Maybe you’re familiar with the concept of libel, that is, the notion that a person cannot write or publish false and disparaging information about you. That fundamental concept has different nuances and applications, including food libel. In a food ... [Read more...]
State Laws on Firearms and Domestic Abuse
Recently, Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled legislature unanimously approved a bill that would require people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence to turn in their firearms within 24 hours. In passing this measure, Pennsylvania joins 29 ... [Read more...]
California’s Net Neutrality Law
Society’s increasing reliance on technology for communication and entertainment has raised important questions about access to the internet and how (or even if) that access should be regulated. Concerns have coalesced in a debate over net neutrality. ... [Read more...]
Rethinking Incarceration for Young Offenders
New York and North Carolina were the last two states to treat offenders under the age of 18 as adults. However, in the past two years, both states have begun to implement reforms that will distinguish the ways that juvenile offenders are processed, ... [Read more...]
Uber Employee or Uber Independent Contractor? It Depends Where You Ask.
Increasingly, people are using their cars for work – not only to get to and from the workplace, but as a source of income. Uber claims that it has two million drivers around the world with three-quarters of a million of those in the U.S. But, it is ... [Read more...]
Reporting and Recovering from Consumer Fraud
In 2017, the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network received over 2.5 million reports of fraud, identity theft and other consumer scams. While reports of fraud decreased slightly from 2016, the overall amount of money lost increased, up ... [Read more...]
Non-compete Agreements for Non-managerial Employees
Non-compete agreements have become increasingly common in the past few years. Their appeal to employers is obvious: these agreements mean that when a business loses a valuable employee, they don’t lose a vital competitive advantage as well. However, ... [Read more...]
Statutes of Limitations for Childhood Sexual Abuse
In the wake of a grand jury report of clergy sexual abuse in Pennsylvania, a legislator introduced a bill to eliminate the statute of limitations on prosecuting such cases. Currently, Pennsylvania allows criminal charges to be filed in childhood ... [Read more...]
What Is Probate?
About halfway through the live action/animation classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit, hard-boiled detective Eddie Valiant is searching for ways to clear the titular cartoon star from the suspicion of murdering a wealthy property owner. Valiant directs his ... [Read more...]
Parental Rights for Same-Sex Couples
In June 2015, the Supreme Court held that same-sex couples have the right to marry. That decision established that states could not define marriage in a way that excluded same-sex couples, but it did not clarify how to secure some of the rights of ... [Read more...]