ASULJADMIN

By Jacinda Stephens. In July 2020, a heated debate over Proposition 123 (“Prop 123”) came to a close when the Ninth Circuit overturned a U.S. District Court decision on the matter. A year earlier, in March 2019, the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona held that Prop 123 was unconstitutional in Pierce v. Ducey. Michael Pierce, the plaintiff, sued Governor Ducey, the defendant, to stop the state from using Prop 123 to remove additional funds from Arizona State Trust land. The District Court judge ruled in Pierce’s favor, and held that Prop 123 was unconstitutional because it was a violation of the New Mexico-Arizona Enabling Act. What is Prop 123? "Inside My Classroom" by knittymarie is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 The basis of Prop 123 rests on…

By Elyse Pendergrass.Access to healthcare has become a touchstone topic in recent elections, with arguments for and against Medicare for All taking center stage. However, there are groups of people for which a single-payer healthcare system would not remedy inequities in access to care. For patients who have limited English proficiency, universal healthcare is not enough. This population is the least likely in the United States to have access to basic preventative or regular health services. Language barriers in healthcare delivery can produce disastrous, life-threatening outcomes, not only for second-language speakers but also for deaf patients. "Leave no worker behind" by PSNS & IMF is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Due to lack of access to communication with healthcare providers, patients who use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate are…

By Jillian Knox.Is there a Fourth Amendment “seizure” when police shoot a fleeing suspect who is injured by the bullets but does not stop? On October 14, 2020, the United States Supreme Court heard oral argument for Torres v. Madrid, a case that addresses this question. The outcome will offer important guidance on what constitutes as “seizure” under the Fourth Amendment and has significant implications for the viability of civil rights lawsuits against the police.THE FACTS  "Constitution in the National Archives" by Mr.TinDC is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0 In July 2014, New Mexico police officers Janice Madrid and Richard Williamson mistook a car in the parking lot of an Albuquerque apartment complex for the target of an organized crime bust. As they approached the vehicle, the driver, Roxanne Torres, thought she was…

By Nyla Knox.Gig Economy giants Uber and Lyft have undoubtably transformed our society. The self-proclaimed tech platforms have provided a flexible work option to about two million drivers in the United States, who are afforded flexibility and discretion in creating their work schedule. However, the ridesharing companies are facing scrutiny over their stance that drivers are independent contractors rather than employees. In response to concerns that the companies have misclassified their drivers, robbing them of critical protections, a California court recently ruled that Uber and Lyft drivers are employees. However, a California ballot initiative will now allow drivers to remain independent contractors.  This ongoing nationwide debate has emphasized the important and conflicting interests that Uber, Lyft, and their drivers have in this controversial determination.  "Uber Lyft Car" by Open Grid…

By Gideon Cionelo.Blockchain is a relatively new technology that is taking the world by storm. Almost every major government and Fortune 500 company is studying this technology as its potential uses in every-day life expand. The legal profession will not be immune to the disruption and transformation caused by blockchain technology. As courts and corporations implement blockchain into their operations, law firms and lawyers must adapt by understanding this new technology and providing new forms of legal service that account for its use. "Litecoin Blockchain technology LTC" by BeatingBetting is licensed under CC BY 2.0 What Is Blockchain Technology?Blockchain is a decentralized, unhackable, and immutable ledger that consists of individual blocks of data that are chained and connected together. When a block of data is updated or added, the entire…

By Hanna Reinke. From the early months of 2020, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc all across the world. In September, the United States alone surpassed a staggering 200,000 deaths related to the virus. While public health experts continue to work feverishly to implement policies that will not only slow COVID-19’s spread but also overhaul how healthcare is addressed amid pandemics, their proposals have faced pushback. In May, the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down an emergency stay-at-home order which resulted in subsequent legal challenges to similar orders nationwide. Protests broke out in Michigan when absentee voting was expanded to avoid potential COVID-19 exposure at polling places. Litigation arose in Florida over the constitutionality of county-wide mask mandates. Thankfully, some policies have been more successful. Particularly, alterations to the Health Insurance Portability and…