SLU Law Journal Online

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  Filling a Supreme Court Vacancy: The Legality of Confirming Amy Coney Barrett during an Election Year

  Ryan Krutz

  In light of the recent Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett by President Donald Trump, Ryan Krutz discusses the legality of confirming her during a presidential election year.

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  Top Executives Forgoing Their Salaries in the Face Of COVID-19: A Benevolent Act or Deceitful Trick?

  Lauren Sullivan

  As financial hardship hits us all in the wake of COVID-19, affluent executives of top companies have announced relinquishment of their 2020 salaries. While appearing to be to sharing the financial suffering with their lower employees, Lauren Sullivan dives into the question of how much these executives are really “sacrificing.”

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  Raising the Stakes: When a Supreme Court Justice Dies during an Election Year

  Erin O'Leary

  In light of the recent passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Erin O'Leary discusses what Justice Ginsburg’s death means for the election and the future of the Supreme Court.

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  The Spooky Side to a Seller’s Market

  Lindsey Fafoglia

  Halloween is creeping closer, which means many people will be watching scary movies, telling ghost stories, and visiting haunted houses. While you might want to keep the hauntings out of your own home, you could be at the will of the seller. Lindsey Fafoglia analyzes seller's disclosure laws as they relate to paranormal activity.

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  Space Force: Battle of the Trademarks

  Sinead McGonagle

  Sinead McGonagle analyzes the implications and potential legal issues of both the U.S. Government and Netflix's use of the term "Space Force" under current trademark law.

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  The End of Cash Bail: As Simple as Sending a Text Message?

  Dylan Ashdown

  Pre-trial detainees make up more than 70% of the U.S. jail population. Dylan Ashdown discusses the frequently discriminatory bail practices across the United States and how some jurisdictions are starting to do away with cash bail.

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  TikTok is on the Clock, Will Democracy Stop?

  Jenna Koleson

  On August 6, 2020, President Trump issued an executive order to deal with a supposed national emergency: TikTok. Jenna Koleson discusses how this severe response to abstract national security concerns sets a dangerous precedent for democracy.

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  The Future of Electioneering in Wyoming

  Alex Beezley

  Wyoming's electioneering law is among the most expansive in the country. In this article, Alex Beezley examines a recently filed lawsuit challenging the law and predicts how the court will decide the case based on the Supreme Court's reasoning in Burson v. Freeman.

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  Leveraging Quantum Technologies to Address the Next Pandemic

  Will Saunders

  Will Saunders discusses quantum computing technologies and their ability to speed up our manufacturing processes through synthesizing new medications and detect deficiencies in our current supply chain structures to combat widespread diseases and prevent further spread. From complex molecular modeling to simulating future outbreaks, quantum technologies offer a means for better predictability and optimization for handling future outbreaks

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  COVID-19 and Public Accommodations Under the Americans with Disabilities Act: Getting Americans Safely Back to Restaurants, Theaters, Gyms, and “Normal”

  Frank Griffin M.D., J.D.

  THIS IS A PRELIMINARY EXPEDITED VERSION OF THE OFFICIAL ARTICLE TO BE ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY LAW JOURNAL VOLUME 65 NUMBER 2

  COVID-19 permanently changed the way places of public accommodation like restaurants, theaters, medical facilities, arenas, gyms, and many other proprietors of mainstream American activities must operate in order to accommodate people with newly-defined, COVID-19-related disabilities under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The required modifications will affect all patrons and employees of these establishments. Under the ADA, places of public accommodation are barred from discriminating against people with disabilities in the full and equal enjoyment of goods, services, and facilities. Infectious diseases like tuberculosis and HIV have been categorized as disabilities under the ADA, and COVID-19 is defining new categories of individuals with disabilities (including individuals vulnerable to COVID-19 complications) as revealed in this paper. Places of public accommodation will be required to establish non-discriminatory methods to identify “direct threats,” to modify policies and procedures for COVID-19-related disability groups identified here, and remove structural barriers that discriminate against those same groups. Controversial measures like fever checkpoints, mandatory face masking, and required social distancing are discussed in depth and analyzed in light of the ADA’s requirements.

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  Got Milk: The Labeling Crisis Taking Over the Nation

  Eric Harmon

  The article by Eric Harmon is about the regulatory definition of milk, which defines it narrowly, and the FDA’s potential action to begin enforcing it. The article is focused on that potential and its impact on the plant-based milk industry and labeling of plant-based milks.

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  Sales Tax for Remote Sellers: Missouri’s Response in a Post-Wayfair World

  Hannah Meehan

  Hannah Meehan discusses the removal of the "physical presence" requirement following South Dakota v. Wayfair and Missouri's potential responses.

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  Airborne Argus?: St. Louis, Persistent Surveillance Systems, and Stabilizing the Lofty Aims of Fourth Amendment Jurisprudence

  Jacob Schlosser

  In October of last year, the City of St. Louis considered implementing an unprecedented aerial surveillance program. In this article, Jacob Schlosser discusses this powerful but legally questionable system.

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  Geographic Indicators: Unexpected Fodder in Brexit Negotiations

  Libby McKown

  The future of intellectual property, especially geographical indications, in the UK is increasingly murky. Libby McKown explores what will happen if GIs are used in the fray of hard negotiations about Brexit.

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  The First Step Act: Filling the Gap in Missouri

  Christopher Doyle-Lohse

  Although the federal government’s First Step Act is a move in the right direction when it comes to addressing criminal justice in America, states bear the responsibility of doing their part. In this article, Christopher Doyle-Lohse addresses the gaps Missouri must fill to achieve criminal justice reform.

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  The Right to Deregulate: The CFPB’s Authority to Remove the Ability-to-Pay Requirement as it Pertains to Payday Lenders

  Ben Davisson

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is proposing to rescind the rule requiring payday lenders to assess a borrower's ability to repay the loan. This article by Ben Davisson explores the Bureau's authority to rescind its own rule despite the potentially harmful effects on vulnerable low-income consumers.

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  'The' Ohio State University's Newest Trademark Application Draws Public Backlash

  Alex Baldwin

  Ohio State University's attempt to trademark the word 'the' has been described as over broad and an attempt to abuse trademark protections. Alex Baldwin provides a look at other trademark applications that drew criticism from the general public, which might give insight to the application's fate.

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  Evolving Societal Norms and the Fourth Amendment: Government Tracking of Cellphone Locations in an Era of Commercial Tracking

  Paul Tahan

  In Carpenter v. United States, the Supreme Court found that a warrant was required to obtain historical location data obtained from cell-site records connected with cellphone use. In this article, Paul Tahan examines whether this holding is likely to remain good law in an era where the GPS location of a smartphone is becoming increasingly public.

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  Transgender Rights and the Missouri Human Rights Act: An Overview of R.M.A. v. Blue Springs R-IV School District

  Michael Scott

  In this article, Michael Scott discusses how the Missouri Supreme Court, in R.M.A. v. Blue Springs R-IV School District, held that a transgender student had pled sufficient facts that his school district had discriminated against him on the grounds of his sex to survive a motion to dismiss.

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  Untangling the NLRB Joint-Employer in 2019

  Adrian Mehdirad

  Recently the National Labor Relations Board has sought to change the joint-employer standard for the third time over the past 5 years, leaving employers, employees, and unions uncertain about the entire situation. In this article, Adrian Mehdirad discusses how to interpret the most recent NLRB standard.

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  A Cursory Overview of the St. Louis City-County Merger Proposal

  Nick Luisetti

  In this article, Nick Luisetti summarizes the Better Together Coalition's proposal to merge the St. Louis City and County governments, and potential consequences to follow if the proposal passes a state-wide vote.

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  Discharging Student Loans in Bankruptcy

  Zachary Langrehr

  This article by Zachary Langrehr discusses the Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2019 and provides an overview of the current law governing the dischargeability of private educational debt.

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  President Donald Trump Has the Authority to Build the Wall Using Executive Funds

  Jason Kusnerick

  In this article, Jason Kusnerick argues that President Donald Trump has the authority to build the wall on the southern border of the U.S. by using executive funds against Congressional approval.

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  The Supreme Court to Consider Warrantless Blood Draws

  Javairia Khan

  In this article, Javairia Khan discusses how the Supreme Court has granted certiorari to hear a Wisconsin case about the constitutionality of warrantless blood draws of unconscious motorists.

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  Missouri: The Puppy Mill Capital of the World

  Jared Jones

  Some suggest Missouri should adopt a law like California’s banning the retail sale of non-rescue dogs. Jared Jones argues that this would do little to change the state's reputation as the puppy mill capital of the world. Instead, Missouri must regulate breeders more restrictively.