The topic of national security clearances has been in the news lately; however, confusion persists about what a national security clearance is and when (typically) it can be revoked. National security clearances became the focus of ... [Read more...]
Understanding Claims of Voter Fraud
Over the past few years, the news has been full of claims of voter fraud: vague and terrifying allegations that the American electoral process has been undermined by deliberate efforts to subvert the system. “Voter fraud” evokes the image of people ... [Read more...]
What Does A Patent Do?
If you have ever tinkered with building a device or if you have designed a process for completing a task, you may have wondered if you could get a patent on your work. If you are interested in pursuing a patent, it’s important to understand what ... [Read more...]
What Is Executive Privilege?
Over the past year, you’ve probably read or heard something about “executive privilege.” It’s an impressive-sounding phrase that seems to suggest great power, but you may wonder what sorts of actions it covers and when it can be invoked. Probably ... [Read more...]
The GDPR and the Future of Privacy
A few years ago, the comedian John Oliver mocked the dense language that many tech companies employ in their user agreements (and the gullibility of users who just want to click past the boring stuff and get on with their music or games or news). He ... [Read more...]
Bayer Halts Sales of Essure
A quick search for “Essure Birth Control” on Facebook yields a long and troubling list of results, many identifying problems with the Essure device and offering support for women who have suffered injuries. The sheer volume of results means that, for ... [Read more...]
Why the Supreme Court Matters
With the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, that august judicial body and its importance to the lives of citizens has been much in the news, a fact that speaks to the continued vitality of an entity that is more than two ... [Read more...]
The End of MAVNI: Military Service and Paths to Citizenship
Back in 2009, the Department of Defense instituted a new program called MAVNI: Military Accessions Vital to National Interest. These accessions were not technological or financial. Rather, they were actual human resources, potential military recruits ... [Read more...]
Child Protective Services Investigations Explained
Every state maintains an agency that is authorized to receive and investigate reports of alleged child abuse and child neglect. In addition, the agency (which may be called Child Protective Services (CPS), Children Youth & Families, or the ... [Read more...]
No-contest Clauses in Wills
It can be hard to set aside a will even under ordinary circumstances: courts give deference to wills because (as their name implies), wills are supposed to represent the wishes of the testator. If you seek to set aside a will because you feel you did ... [Read more...]