, in state legislatures, and in homes from the East to West coast. This is a look at what is currently happening in three states …

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Michael J. Creighton, JD Anticipated May 2024, Law and Public Policy Scholar When he ran for office in 2020, President Joe Biden promised to work with Congress to enact the Paycheck Fairness Act (“PFA”) into law. And while the Biden Administration has made significant strides toward equal pay by executive order, the PFA is still pending in the U.S. Senate. This is no surprise given the realities of a narrowly divided upper chamber combined with the formidable legislative filibuster, but …

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Carson Glenn Taylor, JD Anticipated May 2024, Law and Public Policy Scholar The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a treaty that restricts the production of nuclear weapons while encouraging the exchange of peaceful nuclear technology. Ratified in 1968, it has been signed by nearly every nation. Along with those goals, this treaty also calls for a Review Conference (NPTRC) to take place every five years to ensure that countries comply with their duties. The most recent conference took place in …

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Arlo B. Blaisus, JD Anticipated May 2024, Law & Public Policy Scholar American democracy is suffering from a crisis of confidence. One recent study found that 58% of Americans are not satisfied with the way our democracy is working. By comparison, only 33% of our Canadian neighbors felt the same. Another study found that two out of every three Americans think our democracy is “in danger of collapse.” The number of Americans who believe that political violence is sometimes justified …

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Alexander Rojavin ’20, Law and Public Policy Scholar Alexander Rojavin is a multilingual intelligence, media, and policy analyst specializing in information warfare. He is currently working on a book on modern Russian cinema as a key battlefield in the Kremlin’s information war. He is also co-chair of the Symposium on Disinformation Studies. In his spare time, he moonlights as a published literary translator (Routledge, Slavica Publishers, forthcoming Academic Studies Press). What follows is a chronicle of key events, trends, and …

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