By Nick Kaye The Rise of the “High-Crime Area” Factor In Illinois v. Wardlow, the United States Supreme Court held that an individual’s mere presence in a “high-crime area” is a significant factor in determining whether an investigative detention, commonly known as a “Terry stop” or “stop and frisk,” is constitutional under the Fourth Amendment.[1] Specifically, the Court held that presence in a “high-crime area,” … Continue reading Criminalizing Communities: The Inherent Problem with the “High-Crime Area” Factor in Fourth Amendment Analysis

By: Jim Geary INTRODUCTION What factors do courts consider to determine if a remote-work accommodation request is reasonable under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”)?  The ADA requires all employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals unless doing so would be an undue burden.[1]  This did not change throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.  However, due to the need to avoid in-person operations during the pandemic … Continue reading Remote-Work Accommodation Requests Under the Americans with Disabilities Act

By: Andrew Jacobs What is “Cancer Alley”? “Cancer Alley” is often considered to be the roughly 130-mile corridor of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.[1] The area’s population is roughly 45,000 people and is predominantly composed of Black communities.[2] Home to over 200 industrial facilities – mainly oil refineries, petrochemical plants, and plastics manufacturing plants – the harmful pollution from these sources … Continue reading “Cancer Alley”: Louisiana Politicians’ Denial of Its Existence Won’t Make It Go Away

By: Adrianna Carpenter A. Beyond the Cement and Glass: What is Cop City? In southeast Atlanta, there is a forest. This forest is home to wetlands that filter rainwater and prevent flooding.[1] It is also one of the last breeding grounds for many amphibians in the region, as well as being an important migration site for wading birds.[2] Community members enjoy walking their dogs along … Continue reading The Forest is Everywhere: How the State is Criminalizing Protest and Dissent in the Fight to Build Cop City

By Mariam Rasooli On December 9, 2021, employees of a Starbucks in Buffalo, New York voted to become the first unionized Starbucks in the nation, by a vote of 19-8.[1] The unionization of this store triggered a surge of organizing efforts in other locations across the country. Within less than a year, in October 2022, employees at an estimated 245 Starbucks locations had voted to … Continue reading The Unionization Surge of Starbucks

By Rachel Ranieri The Trafficking Victims Protection Act criminalizes human trafficking under federal law. [1] Concurrently, all states have criminalized human trafficking.[2] The laws surrounding human trafficking have a substantial impact on victims, who are often forced to commit criminal offenses.[3] Many state criminal laws do not recognize exceptions or give immunity from prosecution for victims of human trafficking who are forced to engage in … Continue reading Human Trafficking: Victims Treated as Criminals

By Heather Barden The Department of Energy, in consultation with other key stakeholders, has developed a Virginia Energy Plan every four years since 2014 as prescribed by state law.[1] In 2021, the General Assembly amended the requirements for the Virginia Energy Plan in order to ensure future plans are in compliance with current statutory law.[2] The law currently states that the Virginia Energy Plan must … Continue reading Governor Youngkin’s 2022 Virginia Energy Plan