Category: Uncategorized
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The Meta Lawsuit: Will it Spark Change or Fade as Just Another Legal Firework?
Grace Pilz* On October 24, 2023, attorneys general representing thirty-three states filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Inc. in federal district court in California. Eight other attorneys general simultaneously filed related but separate lawsuits against Meta in their own state-level courts. The joint lawsuit alleges that the social media giant, through its flagship platforms Facebook…
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Is Time Ticking for TikTok? Where Efforts to Ban the App Currently Stand and Possible Legal Challenges that Could Ensue
Mason Rademacher* Overview: More than 150 million Americans use TikTok for an average of ninety minutes each day. Even with so many Americans using the app, national security experts and politicians on both sides of the aisle have called for banning TikTok, citing to national security concerns. The concern lies with the fact that TikTok,…
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Separating Fact from Fiction: Analyzing Jury Duty on Amazon Prime
Adam Revoir* The white envelope with the two-words “jury duty” often sends shivers down the spine of many individuals. Jury duty is a civic responsibility that often feels like a burden, but it is an essential component of the justice system. In April 2023, Amazon Prime came out with a mockumentary titled Jury Duty that…
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The 23rd Amendment: Once D.C.’s Great Step Towards Equality is Now Another Practical Hurdle in a Long Line of Challenges to True Equality via Statehood
Carrie Anderson* The idea for the establishment of a special district to serve as our nation’s capital arose out of a strong goal to prevent conflict in the new nation between the states and ensure that one state did not have too much control over the federal government. Although many United States citizens do not…
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A Law Student’s Guide to Getting Started with AI
*Zekriah Chaudhry Over the past year, public access to artificial intelligence (AI) technology has exploded. AI tools are finding use in finance, retail, marketing, and other industries; the legal field is no exception. The infusion of AI into law is coming faster––and running deeper––than perhaps some lawyers and law students anticipated. Due in part to…
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No, I Can’t Just Drink a Cup of Tea: Why and How Law Schools Must Change for the Sake of Mental Health
Abigail M. Seeley* Law students—and, subsequently, lawyers—are mentally and emotionally unwell. While new law students often begin their first year of school filled with excitement, hope, and passion for the law, professors and students alike acknowledge the rapid decline in the apparent wellbeing of students. Unfortunately, these concerns are backed by the numbers. In spring…
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Shifting Incentives? Comparing Foreclosures and Tax Seizures Post Tyler
David Scott* Until recently, Minnesota’s tax-forfeiture scheme permitted the taking and selling of property to collect taxes while allowing the county to retain the surplus proceeds over the amount owed in taxes. Tracing back to the Magna Carta in 1215, the principle that a government should not take more than it is owed is well…
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Artificial Intelligence, Real Musicality: Reconciling Generative AI with Copyright Law
*Jack Thram In April of this year, “Heart on My Sleeve,” a song featuring vocals from pop megastars Drake and The Weeknd, went live on various social media sites and streaming platforms to tremendous fanfare. The song quickly amassed fifteen million views on TikTok and six hundred thousand streams on Spotify. Then, almost as abruptly…
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Pharmaceutical Trademarks: The Bitter Pill of Access and Confusion
*Kyla Krohn “More than 131 million people—66 percent of all adults in the United States—use prescription drugs.”1 For many, access to those medications is vital.2 Legal scholars, economists, and public health advocates have long analyzed and debated the role intellectual property regulations have played in hindering the availability of more affordable generic pharmaceuticals to these…
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A Conversation with Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz on the Founding of the University of St. Thomas School of Law
by Micayla Bitz* As he prepared to welcome the first class of law students to the University of St. Thomas, Patrick Schiltz worked with his office door propped open. He was listening for the sound of squeaky wheels—the University’s mail cart announcing its arrival.1 It was the summer of 2000, and “[a]lthough the law school…
University of St. Thomas Law Journal 