By Cameron Bray Equitable mootness is a common-law doctrine that prevents a Chapter 11 plan from being reviewed when an appellant has “failed and neglected diligently to pursue their available remedies to obtain a stay” and changes in circumstances “render it inequitable to consider the merits of the appeal.”[1]  Judges and practitioners alike tend to […]

By Michael J. Riedl Consumer lenders across America breathed an initial sigh of relief on February 8, as the Northern District of California sided with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC”) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) in upholding the “valid-when-made” rule pertaining to high-interest consumer loans.[1]  By upholding […]

By Carli Berasi Lurking behind bushes,[1] skulking behind trash,[2] and prowling under cars,[3] paparazzi spend their days behind the camera, seeking optimal, exclusive angles of their incredibly photogenic subjects: celebrities.[4]  Celebrities, who are often fiercely protective of their privacy, lose more than just their solitude, anonymity, and secrecy by their public figure status being subject […]

By: Mathias A. Young In 2020, the Supreme Court declared that a large part of Oklahoma was still Indian country[1] because Congress had never formally disestablished a reservation. While the McGirt v. Oklahoma[2] decision certainly had a large impact on the state of Oklahoma and was celebrated as a recognition of Native American treaty rights, […]

By Jonathon Beatty What happens when a public-school employee’s free speech and free exercise rights run contrary to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment?[1]  The Supreme Court will answer that question in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District[2] and shed light on the intersection of the Free Speech, Free Exercise, and Establishment Clauses.[3]  Specifically, the […]

By: Inyoung Park Why is America involved in the Peace Treaty between South and North Korea? On June 25, 1950, the Korean War broke out when approximately 135,000 North Koreans, backed with support from China and the Soviet Union, stormed past the 38th parallel line that was dividing the Democratic South and the Communist-controlled North […]

By Hanna Diamond On December 29, 2021, Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite, was convicted on five counts of sex trafficking and “other charges for recruiting and grooming teenage girls” for Jeffrey Epstein.[1]  Maxwell is facing sixty-five years in prison,[2] and her sentencing date is June 28, 2022.[3]  Maxwell may be awarded a second chance in […]

By: Chandler Reece Since ancient times, people have recognized the need for judges to be impartial.[1]  On a related topic, Alexander Hamilton wrote that the “complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential in a limited constitution.”[2]  Two recent North Carolina cases have revealed areas for reform to further ensure impartiality in the […]

By Maggie Martin 2016 brought with it a bleak reality for LGBTQ+ individuals living in North Carolina as the North Carolina General Assembly proposed House Bill 2 (“HB 2”), better known as the “Bathroom Bill.”[1]  HB 2 allowed local boards of education to establish multiple occupancy, single-sex bathrooms based on biological sex, as stated on […]

By: Emily Wilmink In 1971, President Richard Nixon launched the “War on Drugs” that drastically increased the role of the federal government in controlling illegal drug use.[1] However, this measure led to the mass incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders, and today, continues to shape a federal system that disproportionately convicts communities of color.[2] Within this […]

By Laura Merriman On November 23, 2021, after four years of waiting, a jury in Sines v. Kessler found that fourteen individuals and ten white supremacist organizations conspired to commit racially motivated violence in Charlottesville, Virginia during the “Unite the Right” rally on August 12, 2017.[1]  The rally, organized to protest the removal of a […]

By: Joseph C. Johnson The child tax credit, found in § 24 of the Internal Revenue Code, normally provides taxpayers with a credit that reduces their overall tax liability for a given taxable year.[1] This credit is applied per qualified child.[2] The amount of credit to be applied to the taxpayer’s tax liability is subject […]