A choice-of-law provision in a contract for the sale of goods should be the final word on what law applies, correct? Not necessarily. If the merchants are from different countries, then an often-overlooked…
Honorable Peter C. Cavanagh, Justice of the Illinois Fourth District Appellate Court|Posted on October 06, 2023
From time to time, while presiding at the trial court level, an all-together-different type of case comes along. One such matter appeared on my docket several years back. I was assigned to hear…
Introduction On June 6, 2022, President Biden used the emergency powers granted to him under the Tariff Act of 1930[1] and signed an executive order temporarily lifting import duties collected on solar cells…
Vaccines have long been a key public health strategy against a variety of infectious diseases.[1] In many cases, vaccines are not only highly effective, but cost-saving.[2] This is particularly true when they prevent…
Recently, and for the first time in its history, the state of North Carolina overturned a conviction based on a Batson violation.[1] Batson v. Kentucky, decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1986,…
Illinois legalized recreational cannabis use in 2020.[1] The move, according to state officials, was to revive communities ravaged by the War on Drugs,[2] promote “individual liberty,” and boost state revenue.[3] Cannabis advocates praised…
April is Fair Housing Month! April marks the fifty-fifth anniversary of the enactment of the Fair Housing Act, [1] signed on April 11, 1968.[2] The Fair Housing Act passed less than a week…
Imagine that you are a Latinx couple moving into an apartment in Granite City, Illinois.[1] Your nephew, Jose, recently burglarized a local bar and came to your home because he did not know…
On January 22, 2021, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Illinois, Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act (“SAFE-T Act”).[1] The purpose of the SAFE-T Act is “to establish statewide use of force standards for…
In September 2022, Representative Jamie Raskin introduced the SLAPP Protection Act to the U.S. House of Representatives.[1] This bill is the most recent attempt to address the growing trend of lawsuits filed to…
Taylor Swift – singer,[1] songwriter,[2] actress,[3] director,[4] cat mom,[5] and now. . .the downfall of Ticketmaster?[6] During the first two weeks of November, Swifties[7] across the United States scrambled and screamed as Swift…
“If I had known all those years ago, if they had a warning on the box to say this could cause cancer, I wouldn’t have used it,” Rhonda Terrell said, “And I want…
Perhaps think twice before applying a filter to your photo on social media. What if the filter feature uses technology to produce a facial scan to store your biometric information?[1] This is one…
On July 4, 2022, 21-year-old Robert Crimo opened fire at the Highland Park Independence Day parade.[1] Crimo killed seven people.[2] Dozens more were wounded.[3] And the Highland Park community, along with the rest…
On July 29, 2022, a bankruptcy judge approved in part and rejected in part the Boy Scouts of America’s reorganization plan.[1] The 281-page ruling came months after hearings on the Proposed Settlement Plan…
On April 4, 2022, the United States Supreme Court published its opinion of Thompson v. Clark,[1] and not a moment too soon. The last several years have shed light on government employees’ egregious…
On June 15, 2020, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in the highly publicized case, Bostock v. Clayton County.[1] The consolidated case asked whether an employer firing an employee merely for being transgender…
On April 21, 2022, Maryland signed the George “Walter” Taylor Act (the “Act”).[1] Named after a firefighter who lost his life after repeated exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in fire-fighting foam.…
On Friday, March 25, 2022, former nurse RaDonda Vaught was convicted of gross neglect[1] of an impaired adult and negligent homicide[2] after injecting a patient with the wrong medication, which led to the…
The Environmental Value of Green Roofs in Urban Areas As the existential threat of climate change intensifies, it is critical that cities find creative solutions to reduce energy consumption.[1] Cities, despite accounting for…
Overview of Operation Lone Star In March 2021, Texas Governor Greg Abbott launched “Operation Lone Star.”[1] According to the press release from the Governor’s Office, “[t]he Operation integrates [the Texas Department of Public…
This is a review of the new book by Mitchell N. Berman and Richard D. Friedman, The Jurisprudence of Sport: Sports and Games as Legal Systems.[1] The explicit premise of the book is…
After nearly one month and three weeks of intense fighting, the conflict in Ukraine harkens back to the last World War. Military casualties are staggering, with potential losses for Ukraine currently above 1,300…
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic that quickly changed the world, many scientists and epidemiologists worked diligently to develop vaccinations to help recipients build immunity against the virus and its variants.[1] Despite the…
Like bullets in a loaded gun, certain laws are already written and waiting to go into effect as soon as circumstances change; these are known as trigger laws.[1] In the United States, twenty…
Climate change is currently raging, with no evidence of slowing down.[1] Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (“CAFOs”) are of particular concern, as they emit large amounts of greenhouse gases due to their concentrated nature.[2]…
Illinois has been called the false confession capital of the United States.[1] Our state boasts one hundred wrongful convictions based on false confessions, and, even more shocking, thirty-one of those involved minors.[2] In…
I. Introduction The Congressional Research Service defines economic sanctions as “coercive economic measures taken against a target to bring about a change in behavior. . .[S]anctions can include . . . trade…
In August 2021, SCOTUS issued two of its most important decisions of the year: Alabama Association of Realtors v. Department of Health and Human Services and Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson.[1] Unlike most…
On November 3, 2020, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride lost his bid to win retention,[1] making him the first Supreme Court justice in the State of Illinois to lose the retention vote.[2]…
As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to perpetually linger, public and private entities in the United States are giving more consideration towards the prospect of COVID-19 vaccination mandates.[1] In fact, some government entities…
Abstract: Using the case study of Hungary, the author provides a snapshot of how academic freedom can be curtailed in a hybrid illiberal regime. The focus includes the freedom to (i) do research,…