Digital Commons Network^™

From Classroom To Courtroom: Understanding Real Pathways Into Legal Careers, Timothy S. Troxel

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This study examines how legal professionals describe their preparation for legal and law-adjacent careers, with the goal of identifying practical guidance for college students entering the field. Existing literature on legal career preparation often emphasizes measurable qualifications, while offering broad or generalized advice. At the same time, research on career development highlights the importance of experiential learning and mentorship, suggesting a gap between formal guidance and lived experience. To explore this gap, this study conducted interviews with ten legal professionals across a range of roles and experience levels. Participants were asked about their backgrounds, career paths, skill development, and other …

Choosing Death: The Moral Legitimacy Of Voluntary Active Euthanasia, Emma Rougeou

Honors Theses

During the last three decades, the issue of physician assisted suicide has captivated the interest of private citizens and state legislatures. Thinking about the matter of end-of-life concerns, particularly surrounding euthanasian (practices that hasten the deaths of suffering terminally ill people) have shifted. Views of private citizens and state-level legislation reflects a “slow shift to more permissive attitudes” (Cohen et al., 2012). Meanwhile, as recently as March 2026, state legislators in conjunction with the NY State Governor, passed a bill legalizing medical aid in dying for terminally ill patients. This thesis is intended to thoughtfully contribute to meaningful discourse on …

Beyond Skrmetti: A Constitutional Case For Gender-Affirming Care, Mateo-Luis A. Planas, Evan Gerstmann

Honors Thesis

In 2025, roughly 2.1 million adults in America identify as transgender, making up around 1% of the country’s total population. Despite this, the transgender identity has become a focus of political debates and made its way onto the U.S. Supreme Court’s docket in U.S. v. Skrmetti. The issue is not whether transgender people exist, but rather, how they ought to exist legally: if and when one can access medical care to pursue a gender transition. While many American doctors agree that these treatments are life-saving, since 2021, a slew of legislation has limited access for adults 18-21 (AMA, 2021). This …

Red 40 Riot: An Interdisciplinary Perspective On The Fight For Food Additive Regulation, Margaret Q. Gray

Honors Theses

This paper explores the chemical, business, and governmental influences that impact the perception and future of Red 40. This inquiry was inspired by the increasing trends towards health-conscious consumer preferences and the 2025 Red 3 ban. This thesis examines foundational research, modern sources, and public-facing articles to create a comprehensive understanding of both sides of the argument in support of and against regulation. The paper concludes that a three-pronged approach would be ideal to target each key perspective included: chemistry, business, government. The approaches include confirming chemical research method validity, encouraging governmental regulation, and corporate accountability and enforcement. The paper …

From Taboo To Treatment: A Trip Through A State-Based Roadmap To Psychedelic Rescheduling, Logan P. Doughty

Northern Illinois University Law Review

Psychedelics, a class of psychoactive substances that profoundly alter perception, mood, and cognition, show significant promise as a treatment option for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, under the current regulatory framework of the Controlled Substances Act, these substances remain classified as Schedule I, the most restrictive category of federal control. This classification has made research and clinical access nearly impossible, largely due to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s insistence on randomized control trial evidence to satisfy the evidentiary standard of “currently accepted medical use” (CAMU). This evidentiary burden reflects more than a veneer of …

Policing Post-Overdose: Multidisciplinary Teams Are Key To Addressing Illinois’S Opioid Crisis, Natalie B. Thirtle

Northern Illinois Law Review Supplement

The opioid epidemic remains one of Illinois’s most pressing public health and safety crises, with thousands of overdoses reported annually. Illinois’s current State Overdose Action Plan (SOAP) relies on law enforcement to administer naloxone and refer people who use drugs (PWUD) to treatment. Yet, there is research that indicates Illinois police are opposed to these responsibilities due to personal bias, workplace culture, and a lack of training in the science of drug addiction. Some advocates call for decriminalization of drug use, pointing to models in Portugal, Oregon, and California. However, these approaches have struggled in the United States due to …

A Case With Bite: Royal Canin U.S.A., Inc. V. Wullschleger And The Updated Removal Jurisdiction Landscape, Nicholas G. Glover

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

Subject-matter jurisdiction is critical to every case, small or large.  Establishing the court’s authority to adjudicate a present matter is tantamount to every case and for every judge.  Despite the importance of properly entering and remaining in federal courts, civil procedure cases often receive far less fanfare than most others before the Supreme Court.  Such was the case last term in Royal Canin U.S.A., Inc. v. Wullschleger, an overlooked case which silently reshaped removal jurisdiction jurisprudence. This Article details the importance of this quiet case.  Through outlining entry into federal courts, introducing and reviewing the Eighth Circuit’s outlier—but correct—opinion …

Practicing Conflict Transformation Skills Through Role-Playing Games For Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Higher Education, Alexandra Schreiber, Kjell H. Hugaas, Sarah L. Bowman

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

No abstract provided.

The Functions Of Role- Playing Games: How Participants Create Community, Solve Problems And Explore Identity, De Sarah Lynne Bowman (2010) [Reseña De Libro], Cristo Leon

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

The Functions of Role-Playing Games: How Participants Create Community, Solve Problems and Explore Identity, by Sarah Lynne Bowman, is an ambitious, wide-ranging, and still necessary work for role-playing game studies. Published in 2010, the book proposes that role-playing and roleplaying games fulfill three main social and psychological functions: creating community, facilitating problem solving, and enabling the exploration of identity. Bowman develops this thesis through a combination of theoretical review, cultural reflection, and participant-observer ethnography, based on interviews with players of tabletop role-playing games, live-action roleplaying games, and virtual environments. Organized into seven chapters, the book moves clearly from the …

The Impact Of Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, And Employee Engagement On The Intent To Leave The Law Enforcement Profession For Police Officers, Veronica Lynn Dougherty-Denny

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In today’s dynamic organizational environment, worker factors such as job satisfaction, employee engagement, organizational commitment, and psychological contract fulfillment are vital for organizational success. This study examined their perceived relationship with police officers’ intent to leave the law enforcement profession. The problem addressed worked to understand factors influencing retention, including psychological contract breaches and workplace outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the perceived relationship between job satisfaction, employee engagement, organizational commitment, and intent to leave the law enforcement profession all housed within the psychological contract. Five research questions addressed these variables and demographic factors (gender, years …

A Meta-Analysis On Joinder Effects: Do They All Have The Same Magnitude?, Amelia M. Tisk

Student Theses

The present meta-analysis examined whether different forms of joinder and procedural consolidation produce varying levels of prejudice in adjudicative decision-making. Although joinder procedures improve judicial efficiency, psychological research has suggested that combining charges, defendants, or plaintiffs within a single proceeding may increase conviction likelihood, liability judgments, and broader perceptions of wrongdoing. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted across 22 independent study effects examining charge joinder, defendant consolidation, plaintiff consolidation, multiple-complainant procedures, and related aggregation paradigms. Effect sizes were converted to Pearson’s r whenever possible. Overall, procedural aggregation produced a moderate effect on adjudicative outcomes, r = .27, 95% CI [.22, .32]. …

Digital Deterrence Through Financial Controls: Anti-Money Laundering Laws, Lawfare, And The Prc Cyber Threat, Owen T. Tremblay

William & Mary Law Review

This Note argues that anti-money laundering (AML) laws have the potential to serve as powerful tools in disrupting and degrading the support networks that enable and sustain PRC offensive cyber operations. [...] Part I provides an overview of the PRC’s cyber force structure and the national objectives it seeks to achieve through state-sponsored cyber operations. Part II examines the existing legal mechanisms employed to combat PRC MCA [Malicious Cyber Activity], including criminal charges, sanctions, export controls, investment restrictions, civil lawsuits, and other regulatory measures. Part III introduces AML laws as an additional tool in the legal and regulatory toolkit used …

Unconstitutional Cruelty, Michael R. Ulrich

William & Mary Law Review

Despite the long history of transgender people and transgender care, state legislatures suddenly rushed to pass a wave of bans on gender-affirming medical care for trans youth over a three-year period beginning in 2021—an alarming surge within a flurry of legal attacks on the transgender community. In analyzing the constitutionality of these bans, courts and scholars have focused their attention on how to characterize the nature of the rights implicated, and therefore the level of scrutiny warranted. This focus reacts to, and often follows, the current Supreme Court majority’s approach to questions about the rights of historically oppressed and marginalized …

Los Juegos De Rol Como Una Herramienta Psicoeducativa, Víctor E. Quintana Villarreal

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

Los juegos de rol han funcionado durante mucho tiempo como un medio para compartir y crear historias en conjunto con colegas y amigos. De ellos, se desprenden también habilidades y herramientas fundamentales para la vida, por lo que un método para sistematizar estos juegos de tablero y dados a funciones educativas es necesario para potenciarlos como herramientas psicoeducativas.

La siguiente, es una propuesta planteada desde el marco constructivista para generar espacios con los juegos de rol como eje central del aprendizaje, y se relatan a través de un marco teórico, seguido de una proposición metodológica, una serie de pasos para …

Journal Of Roleplaying Studies And Steam (Jrpssteam) Vol. 5 [2026], Número 1 (Issue 1), Romano Ponce-Díaz Phd, Cristo Leon, Ivan Avila, Sarah Lynne Bowman, Kjell Hedgard Hugaas, Alexandra Schreiber Ma, Jaime Eduardo García Maya, Víctor Emmanuel Quintana Villarreal Vic Emma, Francisco Gonzalez Ing., Daniel Romero Benguigui, Antonio Roda-Martínez

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

El presente número del Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM examina la convergencia entre las prácticas lúdicas, el diseño narrativo y los procesos de mediación sociocultural en la investigación contemporánea. Las contribuciones reunidas en este número abordan el juego de rol como un dispositivo de producción de conocimiento, intervención psicoeducativa y reelaboración de representaciones culturales. Nos podemos atrever a señalar que la educación es la convergencia entre la ludología, las ciencias sociales, los estudios visuales y el análisis cultural; entendiendo a la educación como la actividad consciente e intencionada de transmitir información y conocimientos a las siguientes generaciones.

Martin Heidegger …

Understanding The Impact Of Childhood Trauma On Recidivism Among Justice-Involved Youth, Jasmine Valencia, Karina V. Garcia, Genaro Fabela

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are especially common among youth involved in the juvenile justice system, and research has consistently linked these early traumatic experiences to a variety of negative behavioral and developmental outcomes. Still, we do not fully understand how strongly cumulative ACE exposure predicts whether detained youth will reoffend, or whether trauma-informed rehabilitation programs can help reduce that risk. This proposed quantitative study explores the relationship between ACE scores and recidivism among youth ages 11–18 detained at the San Bernardino County Juvenile Detention Center. Grounded in trauma theory and ecological systems theory, the study focuses on two primary questions: …

May 2026 News You Need, David Foe

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This source provides comprehensive updates on organized dentistry, including the appointment of Dr. Nader A. Nadershahi as the new ADA executive director. It reports on the MDA's current membership market share, which remains high at approximately 70% despite national trends. Significant health topics covered include Mental Health Awareness Month resources like the Well-Being Index and a patient fact sheet linking oral health to systemic conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

J Mich Dent Assoc May 2026

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Each month, the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association delivers news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200-plus members. It remains the main publication reaching Michigan dentists and is available worldwide through ADA Commons.

The May 2026 (Volume 108, No. 5) issue of the Journal is published in print format to provide updates and insights for Michigan's oral health community and MDA members. Print editions occur every other month beginning with January.

The May 2026 issue of the MDA Journal introduces Dr. Melanie Mayberry as the new association president, highlighting her …

The Historical And Systemic Effects On Racial Disparities In Incarceration Rates Among Black Individuals, Vanessa Valentine

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Racial disparities in incarceration rates within the United States have existed for decades. This paper will examine these disparities in order to understand how Black individuals and communities are disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system. By exploring historical and systemic factors that have contributed to these disparities such as structural racism, discriminatory policing, and unequal sentencing policies this research will highlight how these practices have reinforced racial inequality within the criminal justice system. The significance of the presenting issue will be explored by analyzing how these disparities affect the incarcerated individual and their family and community. Using a mixed …

Analyzing Social Implications Of The Gender Wage Gap, Jessie A. Clarke

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The researcher seeks to understand the gender wage gap in the United States. The research question studied is “Why do women in the United States on average earn less income than men?” Women gain less power and resources as they earn less income than men. The researcher explores the phenomenon in this paper. This research proposal utilizes qualitative methods via interviews, and analysis through coding. In previous research, there is a lack of inclusion on the gender wage gap regarding various identities such as sexual orientation, other gender identities, and race/ethnicity. The researcher hopes to fill in these gaps in …

Arrest Rates And Police Presence In East Bay Area Counties Of Northern California, Christiana M. Tyler

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In this research study, we discuss the social phenomenon of mass incarceration in the United States. Previous research has evidenced clear racial disparities within this social issue, but has yet to make a connection between high incarceration rates and the sheer volume of police officers in many communities. This descriptive study sets out to discover whether there is a difference in incarceration rates based on the level of police presence in select counties in Northern California. The study will measure police presence by the number of police officers, using secondary data from U.S. government and nonprofit agencies. The researcher hypothesizes …

Anti-Death Penalty Advocacy In A Time Of Resurgence, Carol S. Steiker, Jordan M. Steiker

University of Richmond Law Review

After a staggering two-decade decline dating back to the turn of the millennium, the American death penalty is experiencing a notable resurgence. Executions in 2025 climbed to their highest mark in over a decade (forty-seven nationwide), more than 150% of any year since 2015 (twenty-eight nationwide) and the highest total since 2009. These executions span eleven states, the largest number of states conducting executions in a single year since 2000. Relatedly, the Supreme Court of the United States seems less inclined to rein in capital practices. The Court has exhibited increased hostility toward end-stage litigation, illustrated most prominently in its …

A Terrorist In Death Only: How The Death Penalty Fills The Gap In Federal Terrorism Law, Caroline A. Mcbride

University of Richmond Law Review

In the absence of a federal statute criminalizing domestic terrorism, the United States turned to an unlikely proxy: the death penalty. This Comment argues that capital punishment is used to define domestic terrorism, particularly when statutory tools cannot capture white supremacist attacks. Although former President Biden commuted most federal death sentences to life imprisonment without parole, three individuals whose attacks met the legal definition of domestic terrorism were excluded from clemency. Examining several cases from Timothy McVeigh to Luigi Mangione reveals a trend of defendants whose crimes meet the legal definition of domestic terrorism receiving the death penalty, even when …

The Eviction Caste System, Allison Freedman

Faculty Scholarship

The United States is facing a dire housing crisis, and most Americans agree that housing is a universal necessity. Yet under current Supreme Court jurisprudence, housing is not a fundamental right, and individuals facing housing insecurity from an eviction are generally not members of a suspect class. This is because eviction is often viewed as an individual problem and a symptom of poverty, which the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed is not a suspect classification. This Article disrupts the superficial narrative that eviction is an individualistic symptom of poverty, and instead views evictions from a systemic and historical perspective. It …

The Human Touch: Lawyer Leadership In The Age Of Generative Ai, Kathleen Elliott Vinson

Suffolk University Law School Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Global And Regional Human Rights Standards On Gender-Based Violence, Tamar Ezer, R. Denisse Córdova Montes

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

The Zoom Dock Is Worse Than A Cage: Remote Appearances From Jail Are Unconstitutional In Washington, Michael Mactaggert, Jeremiah Noonan

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Welcome To The Dollhouse: New Ai Technology Poses Ethical Issues In Prison Systems, Bailey Mccoy

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

The Artificial Artist: Considering Ai’S Impact On Image Copyright, Alyse Mandelblatt

Communication Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to create empirical results to ground what has been a largely theoretical discussion about the effect of artificial intelligence (AI) on copyright law in the United States. AI has disrupted traditional ideas of creativity and expression, which are vital communication tools. Copyright is a regulatory agent to encourage the production of unique communication products by giving owners complete rights to their work. Copyright principles conflict with current AI model training practices. This research considers how AI literacy may provide insight into copyright knowledge and AI attitudes for prediction of how common law and AI regulation policy may …

Lay Perceptions Of Alternative Dispute Resolution In Civil Legal Disputes, Ashley Gale Vaughan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examined how laypeople evaluate alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures in civil legal disputes, focusing on outcome favorability, procedural format, and procedural choice. Drawing on procedural justice theory, two vignette-based studies tested whether mediation would be evaluated more favorably than arbitration and whether allowing participants to choose the ADR process would improve satisfaction and perceptions of procedural justice. Study 1 used a 2 x 2 between-subjects design with undergraduate participants (N = 140) and manipulated ADR process (mediation vs. arbitration) and outcome (favorable vs. unfavorable). Study 2 extended this design by adding a choice condition in a community adult …