Health Law and Policy Commons^™

Religion In The Time Of Measles: Prescriptions For Minimizing The Public Health Threats Associated With Religious Exemptions From Mandatory Vaccinations, Victor Diego Gonzalez

Cardozo Public Law, Policy & Ethics Journal

The note examines the legal and public health tensions surrounding childhood vaccination mandates, emphasizing the balance between individual rights and societal interests. It argues that while states have the authority to compel vaccinations under their police powers, the proliferation of nonmedical exemptions, particularly philosophical ones, undermines herd immunity and public health. The analysis advocates for stricter criteria for religious exemptions and educational measures to address vaccine hesitancy, while cautioning against eliminating religious exemptions entirely to avoid public backlash.

Utilizing Alternative Dispute Resolution To Foster Comprehensive Traumatic Brain Injury Research, Michael Meyers

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

ADR, and more specifically mediation, could increase funding towards TBI prevention and recovery research. Section II explores the TBI Reauthorization Act in an effort to highlight its many successes and some of its shortcomings. Following the assessment of the national legislation, it is appropriate to examine efforts being made at the state-level. Next, because professional and collegiate sports leagues control a great deal of revenue, it is important to assess the initiatives set forth through their official league policies and rules, public relations efforts, and scientific contributions. This calls for an extensive examination of the NFL, NHL, NCAA, and FIFA's …

The Institutional Case For Partisan Gerrymandering Claims, G. Michael Parsons

Cardozo Law Review de•novo

For voters hoping the Supreme Court’s 2017 Term brings relief from partisan gerrymandering, the end of the 2016 Term was inauspicious. In Cooper v. Harris, the majority assumed the legitimacy of “partisan advantage” arguments while the dissent—including Justice Kennedy—warned about the “serious institutional and federalism implications” of judicial intervention in the redistricting process. If past is prologue, this concern for institutional and structural interests does not bode well.

Anti-Disruption Statutory Construction, Jonathan H. Adler

Cardozo Law Review

The article examines Chief Justice John Roberts' approach to statutory interpretation, characterizing it as a form of "Burkean minimalism." This approach prioritizes judicial restraint, avoiding disruptive outcomes and maintaining stability in the law, even if it requires departing from the plain meaning of statutory text. Roberts' decisions often reflect a pragmatic willingness to reinterpret statutes to prevent significant disruptions, uphold legislative enactments, and preserve constitutional harmony, rather than adhering strictly to textualist or doctrinal purity.

Big Data, Patents, And The Future Of Medicine, W. Nicholson Price Ii

Cardozo Law Review

Big data has tremendous potential to improve health care. Unfortunately, intellectual property law isn't ready to support that leap. In the next wave of data-driven medicine, black-box medicine, researchers use sophisticated algorithms to examine huge troves of health data, finding complex, implicit relationships and making individualized assessments for patients. Black-box medicine offers potentially immense benefits, but also requires substantial high investment. Firms must develop new datasets, models, and validations, which are all nonrivalrous information goods with significant spillovers, requiring incentives for welfare-optimizing investment.

Current intellectual property law fails to provide adequate incentives for black-box medicine. The Supreme Court has sharply …

Obesity Regulation Under Home Rule: An Argument That Regulation By Local Governments Is Superior To Administrative Agencies, Patrick M. Steel

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

From Patient Rights To Health Justice: Securing The Public's Interest In Affordable, High-Quality Health Care, Lindsay F. Wiley

Cardozo Law Review

Models emphasizing professional autonomy, patient rights, market power, and health consumerism are no longer adequate to address the increasingly social, collective nature of health law institutions, instruments, and norms. What is needed is a new model that expressly recognizes the public - alongside the patient, the provider, and the payer - as an important stakeholder and active participant in decisions about medical treatment, health care coverage, and allocation of scarce resources. In a previous article, the author looked to the environmental justice, reproductive justice, and food justice movements for inspiration in developing a "health justice" approach to eliminating social disparities …

Said I, 'But You Have No Choice': Why A Lawyer Must Ethically Honor A Client's Decision About Mental Health Treatment Even If It Is Not What S/He Would Have Chosen, Michael L. Perlin, Naomi M. Weinstein

Cardozo Public Law, Policy & Ethics Journal

The article argues that lawyers representing individuals with mental disabilities have an ethical responsibility to prioritize their clients' expressed preferences and autonomy, rejecting the presumption that substituted decisionmaking is acceptable. It critiques the legal system's reliance on paternalistic approaches and highlights the importance of supported decisionmaking, as mandated by international human rights law, particularly under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The analysis emphasizes the need for legal frameworks and attorney practices to align with therapeutic jurisprudence, which prioritizes psychological well-being and dignity while upholding due process principles.

Whole Other Story: Applying Narrative Mediation To The Immigration Beat, Carol Pauli

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

If Donald Trump, in kicking off his campaign for the White House, was saying "what everyone is thinking" about illegal immigration, it must be that his message mirrored a narrative that already existed in the minds of his audience. That fearful story of criminals invading the U.S. borders has long been a dominant theme in the mainstream news immigration story. Like all news stories, this one focuses attention on some facts at the expense of others. Like many news stories, it draws its power from earlier, well-known tales-some as old as The Flood. This article reconsiders news stories-and the storytelling …

Technology, Gender And Fashion, Jeanne L. Schroeder

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Single Payer And The Rising Cost Of Health Care, Brianna Paolicelli

Cardozo Public Law, Policy & Ethics Journal

The New York Health Act proposes a single-payer healthcare system aimed at providing universal coverage by eliminating private insurers and reducing administrative costs. The Act, persistently advocated by Assemblyman Richard Gottfried since 1992, passed the State Assembly in 2015 but faces opposition, particularly from the insurance industry and the Republican Senate. Despite challenges, the Act is supported by economic research indicating significant cost savings and improved efficiency, drawing on international successes like Canada and Taiwan. It addresses historical and contemporary healthcare issues, offering a comprehensive solution to the state's healthcare needs.

Heads Up: The Concussion Crisis, Gabriel Blum

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note examines the concussion crisis in sports, particularly focusing on the severe health risks associated with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). It argues that while some view the issue as overblown, the growing evidence of debilitating short- and long-term health consequences for athletes, especially young ones, necessitates stronger legislative action. The note advocates for New York legislators to amend the Concussion Management and Awareness Act to include more robust protections and enforcement mechanisms to reduce concussion rates and improve care for affected athletes.

Estelle V. Gamble In A Post-Affordable Care Act World, Hallie E. Mitnick

Cardozo Public Law, Policy & Ethics Journal

No abstract provided.

Keeping The Gates Open For Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Ren-How Harn

Cardozo Public Law, Policy & Ethics Journal

Human embryonic stem cell research represents an area of scientific progress that promises to deliver on the wonders mankind has thus far only seen in science fiction movies. However, ethical and legal concerns threaten to stifle research in an area often regarded as the holy grail of regenerative medicine. This Note analyzes the question in patent law of whether human embryonic stem cells constitute patentable subject matter under 35 U.S.C. §101 from a legal and policy perspective after the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad. The issue has generated recent interest and debate with …

Copy And Paste: Transplanting International Hiv/Aids Model Laws Into African Countries, Maya Berinzon

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

There has been a recent increase in legislative and regulatory frameworks to govern HIV in Africa. This includes rules on when and how a health practitioner may disclose the HIV status of a patient to a spouse or sexual partner. In balancing the right to privacy against a doctor's duty of care, two international model laws have emerged, and have been wholly or partially copied by a number of African countries. This paper questions the usefulness of such model laws as legal transplants in national legislatures through an analysis of the regulations developed in thirty-eight African countries.

Nowhere To Run, Nowhere To Hide: The Absence Of Public Policy On Intimate Partner Violence Abrogates The Rights To Health Care And Bodily Integrity Under The South African Constitution, Stu Woolman, Courtenay Sprague

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

An estimated 31-55% of South African women experience lfetime intimate partner violence ("IPV'). The imminent danger of physical, psychological or sexual violence that all South African women face daily not only threatens their very existence, it impairs their development and agency, and thus the ability of each woman to pursue a lfe that reflects her own comprehensive vision of a fulfilling way of being in the world. This article first establishes the legal basis for the proposition that the South African Constitution and South Africa's international obligations require a form of public intervention that has the ability to diminish IP …

Asbestos Lawsuits In Russia: Bring One If You Can, Anna Linetskaya

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The note examines the challenges faced by asbestos victims in Russia in seeking legal redress, highlighting the barriers posed by the country's legal system, lack of regulatory oversight, and the dominance of the asbestos industry. It argues that despite the existence of tort law as a potential avenue for relief, numerous structural and procedural obstacles deter victims from pursuing claims, underscoring the need for legal reforms to improve access to justice.

Taking The Bloody Linen Out Of The Closet: Menstrual Hygiene As A Priority For Achieving Gender Equality, Inga T. Winkler, Virginia Roaf

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

Regular menstruation signals a woman's health and fertility. menstruation is surrounded by shame, secrecy, embarrassment, fear, humiliation, silence, taboo, and stigma. Linked to this taboo, many cultural and religious norms-often grounded in patriarchal assumptions-seek to prevent contact with menstruating women and girls in order to avoid 'contamination' or 'becoming impure'. To some extent, this perception of menstruation is a paradox, given that motherhood is glorified. However, menstruation is not perceived as feminine', and it does not conform to the stereotypical role and behavior of women. Such stereotypes require women to be beautiful and beautified, deodorized and fresh, not bloody and …

Symposium Issue Introduction And Dedication, Shawna Benston

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

The 2013 Jed D. Melnick Annual Symposium, which took place on November 18th, 2013, was entitled "Bioethics, Healthcare Policy, and Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Age of Obamacare." Scholars and practitioners of bioethics alternative dispute resolution came together to discuss the likely impact of a healthcare overhaul born of an ethical challenge: to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number while continuing to honor the value of the individual. Collectively, the Symposium participants anticipated the particular importance of mediation and bioethical debate within the complex health-delivery system that has been drafted under this biomedical imperative.

The Growing Power Of Healthcare Ethics Committees Heightens Due Process Concerns, Thaddeus Mason Pope

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Complex ethical situations, such as end-of-life medical treatment disputes, occur on a regular basis in healthcare settings. Healthcare ethics committees (HECs) have been a leading dispute resolution forum for many of these conflicts. But while the function of HECs has evolved from mediation to adjudication, the form of HECs has not evolved to adapt to this expanded and more consequential function.

Pregnant Pause: The Exclusion Of Pregnant Women From Clinical Research As Sex Discrimination, Richard M. Weinmeyer

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article argues that the exclusion of pregnant women from clinical research constitutes sex discrimination. This exclusion, rooted in historical and regulatory factors, has led to a significant lack of data on how medications affect pregnant women, putting their health at risk. The author advocates for legislative action to shift the research culture from exclusion to inclusion, ensuring that pregnant women receive necessary medical treatments with proper research backing.

Do No Harm: The Dispute Over Access To Health Care Between Israel And The Palestinian Territories, Emma Glazer

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The note examines the legal dispute over access to healthcare between Israel and the Palestinian Territories under International Humanitarian Law (IHL). It argues that while IHL obligates Israel to provide medical services to Palestinians injured in conflict, it does not require unrestricted access for routine healthcare. The analysis highlights the need for Israel to balance its security interests with humanitarian obligations, ensuring access to healthcare while maintaining necessary restrictions. The note also suggests that as the Palestinian Territories pursue statehood, they should develop their own advanced healthcare facilities to reduce reliance on Israeli institutions.

Don't Give Your Kid That Shot!: The Public Health Threat Posed By Anti-Vaccine Speech And Why Such Speech Is Not Guaranteed Full Protection Under The First Amendment, Amanda C. Naprawa

Cardozo Public Law, Policy & Ethics Journal

The article argues that antivaccination speech poses a significant threat to public health, and the law should be utilized to regulate such speech to prevent the spread of preventable diseases and protect vulnerable populations through herd immunity. While the First Amendment protects free speech, legal measures such as the FTC regulating false advertising and potential vaccine disparagement statutes can be effective tools in curbing harmful misinformation. The article emphasizes the need for a balanced approach that respects individual rights while safeguarding community health, supported by scientific consensus on vaccine safety and legal precedents like Jacobson v. Massachusetts.

Tylenol And An Ice Pack: An Inadequate Prescription For Hiv/Aids In Immigration Detention Centers, Carl Kenneth Lipscombe

Cardozo Public Law, Policy & Ethics Journal

The note examines the systemic challenges in providing adequate HIV treatment to immigration detainees in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, highlighting the legal and practical barriers that prevent detainees from receiving consistent and effective medical care. It argues that the current framework, governed by non-binding standards and inconsistent enforcement, fails to ensure humane treatment under the Constitution, particularly the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. The analysis calls for structural reforms, including codifying detention standards into enforceable regulations and improving oversight mechanisms, to address the inadequate medical care for HIV-positive detainees.

Health Exchange Federalism: Striking The Balance Between State Flexibility And Consumer Protection In Aca Implementation, Sam Solomon

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Alcohol And Obesity Law In Canada, The United Kingdom, And Australia, M. Neil Browne, Nancy K. Kubasek

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The article examines the legal frameworks governing disability discrimination related to alcohol dependence and obesity across Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. It highlights the varying degrees of protection afforded to individuals with these conditions under human rights legislation and employment laws. The analysis underscores the tension between recognizing these conditions as disabilities and balancing employer responsibilities, while also exploring the evolving nature of legal protections in light of recent court rulings and shifting societal attitudes.

The Psychology Of Mediation, David A. Hoffman, Richard N. Wolman

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview and summary of a broad range of psychological phenomena and examine their application to mediation. Our goal is to provide mediators-as well as the lawyers and disputants who use mediation-with a guide to navigating the powerful psychological and emotional currents that flow through the mediation process.

Crisis Pregnancy Centers: Impeding The Right To Informed Decision Making, Alice X. Chen

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note argues that crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) in the United States engage in deceptive practices to deter women from obtaining abortions, often masquerading as medical facilities while providing misleading information about reproductive health. These centers receive significant funding from federal and state governments, despite their lack of regulation and medical licensure. The note contends that while local governments have attempted to regulate CPCs through ordinances requiring transparency, these efforts have largely been struck down by federal courts on First Amendment grounds. The author advocates for state-level action to protect women's rights to informed decision-making and accurate reproductive healthcare.

Role-Modeling: How The Americans With Disabilities Act Blocks Bmi-Based Hiring Bans In The United States, Sarah Budow

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The global fashion industry's use of extremely thin models contributes to eating disorders by promoting unattainable beauty standards. In response, some countries have implemented laws restricting underweight models, such as Israel's 2012 law requiring a BMI of 18.5 or higher and mandating warnings for altered images. However, similar measures in the U.S. face legal challenges under the ADA, which prohibits employment discrimination based on disabilities, including eating disorders. The ADA's strict standards for defining disabilities and requiring individualized assessments make BMI-based bans difficult to enforce. While some U.S. states have taken steps like banning airbrushing or protecting underage models, broader …

Comparativist-Structural Approaches To Interpretation Of The Post-Obamacare Spending Power, Michelle Biddulph, Dwight G. Newman

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has significant implications for the federal spending power, a topic that has received limited scholarly attention. The article argues that understanding this aspect of the ACA ruling is crucial for comprehending its impact on future federal programs and legislative approaches. By examining the spending power frameworks in Canada and Australia, the article highlights how different federal systems balance central authority with regional autonomy, offering valuable lessons for the U.S. legal framework.