Law Commons^™

Private Disestablishment, Gaurav Mukherjee

BYU Law Review

Should public funds support religious schools? The Supreme Court’s 4–4 decision in St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond may have blocked America’s first religious charter school but set no precedent, leaving core constitutional questions unanswered. This Article argues that St. Isidore illustrates “private disestablishment,” where religious institutions claim private status while exercising public power—allowing them to access public benefits without accepting public constraints. Blurring the boundary between private and public allows these entities to secure public benefits like funding and regulatory advantages while avoiding obligations that typically constrain public institutions, such as non-discrimination or religious neutrality.

The …

Slavery And The Myth Of Religious Liberty, Audra Lyn Savage

BYU Law Review

This is a story about two ships. One is semi-mythical. The other is half-forgotten but brutally real. The first ship is the story of early settlers who sailed from Europe to escape religious persecution and—through hard work, perseverance, and righteous rebellion—built a nation upon the fundamental freedom of religious liberty for all. The second ship represents the painful history of America, with its millions of Africans stolen from their homeland, placed in unimaginable conditions, and stripped of their language, heritage, and most significantly, their beliefs. Current religious liberty jurisprudence centers around the historical understanding of the creation and ratification of …

“We Are Physically Alive But Mentally Dead”: The International Community Must Take Action To Ensure Women’S Right To Education In Afghanistan, Solveig J. Clifford

BYU Law Review

International treaties recognize the right to education as a fundamental human right. The Taliban, which currently act as the government as Afghanistan, are legally bound by treaty obligations to respect the right to education. The Taliban have banned women and girls from receiving education past the sixth grade, which is illegal under international law. During the Taliban’s previous regime in Afghanistan, they implemented a similar policy, which had disastrous results for an entire generation of Afghan women. Once again, the education ban is causing severe harm to the women and girls of Afghanistan. The international community has failed to take …

Religious Freedom As Freedom, Helen M. Alvaré

BYU Law Review

In recent decades, the exercise of religious freedom is increasingly associated with oppression. This is not only due to the disagreement between religions and some governments concerning sexual expression matters—contraception, abortion, same-sex relations, and transgender identity—but is also due to diverging convictions about the substance and sources of freedom. This Article will examine a current and highly visible set of convictions about the contents of human freedom, which together suggest that a thriving religious witness threatens freedom itself. These convictions often surface in the context of laws touching upon sexual expression. It will then contrast these convictions with those found …

Triangulating The Likelihood Of Confusion: Linguistics And Consumer Surveys, Eric Derosia, Jesse Egbert, Thomas Lee

BYU Law Review

This Article highlights contributions that linguistic analysis can offer in the assessment of the likelihood of confusion in trademark infringement cases. Parties in such cases often engage an expert witness to conduct a survey that measures the likelihood of consumer confusion. We show how an expert linguist can provide important, nonintuitive dynamics of corroboration. We introduce “expert triangulation” as a conceptual framework to analyze whether, and to what extent, experts in linguistics and consumer surveys can corroborate one another. That is, having two different sources of empirical evidence which lead to similar conclusions should be a benefit to the courts, …

An Empirical Study Of The Dmca's Anti-Circumvention Provisions, Clark Asay

Faculty Scholarship

The DMCA has been a flashpoint during most of its twenty-five-year existence. One of the most controversial parts of the DMCA is Section 1201. Among other things, Section 1201 prohibits third parties from circumventing certain controls to copyrighted content or trafficking in tools that enable circumvention of technological controls. However, despite its nearly quarter-of-a-century lifespan, we know very little about Section 1201 empirically. While certain aspects of the broader DMCA have received empirical assessments, Section 1201 has not. Our understanding of Section 1201 is largely based on anecdotal evidence, in the form of leading opinions from historically prominent copyright circuits. …

Dignity, Deference, And Discrimination: An Analysis Of Religious Freedom In America’S Prisons, Elyse Slabaugh

BYU Law Review

The free exercise of religion often presents a complex reality in prison. Over the years, the standard of scrutiny for free exercise claims has not only been easily alterable but also unclear and inconsistent in its application. Recent legislation, such as RLUIPA and RFRA, has significantly improved the state of religious freedom in prisons. However, two U.S. Supreme Court decisions on RLUIPA—Cutter v. Wilkinson and Holt v. Hobbs—have led to some confusion among lower courts regarding the level of deference that should be afforded to prison officials. Although Holt demonstrated a hard look approach to strict scrutiny, it did nothing …

Byu Law 50th Anniversary, J. Reuben Clark Law School

The BYU Advocate (& Annual Reports)

"We are privileged to participate in this great venture. It is our duty to make it great. . . .

. . . [It] must attain a greatness that transcends religious lines and establishes itself in the eyes of legal educators, scholars, the judiciary, the legal profession, the business world, officials of local, state, and federal government, and citizens at large."

– Rex E. Lee (quoting and expanding on remarks by Dallin H. Oaks)

The Byu Advocate, J. Reuben Clark Law School

The BYU Advocate (& Annual Reports)

"[B]y any reasonable measure, BYU Law has become a great law school. Whether you examine faculty influence, student credentials, bar passage, graduate placement, low graduate indebtedness, library resources, or myriad other factors, BYU Law School is one of the finest law schools in the United States."
– D. Gordon Smith

Walls Or Bridges: Law’S Role In Conflicts Over Religion And Equal Treatment, Martha Minow

BYU Law Review

Presented as the Bruce C. Hafen Lecture, Brigham Young University Law School January 18, 2023

“[D]o you see religion as a club or do you see religion as a path? Do you see it as a wall that separates you or do you see it as a bridge that connects you to God and other people?

— Keith Ellison1

Clark Memorandum: Spring 2023, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Byu Law School Alumni Association, J. Reuben Clark Law Society

The Clark Memorandum

• Fidei Defensor: Defending Faith to Enable Communities of Reconciliation
• Conscience, Peacebuilding, and Faith-Based Law Schools
• Elvis Was Right: The Unavoidable Intersection Between Personal Values and a Fulfilling Practice of Law
• The Future of the Establishment Clause: Implications of Kennedy v. Bremerton School District

Utah Marriage And Divorce Laws, Kory Staheli, Stephen Elmo Averett

BYU Law Library Publications

A summary of current Utah domestic relations law, updated annually. Selected sample filing documents and links to current legal forms are included in the Appendix.

When Imitation Is Not Flattery: Addressing Cultural Exploitation In Guatemala Through A Sui Generis Model, Paul Figueroa

BYU Law Review

Indigenous Guatemalan weavers are fighting for intellectual property laws that better protect their designs and other cultural expressions. The exploitation and appropriation by local and international companies has negatively affected the weavers’ livelihoods and resulted in culturally inappropriate uses of spiritual and t raditional symbols. Adhering to Western ideals of individual creativity and utility, intellectual property laws in most of the world (including Guatemala) are not suited to protect indigenous creations. To address this legal gap, some countries have adopte d sui generis legal regimes that align with communal notions of creation, ownership and stewardship found in indigenous knowledge systems. …

Safety Net Or Trap? A Policy-Oriented Analysis Of The Public Sex Offender Registry As Compelled Speech, Ann Weigly Deam

Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law

No abstract provided.

Utilitarian Triage In Disasters, Alyssa Nielsen

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Re-Victimization Of Domestic Violence Victims, Angela De La Garza

Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law

No abstract provided.

State Of Utah, Plaintiff/ Appellee V. Jason Ronald Hulse, Defendant / Appellant : Brief Of Appellant, Utah Court Of Appeals

Utah Court of Appeals Briefs (2020 –)

APPEAL FROM THE FIRST DISTRICT COURT, BOX ELDER COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH, FROM THE JUDGMENT, SENTENCE, AND COMMITMENT ON ONE COUNT OF POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A RESTRICTED PERSON, A SECOND-DEGREE FELONY, ANDONE COUNT OF INJURIOUS LITTERING ON PUBLIC OR PRIVATE LANDS, A CLASS C MISDEMEANOR, ENTERED ON JANUARY 7, 2020, BEFORE THE HONORABLE JUDGE BRANDON J. MAYNARD

SEAN REYES, Counsel for Appellee

LEAH J. ASTON, Counsel for Appellant

State Of Utah, Plaintiff/ Appellee V. Jason Ronald Hulse, Defendant / Appellant : Brief Of Appellant, Utah Court Of Appeals

Utah Court of Appeals Briefs (2020 –)

APPEAL FROM THE FIRST DISTRICT COURT, BOX ELDER COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH, FROM THE JUDGMENT, SENTENCE, AND COMMITMENT ON ONE COUNT OF POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A RESTRICTED PERSON, A SECOND-DEGREE FELONY, AND ONE COUNT OF INJURIOUS LITTERING ON PUBLIC OR PRIVATE LANDS, A CLASS C MISDEMEANOR, ENTERED ON JANUARY 7, 2020, BEFORE THE HONORABLE JUDGE BRANDON J. MAYNARD

SEAN REYES, Utah Attorney General, Appeals Division, Counsel for Appellee

LEAH J. ASTON (15989), Counsel for Appellant

With An Even Hand: The Call For Pakistan’S Executive Task Force For Religious Tolerance, J. Clifford Wallace

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

State Of Utah, Plaintiff/Appellee Vs. Alex Christopher Mendoza, Sr. : Brief Of Appellant, Utah Court Of Appeals

Utah Court of Appeals Briefs (2020 –)

APPEAL FROM A JUDGMENT SENTENCE AND CONVICTION OF, OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE, UTAH CODE ANN. § 76-8.-3,06(1), A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR IN THE THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT

UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL Counsel for Appellee

HERSCHEL BULLEN Attorney at Law Counsel for Appellant

Susan Watson, Appellant V. Labor Commission, Horizon Home Health,, Appellee, Utah Court Of Appeals

Utah Court of Appeals Briefs (2020 –)

CHAD P. CURTIS, Attorney for Appellee, Christopher C. Hill

Loren M. Lambert, No. 5101, Attorney for Appellant

Israel Velasco, Petitioner V. Labor Commission, Response Team 1, Llc, And Zurich I American Insurance Co., Respondents: Brief Of Appellant, Utah Court Of Appeals

Utah Court of Appeals Briefs (2020 –)

Appeal from the Utah Labor Commission

Bret A. Gardner (6547) BLACKBURN STOLL,LC Attorney for Respondent/Appellee Response Team 1/Zurich American Insurance Christopher Hill UTAH LABOR COMMISSION Attorney for Utah Labor Commission

Jared L. Mortenson (12173) DAVIS & SANCHEZ, PLLC Attorney for Petitioner/Appellant Israel Velasco

The State Of Utah, Plaintiff/ Appellee V. Dylan James Kitzmiller, Defendant Appellant. : Brief Of Appellant, Utah Court Of Appeals

Utah Court of Appeals Briefs (2020 –)

Appeal from a conviction for two counts of child abuse, second-degree felonies in violation of Utah Code section 76-5-109(2)(a). The conviction followed a jury trial in the Third Judicial District, in and for Salt Lake County, State of Utah, the Honorable William K. Kendall presiding.

SEAN D. REYES, Attorney for Appellee

WENDY M. BROWN, Attorney for Appellant

The State Of Utah, Plaintiff/ Appellee V. Ayayi Aziakanou, Defendant/ Appellant : Brief Of Appellee, Utah Supreme Court

Utah Supreme Court Briefs (2000–2020)

Appeal from a conviction of arranging to distribute a controlled substance, a third degree felony, in the Third Judicial District, Salt Lake County, the Honorable Paul B. Parker presiding

DEBRA M. NELSON, MCCAYE CHRISTENSON, David P.S. Mack, Counsel for Appellant

JEFFREY S. GRAY, SEAN D. REYES, PAUL S. FULLER, Counsel for Appellee

Ryan Miller, Appellant/Petitioner V. Trial Court Brenda Miller, Appellee/Respondent. : Brief Of Appellee, Utah Court Of Appeals

Utah Court of Appeals Briefs (2020 –)

Appeal from the Second District Court, Layton, Davis County Judge Michael S. Edwards

Dustin D. Gibb, Attorney for Respondent I Appellee

Jonathan Hibshman, Attorneys for Appellant I Petitioner

Autonomy And Precautions In The Law Of Armed Conflict, Eric Talbot Jensen

Faculty Scholarship

Already a controversial topic, legal debate and broader discussions concerning the amount of human control required in the employment of autonomous weapons—including autonomous cyber capabilities—continues. These discussions, particularly those taking place among States that are Parties to the 1980 Certain Conventional Weapons Convention, reveal a complete lack of consensus on the requirement of human control and serve to distract from the more important question with respect to autonomy in armed conflict: under what conditions could autonomous weapons “select” and “attack” targets in a manner that complies with the law of armed conflict (LOAC).

This article analyzes the specific LOAC rules …

Class Action Squared: Multistate Actions And Agency Dilemmas, Elysa Dishman

Faculty Scholarship

As the Supreme Court continues to restrict the reach of private class actions, numerous commentators have championed public enforcement actions by state attorneys general (AGs) as a superior alternative to hold corporations accountable for misconduct. While AG actions fill some of the void left by the forced retreat of the private class action, few scholars have seriously considered whether the agency problems that exist in private class actions also occur in AG actions. And, until now, no scholar has recognized the unique agency problems that arise when AGs act together in multistate actions.

Multistate actions are made up of two …

A No-Contest Discharge For Uncollectible Student Loans, Matthew Bruckner, Brook Emerald Gotberg, Dalié Jiménez, Chrystin Ondersma

Faculty Scholarship

Over forty-four million Americans owe more than $1.6 trillion in student loan debt. This debt is nearly impossible to discharge in bankruptcy. Attempting to do so may require costly and contentious litigation with the Department of Education. And because the Department typically fights every case, even initial success can be followed by years of appeals. As a result, few student loan borrowers attempt to discharge their student loan debt in bankruptcy.

In this Article, we call on the Department of Education to develop a set of ten easily ascertainable and verifiable circumstances in which it will not contest a debtor’s …

The State Of Utah, Plaintiff/ Appellee V. Wayne Lee Burr & Blaine Lynn Burr , Defendant/ Appellant : Brief Of Appellee, Utah Court Of Appeals

Utah Court of Appeals Briefs (2007– 2019)

Appeal from the Sixth Judicial District, Honorable Marvin D. Bagley presiding

Out In Public: Legal And Policy Benefits Of Open, Cooperative K-12 Transgender Policy Development, Erin Cranor

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.