2025 has been a complicated year for American voting rights as red and blue states have been engaged in a high-profile arms race to see who can gerrymander congressional districts on political party lines the most dramatically. This trend of using demographic data to facilitate a particular election outcome undermines public faith in elections. KLJ Vol. 114 Staff Editor Garrett Sams explores old ideas that could help create a new system of district drawing that brings more democratic and egalitarian elections.
Read moreRecovery and Religion: Refining Casey’s Law to Protect Religious Freedom
Casey’s Law allows family members or friends to petition the court for treatment on behalf of a person who has a substance use disorder and is unable to recognize their own need for the treatment. Yet the law raises a unique constitutional issue in Kentucky where many court-ordered treatment centers are faith-based organizations. KLJ Vol. 114 Staff Editor Allie Viney proposes a change to the Kentucky law that would provide strong First Amendment protection to patients without interfering with the court’s interest in discouraging the violation of drug laws.
Read moreRewinding the VPPA: Circuits Split Over Who Counts as a Consumer in the Digital Age
In 1988, Congress enacted the Video Privacy Protection Act, after a reporter obtained a copy of a Judge’s videotape rental history and published the information during the Judge’s Supreme Court nomination hearings. While the Act is no longer applicable to consumers of now-defunct video tape rental stores, the question is whether the Act protects consumers of digital audiovisual content from sites like Facebook, online newspaper publishers, or apps that offer videos. KLJ Staff Editor Azia Meeks describes the circuit split and gives her own opinion on the best interpretation of the statute to ensure consumers remain protected in a world where digital privacy rights are more important than ever.
Read moreUnreasonable Behavior or Unreasonable Results: The Seventh Circuit’s Approach to Deliberate Indifference and Its Implications
Every year, nearly two million students take the important step of enrolling in college, driven by the hope that earning a degree will open doors to future success. Unfortunately, more than forty percent of these students will have their college experience marred by sexual harassment. KLJ Volume 114 Staff Editor Austin Phillips dives into the issue of sexual harassment on campuses and elaborates on the burden universities face in preventing sexual harassment.
Read moreSowing Tax Incentives: How Farmers Can Harvest Tax Benefits in Response to Codified Changes
With farmers representing one of the oldest workforces in the nation and a young generation lacking interest in continuing their family’s farming tradition, the future of America’s farmland is uncertain. To encourage the continuation of domestic agriculture production, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act allows a tax break for farmers selling their land if they choose to sell to another farmer. KLJ Vol. 114 Staff Editor Mitchell Barber dives into this new code and discusses the implications the change will have on the future of Americas farmland.
Read moreThe Eight-Year War: The Fate of Charter Schools in the Hands of Seven
As Kentucky faces growing educational needs, the proposal of charter schools has proven to be a partisan issue that faces political and legal challenges in the Commonwealth. While some say charter schools are a step towards delivering real education, others claim the schools are unconstitutional per the Kentucky Constitution. KLJ Volume 114 Staff Editor Will Smiley dives into the constitutionality of charter schools in the Commonwealth.
Read moreThe Solution to Kentucky’s Housing Crisis Starts at Home? Local Zoning Should Promote Progress, Not Prevent It
Kentucky faces a housing shortage that affects every county and hits low-income households the hardest. This problem is exacerbated in the Commonwealth’s more rural counties, where industrial decline and population loss have left communities wounded. KLJ Staff Editor Will Cox describes how utilizing local zoning law may allow local communities the to achieve low-cost solutions to their housing crisis.
Read moreNo One Mourns the Mid-Majors: Can Mid-Major Schools Survive Under the House v. NCAA Settlement Agreement, or is College Athletics Destined to Downsize?
With conference realignment, the expansion of the College Football Playoff, and the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness deals for students, the only constant over the past few years in the NCAA has been change. This trend continues with the recent House v. NCAA settlement agreement which effectively takes player compensation a step further by allowing Division I schools to share up to 22% of their athletic revenue with student-athletes. KLJ Vol. 113 Staff Editor Matthew Givens predicts the effects of the new settlement on collegiate athletics and explores ways for the mid-major Division I conferences to keep up in these changing times.
Read morePop a Top Again: Iowa Supreme Court Says No Crime to Drink on the Front Porch
In State v. Paye, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed a conviction for public intoxication, holding that “the front steps of a single-family home are not a public place . . .”
Read moreKentucky Supreme Court Roundup, May 2015: Fraternity Houses Receive the Same Protection as Private Residences
The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that a fraternity house receives the same Fourth Amendment protection as any other private residence...
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