Category: Arizona State Law Journal Blog

By Jacob Pierce.BACKGROUNDOne of the leading publications on tax related issues, Kiplinger, in a recent state-by-state guide, named Arizona the ninth best tax state (i.e., most friendly) for individuals and businesses. Kiplinger measured this success by looking at a sum…

By Danika Marzillier.THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT AT THE FEDERAL LEVELThe Endangered Species Act of 1973 (the “Act”) is one of the United States’ largest pieces of conservation legislation and was enacted with the purpose of protecting vulnerable species and their…

By Hannah Eaton. ExaminingSatanic Temple v. City of ScottsdaleOn February 8, 2016, Jeremy Zarzycki called Kelli Kuester, an assistant to the Scottsdale mayor, to ask that the Arizona chapter of the Satanic Temple organization be added to the Scottsdale City Council’s…

By Roman Buss.IntroductionIn recent months, the President has issued several proclamations that affect not only United States citizens, but also groups of students and workers who call this country home. Immigration has repeatedly proven to be a divisive political issue…

By Brianna Pachuilo.IntroductionThe Arizona Supreme Court recently decided in State v. Arevalo that an Arizona statute that increases criminal penalties based upon gang affiliation is unconstitutional. While many states have statutes that heighten charges for crimes committed to support gang…

By Alexandra Nathe.Every lawyer has a duty to promote equal access to our justice system and advocate for improvements to the law. The Model Rules of Professional Ethics were created to codify this and other legal duties while acting as…

By Kole Lyons.Gangs have been documented in Arizona as early as the 1930s. Since then, gangs have increased in number and become involved in more criminal activities around the state. As violent crime in Arizona was reaching a peak in…

By Madison Leake.On August 27, 2020, Tom Hatten, owner of Mountainside Fitness, opened the gym’s doors to the public despite the fact that the application to do so had been explicitly denied. This act of rebellion highlights the face-off between…

By Alexandra Eagle.In the last few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred heated debate over how best to ensure safe and equitable access to voting. Not only has the current public health crisis exacerbated many of the social concerns already implicated…

By Andrew Jacobsohn. In an effort to combat the surge of COVID-19 cases in Arizona over the summer, GovernorDoug Ducey (R) on June 29 issued the executive order “Pausing of Arizona’s Reopening—Slowing the Spread of COVID-19,” which, among other provisions, shut down…