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  Judicial Ethics May Decide Whether a Prisoner Can Be Touched As He Is Executed

  Mikayla Lewison

  The community having faith in the judiciary is vital for the U.S. to function as a democracy. Recently, the Court has become seemingly more politicized, even though Americans prefer an apolitical court. In this article, Mikayla Lewison argues that personal interests of the justices on the Court have likely played a role in whether or not prisoners, like John Henry Ramirez, may have a cleric of their choice inside the chamber as they are executed.

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  Chambers v. District of Columbia and the Future of Title VII

  Andrew Melzer, Alok Nadig, and Lindsay Marum

  Can blatant workplace discrimination escape the grasp of Title VII? In Chambers v. District of Columbia, the D.C. Circuit is considering whether to revisit a rule that employment discrimination must result in “objectively tangible harm” to give rise to a Title VII claim. In this article, the authors argue that the D.C. Circuit should stay true to the language and purpose of Title VII and adopt a standard similar to the simple “treated less well” test used under the NYC Human Rights Law.

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  Touchdown St. Louis: A Recap of the NFL and Rams Lawsuit

  Katie Hoffecker

  The Rams’ move to Los Angeles in 2016 brought about more than just hard feelings toward the National Football League and owner, Stan Kroenke—it resulted in a billion dollar lawsuit. In this article, Katie Hoffecker analyzes the past five years of the litigation proceedings as the case ultimately settles.

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  “Under the Guise of Public Health:” The Biden Administration and Title 42

  Casey Plach

  In March 2020, the Trump Administration set forth a policy, now known as Title 42, which closed U.S. borders and allows government officials to immediately expel migrants—including asylum seekers—citing public health concerns in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still in effect today, Title 42 has faced criticism from legal experts and health experts alike, who claim the policy directly conflicts with asylum laws and has little basis in public health. In this article, Casey Plach explores this criticism and critiques the Biden Administration’s continued use of Title 42.

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  ESG Investing: May ERISA Plan Fiduciaries Consider Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors When Making Investment Decisions?

  Morgan Fox

  ERISA fiduciaries have long sought guidance from the DOL as to whether environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors may be considered in their investment decision-making. In 2020, the DOL issued a final rule requiring ERISA fiduciaries to consider solely pecuniary factors. In this article, Morgan Fox discusses a recently proposed rule under the new Administration that eases the restrictions and provides greater leeway for ERISA plan fiduciaries to consider ESG factors.

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  Like and Subscribe: The Fight for Student Athletes’ NIL Rights

  Jovanny Nava

  Recent developments in state law concerning student athlete’s ability to monetize their name, image, and likeness, as well as the Supreme Court’s recent ruling striking down similar restrictions, does not bode well for the NCAA’s remaining policies. In this article, Jovanny Nava explores the implications of these developments.

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  Missouri Joins Other States in Providing Unpaid Leave for Domestic and Sexual Violence Victims

  Haley Gassel

  Domestic violence has increasingly become an issue of employment law. Over thirty states provide workplace protections to employees facing domestic or sexual violence, now including Missouri. In this article, Haley Gassel provides an overview of the recently passed Missouri law and the significance of these safeguards.

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  Rules in the Workplace: Does the NLRA Protect Employees’ Ability to Record Working Conditions?

  Avery Lubbes

  In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, some employees have recorded videos at work and posted them online to express their disagreement with working conditions. The NLRB recently created a new standard of review for evaluation of employer work rules, and the Board upheld an employer's "no-camera" rule, which included cell phones capable of taking photographs and videos. In this article, Avery Lubbes analyzes whether the Biden Board overturn this ruling as violative of labor rights.

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  Grand Juries Should Not Hear Police Misconduct Cases: Grand Juries will Indict Anything, but a Police Officer

  Kaeleigh Wiliams

  Grand juries will indict everyone but police officers. In this article, Kaeleigh Williams argues that the time has come for a new mechanism to be used in police officer misconduct cases.

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  The Effects of Missouri's Medicaid Expansion

  Chandni Challa

  A Missouri Supreme Court ordered the Missouri legislature to implement a state constitutional amendment to expand Medicaid. In this article, Chandni Challa argues that this decision will undoubtedly affect the state economy, and based on empirical evidence from Michigan, provide a net benefit.

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  Wade’s Way No More? The Future of Reproductive Rights in Light Of Texas Senate Bill 8’s Constitutionality

  Dolly Suresh

  There are many hot-topic discussions occurring in today's political climate. In this article, Dolly Suresh focuses on the recent legislation in Texas, the Texas Heartbeat Act, and the conversations surrounding it.

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  When “Empty is not Closed”: Organizing Efforts to (Officially) Close St. Louis’ Infamous Workhouse

  Brianna Coppersmith

  Despite years of community organizing, legal advocacy, and policy change to close St. Louis’ Medium Security Institution, the jail has reopened. In this article, Brianna Coppersmith provides a brief history of the campaign to close the jail, commonly called the Workhouse, and discusses what its reopening might mean for related pending litigation.

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  Does the Ministerial Exception Protect a Minister's Humiliating Comments?

  Yiting Feng

  The Seventh Circuit case of Demkovich v. St. Andrew the Apostle Parish applied the ministerial exception to bar a fired minister’s claim of a hostile work environment. In this article, Yiting Feng lists the reason why she disagrees with the majority opinion and leans towards the dissenting opinion.

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  Institutionalized Child Abuse: The Troubled Teen Industry

  Yasmin L. Younis

  The “troubled teen industry” is an industry providing behavioral modification treatment to youths that promises to keep children safe, but by design is a breeding grounds for institutionalized child abuse through legal loopholes. By analyzing the legal shortcomings and alleged abuses, Yasmin Younis stresses the importance of heavy regulation in order to provide the necessary treatment some of these children need.

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  The Global Minimum Tax Agreement: An End to Corporate Tax Havens?

  Colleen Essid

  The June 2021 OECD Global Tax Agreement between countries advocates for a Global Minimum Corporate Tax (GMT) rate of 15%. In this article, Colleen Essid argues that if the negotiating countries manage to overcome roadblocks from countries such as Ireland and the potential hurdle of U.S. congressional approval, the GMT could mean the end of the modern-day tax haven.

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  Homeward Bound: The Current Rise of Homeschooling and the Need for Regulation

  Mary Fletcher

  With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of American homeschoolers has drastically increased. While all fifty states have passed legislation allowing for homeschooling, regulations of homeschooling vary from state-to-state, with some states having virtually no regulation at all. In this essay, Mary Fletcher examines homeschooling laws and discusses the need for consistent federal regulation to ensure that homeschooled students receive an adequate education.

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  Taking the Long View on Shorting: Market Manipulation and GME

  Andrew Steiner

  In this article, Andrew Steiner provides an overview of the events surrounding the GameStop short squeeze coordinated by retail investors on the internet forum WallStreetBets over the last year and the possible legal fallout. While some traditional institutional investors call for regulatory intervention, retail investors have pointed the finger at trading app Robinhood.

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  The Fourteenth Amendment and the Heart of the Constitution

  Guy Chet

  Since the nineteenth century, Americans have worked consistently to liberate their national government from the Constitutional constraints placed on it by Madison and his colleagues. This effort has transformed the United States from a federated republic in which local communities governed themselves into a modern managerial nation-state that is governed from the center. In this article, Dr. Guy Chet argues that the key to this transformation – of the Constitution and of the United States – was the Fourteenth Amendment.

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  The Fight for Pay: How the Supreme Court Ultimately May Use Antitrust Law to Allow Student-Athletes to be Paid

  Josef Nilhas

  The NCAA has long avoided the idea of compensating players. Josef Nilhas discusses how now, after years of inaction, this decision may ultimately lay in the hands of the Supreme Court from the perspective of federal Antitrust law.

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  Black Lives Matter: Bridging the Gap Between Accountability and Justice

  Nicole Chabloz

  The United States has a long history of police violence against Black Americans. In this article, Nicole Chabloz discusses the Chauvin verdict and the impact it will have on the fight for justice and equality.

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  Contract Clauses Under Scrutiny: COVID-19

  Mike Zawalski

  Force majeure clauses have saved many businesses that have been unable to perform their contractual obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, Mike Zawalski discusses case law on force majeure provisions in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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  What Can We Learn from Amy Coney Barrett’s First Opinion?

  Blake Stocke

  In her first opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote an opinion that limits the Freedom of Protection Act. In this article, Blake Stocke will explore how her opinion interprets the Act, and what we can learn from this opinion moving forward.

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  Fallout Avoided? Zoombombing Litigation Update

  Kaitlin Carpenter

  In this article, Kaitlin Carpenter discusses Zoom’s dark side in a practice called Zoombombing, and also provides an update on the lawsuit addressing this problem.

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  Missouri’s Chance at Low-Cost Renewable Energy ‘Gone with the Wind’?

  Jeff Becker

  The Grain Belt Express, a large-scale wind energy transmission line that will span across much of the Midwest, may now be blocked from proceeding in Missouri if House Bill 527 passes in the state Senate. In this article, Jeff Becker advocates against the passage of the bill, arguing that it is contrary to the state's public interest because it would deprive Missourians of the substantial benefits the project, both economic and environmental.

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  Freedom of Tweets: The Role of Social Media in a Marketplace of Ideas

  Patrick Ganninger

  One of the more polarizing political issues of 2021 was when social media platforms like Twitter permanently banned President Donald Trump from their platforms. As the law stands, most experts agree that the First Amendment does not restrict online social media platforms from exercising broad discretion to censor content or individuals. However, even if social media platforms have a right to unilaterally ban users from their platforms, should they? More importantly, should we let them? In this article, Patrick Ganninger explores these important questions.