Other Law Commons^™

Unionizing In The Chambers Of Government, Louis Cholden-Brown

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

As overall union membership stagnates nationwide due to the contraction

of traditionally unionized industries, labor organizations have made historic

inroads into new, highly volatile employment sectors, including digital media,

tech, political campaigns, and the gig economy. One such sector that

has seen new life is state and local legislative employees. Excluded from coverage

by the National Labor Relations Act, legislative employees have been

subject to disparate labor rights, job protections, and terms and conditions

of employment across and within states. While efforts to secure collective

bargaining rights for this sector have occurred over the past twenty-five

years, the simultaneous yet …

Foreword: Mindfulness, Writing, And The "Inner Lawyer", Shari Motro

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

Foreword for the Richmond Journal of Law and the Public Interest Vol XIX, Issue IV

The Common Law Right To Information, Joe Regalia

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

A once-thriving doctrine, today the common law right to information has been largely forgotten by U.S. courts at both the state and federal level. But courts have not paused to question whether the common law right still has a role to play in modern litigation. One reason may be the dearth of case law explaining the common law right's operation. Another may be that courts believe this doctrine has been eradicated by the advent of freedom of information laws. This article first brings together the disparate authority on the common law right in an attempt to pin down the precise …

Unclaimed Remains And Next Of Kin: A New Path To The Final Resting Spot, W. Scott Johnson Esquire

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

In response to requests from health care facilities, law enforcement agencies, and funeral service establishments, Senator Kenny Alexander (DNorfolk) convened a workgroup of stakeholders to rewrite the statutes dealing with unclaimed remains and next of kin. In addition to serving the General Assembly, Senator Alexander owns several prominent funeral service establishments and is a funeral service licensee. His experience proved invaluable to the process. The stakeholder meetings began in the fall of 2013 and culminated in the introduction of Senate Bill 304 in the 2014 Session of the Virginia General Assembly. The bill passed without a single negative vote through …

Veterans Treatment Court: A Hand Up Rather Than Lock Up, Tabatha Renz

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

There has been a gradual national shift toward rehabilitation within the justice system. This has been especially important for veterans who make up only 8% of the total population, but account for 10% of those with criminal records. Recognizing that the traditional justice system is not equipped to handle cases of individuals whose underlying cause of offense is combat trauma, there has been a call to expand the Veterans Treatment Court ("VTC") program as an alternative for offenders who are veterans of the armed forces. This issue has been compounded by over a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, …

In Sight, It Must Be Right: Judicial Review Of Va Decision For Reasons And Bases Vs. Clear Error, David E. Boelzner

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

"In sight, it must be right" was the advertising slogan of a chain of hamburger restaurants that featured visible grills so customers could see the food being prepared, the assumption being that under customers' watchful eyes the burgers would be grilled properly. The Board of Veterans' Appeals ("Board") provides the final decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA") on a veteran claimant's entitlement to benefits, based on de novo review of a previous VA regional office determination. When in 1988 Congress provided in the Veterans Judicial Review Act for court review of agency decisions on veterans' claims for benefits, …

Civil Disobedience In The Jury Room: Give Juries The Right To Go With Their Power, Robert J. Gallaghe

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

This Comment will argue that jury nullification is not only a power enjoyed by juries throughout America, but a duty conferred on jurors, and a part of the criminal justice system that should be embraced, not hidden from sight. Part I will highlight the historical origins and justifications of jury nullification. It will also discuss jury nullification in its contemporary context. Part II will address some of the criticisms of jury nullification and provide responses to those criticisms. Finally, Part III will propose a framework for integrating jury nullification into the regular criminal justice process.