By Chandler Huffer, Staff Editor Millions of Americans have Ring Doorbells, a modern doorbell with video capabilities, to protect their homes and privacy. [1] However, these doorbells may actually be invading their privacy more than protecting it.  Ring uses an app called Neighbors to connect its users, but this app also allows police departments that have contracted with Amazon, the parent company of Ring, to … Continue reading Are Ring Doorbells Creating a Surveillance State?: The Effects of Local Government and Private Surveillance

By Kim Simmons, Lead Articles Editor On Wednesday, March 31, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) announced a new program, known as the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program (CTAP), to expedite the development of potentially safe and effective life-saving treatments for the COVID-19 virus[1]. As part of the CTAP, the FDA has redeployed medical and regulatory staff to serve on review teams dedicated to … Continue reading FDA Fights for COVID-19 Cure

By Tyler Moses, Staff Editor Countries around the world are struggling to adjust to life with the COVID-19, the pandemic that has unapologetically altered the infrastructure of nearly every society. In the United States, the healthcare industry struggles to adjust to supply shortages and hospital capacity issues. The stock market has gradually plummeted, as much of the country issued stay-at-home orders and asked that only … Continue reading Crime and COVID-19 – How the Coronavirus Pandemic Has and Will Affect Crime

By: Julianna Meely, Staff Editor “[A]s long as the state provides a warm body with a law degree and a bar admission, little else matters.”[1]Unfortunately, Georgetown Law professor and prominent author, David Cole’s, sentiment seems to be an accurate reflection of the public’s view of public defense attorneys and indigent defense commissions. As an aspiring criminal attorney, it’s frustrating to think that criminal attorneys on … Continue reading Is Your Defense Attorney Paid Less Than You? How Virginia Values Appointed Counsel

By: Terri Morris The first time I became aware of a meals tax was when I purchased some bread from a bakery. I had purchased that same loaves many times before but one day, they cost more. I never really thought to check the receipts that were emailed to me but this price increase was enough to spike my curiosity. When I reviewed my e-receipt … Continue reading Check Your Receipt The Next Time You Eat…Out: The Impact of The Meals Tax

  By: Sogand Falahatpour, Staff Editor   It is no secret that over the past few years CBD, the mysterious lesser-known offspring of the cannabis plant, has consistently grown in popularity.[1] Whether it’s cosmetics, nasal spray, or cheeseburgers, today’s consumer is bombarded with an overwhelming array of CBD-infused products.[2]   What exactly is known about CBD so far? While CBD is an essential component of … Continue reading From Oils to CBD-infused Burgers: Closing the Knowledge Gap and Providing Market Clarity for the Cannabidiol Industry

By: Mitchell Beebe, Staff Editor Of all the challenges facing our country today, it is my opinion that there is no greater threat to our economy and national security than America’s infrastructure. Yet, it has gone almost unnoticed by mainstream politics and the public for decades. In many ways, the Oroville Dam in northern California exemplifies the general condition of the rest of the nation’s … Continue reading The Dam Thing is Broken: Fixing America’s Infrastructure

By: Rachel N. Hott, Communications Editor Domestic violence can occur in many forms.[1] Women are disproportionately affected by domestic violence; homicide committed by an intimate partner is the number one cause of women’s death’s in the workplace.[2] An early study examining the relationship between domestic violence and employment found that between 35% and 56% of employed battered women were harassed at work by their batterers; … Continue reading Safety and Empowerment for Domestic Violence Survivors: Implications and Benefits of the Security and Financial Empowerment Act

By Kristen Tolbert, Staff Editor While it’s not a topic on most people’s minds, elder abuse is a huge problem in Virginia.[1] The Virginia Department of Adult Protective Services has received over 12,000 reports of elder abuse within a year. 60% of those cases required intervention.[2] However, many victims do not ever report their abuse.[3] Federally, elder abuse was first dealt with in the Older … Continue reading How Virginia Can Prevent the Financial Exploitation of Elderly Adults

By: Sidney Balman, Staff Editor From 2008 to 2016, social justice issues rose to the forefront of domestic policymaking across the United States. The Obama Administration spearheaded criminal justice reform with the enactment of the Fair Sentencing Act, the creation of the Smart on Crime Initiative, and the establishment of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.[1]A few years later, the Republicans enacted additional … Continue reading 2020: The Decade of Criminal Justice Reform?