Law Commons^™

Law School News: Roger Williams University School Of Law Receives Historic $4 Million Gift From Mark Mandell To Establish Premier Trial Advocacy Center 4-9-2026, Hillary Lima, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Hollywood Has Learned Nothing From #Metoo, Clara Sarfati

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights and Social Justice (ERSJ) Blog

Following the surge of the #MeToo movement in 2017, which exposed widespread unsafe and discriminatory conditions for women in Hollywood, the industry underwent a fundamental shift in how its institutions addressed sexual misconduct and equal opportunity.  Now, with the rattles of the movement stabilizing, Hollywood is reemerging as an unsafe environment for women in entertainment.  One of the most high-profile cases of the 2020s, Lively v. Wayfarer Studios LLC, illustrates how legal frameworks and Hollywood culture continue to fall short on protecting female victims of sexual assault.  Moreover, it underscores how survivors are often still forced to navigate complex legal …

Constitutional Structure And Election Law, Manoj Mate

Journal Articles

Since Bush v. Gore, scholarship on election law has centered on a theoretical debate between rights-based and structural theory approaches, and the appropriate role and scope of judicial intervention in election law cases. However, these debates have not fully assessed the degree to which the Court’s approach to constitutional structure has fundamentally reshaped election law. Over the past two decades, the Court has increasingly emphasized the importance of constitutional structure-based approaches in election law cases.

This Article analyzes these dynamics and advances a typology of constitutional structure-based approaches in election law. Drawing on scholarship on modalities of interpretation and …

China Samr’S Review Process In Cross-Border Technology M&A, Gabriel A. Paknia

Honors Scholar Theses

China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) holds discretionary authority over the merger review process. This paper examines whether SAMR's review of technology and semiconductor transactions since the governing body's inception in 2018 reflects political-economic incentives beyond what competitive harm analysis alone would explain. The paper is broken into three core pillars: accessing SAMR's regulatory code to identify how flexibility to exercise discretion is codified, scrutinizing SAMR's full adverse outcome record for overrepresentation of technology and semiconductor deals, and deconstructing a semiconductor megamerger to illustrate those mechanisms with the backdrop of real time geopolitical events. I find that technology and …

The Hypocrisy Of The Wizards—A Proposal To Correct Incentives In Higher Education Loan Financing, Caden Benedict

School of Public Policy Capstones

This paper explores the origins of the student loan debt crisis and proposes tying university incentives to graduates' repayment plans and disclosing median earnings for degrees before students apply. Specifically, while there are numerous factors explaining why the price of education has increased dramatically since the 1970s, this paper proposes solutions that will specifically target university moral hazards by requiring universities fund: (1) the current subsidies to federal student loan repayments under income-driven plans as the House of Representatives intended before the Senate removed "risk-sharing," and (2) bankruptcy law discharge amounts. Moreover, requiring universities to disclose the median earnings of …

Appeal No. 1029: Appalachia Minerals, Llc. V. Division Of Oil & Gas Resources Management, Ohio Oil & Gas Commission

Ohio Oil & Gas Commission Decisions

Appeal of Chief's Order 2024-20

Appeal No. 1036: G & M Smith Family, Llc. V. Division Of Oil & Gas Resources Management, Ohio Oil & Gas Commission

Ohio Oil & Gas Commission Decisions

Appeal of Chief's Order 2024-287

Appeal No. 1058: Big M Petroleum Corporation V. Division Of Oil & Gas Resources Management, Ohio Oil & Gas Commission

Ohio Oil & Gas Commission Decisions

Appeal of Chief's Orders 2025-335, 2025-336, 2025-337, and 2025-338

Appeal No. 1059: Big M Petroleum Corporation V. Division Of Oil & Gas Resources Management, Ohio Oil & Gas Commission

Ohio Oil & Gas Commission Decisions

Appeal of Chief's Orders 2025-335, 2025-336, 2025-337, and 2025-338

Appeal No. 1060: Big M Petroleum Corporation V. Division Of Oil & Gas Resources Management, Ohio Oil & Gas Commission

Ohio Oil & Gas Commission Decisions

Appeal of Chief's Orders 2025-335, 2025-336, 2025-337, and 2025-338

Appeal No. 1031: Mason Drilling, Inc.. V. Division Of Oil & Gas Resources Management, Ohio Oil & Gas Commission

Ohio Oil & Gas Commission Decisions

Appeal of Chief's Order No. 2024-73

Appeal No. 1061: Big M Petroleum Corporation V. Division Of Oil & Gas Resources Management, Ohio Oil & Gas Commission

Ohio Oil & Gas Commission Decisions

Appeal of Chief's Orders 2025-335, 2025-336, 2025-337, and 2025-338

Circumstances Surrounding Officer Involved Fatal Shootings, James Corrin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Over the past several years, there has been concern from mainstream media outlets, politicians, citizens, and community leaders that police officers in the United States engage in unjustified use of deadly force events within communities. This has led to violent protests across the country. Police reform and the de-funding of the police have been a crucial topic for debate and discussion. An argument has been made by some individuals that law enforcement officers involved in the fatal shootings of unarmed Black male citizens are racially motivated. The purpose of the following research is to identify if these arguments are valid. …

The Effectiveness Of Wellness Programs On Public Safety Personnel, Thomas T. Nguyen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Stressful situations have become a common theme that many first responders have encountered while on the job. As more studies have surfaced regarding the causes of stress, the ability to reduce stress while minimizing any adverse reactions that result from them have been minimal. Just as the catalysts for stress are not the same for everyone, the reactions to treatments that are offered will vary in effectiveness. Since not all agencies have programs in place to deal with the mental and physical traumas that affect first responders, the focus will be on one agency that has recently implemented multiple treatment …

Mmu: 04/06/26-04/12/26, Student Bar Association

Monday Morning Update

This Week @ NDLS

Mass Times

Commons Daily Menu

Saint of the Week

General Announcements

Ndls Communicator: Week Of 04.06.26, Notre Dame Law School

NDLS Communicator

The Latest News

• From the Bookshelf: Favorite Reads from the ND Law Community
• Notre Dame Law School Global Human Rights Clinic participates in advisory opinion proceedings on democracy and human rights before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Brasília

Student News

• Perla Khattar, J.S.D. Candidate
• Summer Abdelberry, 2L

Faculty Briefs

• Jimmy Gurulé
• Maria Maciá
• Patrick Corrigan
• Diane Desierto
• Rick Garnett and 3L, Savannah Shoffner
• Christian Burset
• Lloyd Mayer
• Paolo Carozza
• Vincent Phillip Muñoz

ND Law in the News

• The Observer highlighted the second annual Death Penalty Abolition Week

Events

• Easter Monday
• Faculty Colloquium - Carter Snead
• Champions for Justice …

The Inequity Of Elective Shares In Second Marriages, Cynthia Li

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights and Social Justice (ERSJ) Blog

Elective share statutes, the modern successors to the historical doctrines of dower and curtesy, serve as a vital legal safety net designed to prevent a decedent from intentionally disinheriting a surviving spouse. By forcing the decedent’s estate to distribute a specific share to a spouse who has been omitted from a will, these statutes protect against the rise of non-probate transfers and inter vivos gifts that might otherwise leave a survivor destitute.   Since 1990, the Uniform Probate Code (UPC) has grounded this protection in a “partnership theory” of marriage, which posits that spouses contribute to an economic partnership through both …

Addressing Legal Uncertainties In Article Versions And Institutional Copyright Policies To Support Immediate Public Access To Federal Grant-Funded Publications, Yuanxiao Xu

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

New federal public access policies—mandated by the 2022 OSTP Memo and already adopted by several key federal grant-making agencies—require authors funded by federal grants to deposit peer-reviewed publications for immediate public access. This paper explains how grant- receiving institutions and their affiliated authors can dispel legal uncertainties and comply with the new public access policies. Section I delineates how valid prior licenses enable public deposit of manuscripts notwithstanding later publishing agreements transferring copyright to the journals. Section II discusses the different versions of a manuscript created during the publication process. Section III describes the different types of third-party contributions incorporated …

Singh V. Dist. Ct. [State Of Nevada], 142 Nev. Adv. Op. 25 (Apr. 02, 2026), Eden Tesfay

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

Under the neutral-principles exception to the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, civil courts are permitted to adjudicate disputes involving religious organizations so long as the issues are determinable without resorting to religious doctrines, practices, or texts.

When The Weeds Strike Back: Rethinking Aphis's Regulation Of Genetically Engineered Plants Post-National Family Farm Coalition V. Vilsack, Reagan Powers

Celebrating WCL Student Authors

No abstract provided.

Tradition Without Text?, Daniel B. Rice

Duke Law Journal Online

No abstract provided.

Article Iii's Constraints On The Legislative Power, Elizabeth Beske

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

Article III’s heightened concreteness standard for statutory harms takes federal judges deep into legislative terrain, jeopardizing statutory damage provisions and confining Congress to post hoc solutions rather than preemptive strikes. The Supreme Court has insisted that creating a cause of action is a legislative function. At the same time, its recent standing cases instruct lower federal courts to permit suit on statutory injuries only when they find actual harm that bears a tight connection to injuries recognized at common law. This new harm requirement rests uneasily with countless statutes featuring statutory damage provisions that are in place precisely because damages …

Notre Dame Lawyers Connect Spring 2026, Notre Dame Law School

Notre Dame Lawyers Connect

Celebrating the Commencement of Notre Dame Law School’s Class of 2026

In Memoriam: G. Robert Blakey, the William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Professor of Law Emeritus

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Reflects on Law, Faith, and Judicial Responsibility

Dean G. Marcus Cole delivers commencement address at the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law Commencement Ceremony

Law School's Exoneration Justice Clinic (EJC) - Client Reginald “Reggie” Dillard exonerated

Students:

• Joseph Reilly Receives Lardy Scholarship Award for 2026-27
• Notre Dame Law Barristers Mock Trial Team Wins Regional Title, Places 11th Nationally
• Notre Dame Law School’s All-Women Jessup Team Advances to International …

Protecting Cultural Personality, J. Janewa Osei-Tutu

Articles

When companies use cultural symbols or cultural heritage from an indigenous or local community without their knowledge or permission, it can lead to claims of cultural appropriation, particularly in the fashion industry. Yet, the law provides little to no remedy. Trademarks and geographical indications can be used to protect collective cultural identities. However, these intellectual property laws are not helpful if the affected cultural group has not commercialized its identity by offering goods or services to the public. This Article contributes to the literature by theorizing a dignitary-based intellectual property model for protecting cultural identities. It draws on the U.S. …

Navigating Sustainable Burial In Southern Nevada, Kristen Gibson

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

Navigating Sustainable Burial in Southern Nevada investigates the accessibility of environmentally conscious end-of-life options for individuals throughout the region. Sustainable burial practices, including green burial, water cremation, and natural organic reduction, provide alternatives to traditional burial and cremation methods. Research was conducted through an analysis of Nevada statutes, local reporting, funeral service resources, and public discussions related to sustainable burial. The research revealed that although Nevada expanded legal recognition of sustainable burial by legalizing natural organic reduction, public access to clear information and available services remains limited. These findings informed the creation of a choose-your-own-adventure booklet designed to translate legal …

Code And Consequences: How Fraud Detection Algorithms Criminalize Welfare, Michele E. Gilman

All Faculty Scholarship

This article investigates the growing use of automated fraud detection systems in public benefits programs, focusing on how these technologies have intensified the surveillance and criminalization of low-income individuals. Across the globe, government agencies deploying fraud detection algorithms have wrongfully accused thousands of people of committing fraud, with devastating consequences, including bankruptcy, job loss, and psychological trauma. These algorithmic systems operate as opaque “black boxes,” fueled by historical biases against the poor and largely unaccountable to the individuals they affect. Meanwhile, the private vendors that develop the algorithms reap massive profits from unfulfilled promises of efficiency and cost savings.

The …

Reimagining Legal Education: The Transformative Power Of Small-Group Instruction, Michael I. Meyerson

Articles

Legal education is failing its students. Those entering their first year of law school have greater anxiety and less developed reading and writing skills than ever before. The traditional large Socratic class, which was never the most effective teaching method, has become increasingly counterproductive.

This Article contends that small-group instruction provides the opportunity for superior teaching, especially for first-year law students. Recent scholarship in active learning, educational psychology, and students’ mental health demonstrates the limitations of the traditional large Socratic class experience. Building on that theoretical foundation and informed by sustained classroom experience, this Article argues that small-group pedagogy more …

Slurry-As-A-Service: A Modest Proposal On Scalable Pluralistic Alignment For Nutrient Optimization, Rachel Hong, Yael Eiger, Jevan Hutson, Os Keyes, William Agnew

Articles

Pluralistic alignment has emerged as a promising approach for ensuring that large language models (LLMs) faithfully represent the diversity, nuance, and conflict inherent in human values. In this work, we study a high-stakes deployment context—mulching—where automated systems transform selected individuals into nutrientrich slurry for the dual purposes of food security and aesthetic population management. Building on recent pluralistic alignment frameworks, we introduce ValueMulch™, a reproducible training, deployment, and certification pipeline for aligning mulching models (MMs) to a wide range of community norms. Through a real-world testbed spanning 32 communities, we show that ValueMulch™ improves distributional agreement with community mulching preferences …

The Legal Framework For Direct Ocean Carbon Capture And Storage (Volume 1: International Law), Romany M. Webb, Korey Silverman-Roati

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

This paper focuses on the marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) approach of direct ocean carbon capture and storage (DOCCS), which aims to remove some of the carbon currently stored in the ocean and thereby enable it to uptake additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. DOCCS is still undergoing research, but early studies suggest it could have significant carbon dioxide removal potential. However, DOCCS could also present environmental and other risks, including from the construction of new facilities, the intake and processing of water, and the handling and storage of carbon dioxide. Careful siting, design, and operation of DOCCS systems is …

Private Coverage, Public Risk: The Role Of Cyber Insurance In National Security Governance, Deborah L. Johnson

Faculty Publications

This Article explores the growing yet underexamined role of the commercial cyber insurance market in shaping the United States' approach to cybersecurity readiness. It argues that, as cyber threats against U.S. critical infrastructure and essential services increase, commercial cyber insurance has quietly come to function as a de facto governance tool in national cybersecurity. In hospitals, water and energy systems, and other public-facing sectors, policy language, underwriting questionnaires, and post-breach claims practices help define what counts as "reasonable" security, influence how organizations plan for and respond to incidents, and affect the pace and scope of recovery after an attack. Yet …