Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons^™

Mandating Fluoride: A Constitutional Exercise Of Police Power, Anita Jahangiri

Seattle University Law Review

This Note addresses the ongoing debate over fluoridation: the regulation of fluoride levels in public water systems. Extensive research indicates fluoridation, when regulated at the recommended concentration, is both safe and highly effective in preventing dental caries. Better known as cavities, dental caries is a preventable yet widespread health issue that disproportionately affects low-income populations. Reducing dental health disparities among economic classes is a pressing public health issue. Fluoridation is not merely a policy option, but a critical, proven tool to address such disparities and uphold the collective welfare of Washingtonians. This Note focuses on fluoridation as a public health …

Neurodiversity In The Courtroom: Expanding Jury Service Accessibility Beyond Physical Disability, Samantha L. Mabe

Seattle University Law Review

The Americans with Disabilities Act has required equal access to jury service for decades; however, efforts to accommodate jurors with disabilities have been slow to develop beyond some minor accommodations for physical disabilities. While neurodivergent people frequently struggle to navigate a world catered toward neurotypical people, jury service remains inaccessible for many neurodivergent people who need accommodations to attend trial and engage in jury deliberations. If courts and advocates do not consider how to develop accommodations to secure the service of neurodivergent jurors, they will miss out on the unique skillsets that neurodivergent people can bring to resolving disputes.

Disabled …

Redefining Section 230 Immunity, Lucas Dini

Seattle University Law Review

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has provided broad immunity to online platforms for third-party content which was the foundation for the internet's growth. However, the rise in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to produce algorithms to curate content to users of online services has blurred the line between being a passive host of third party content and active editorial control. This Note examines the legal, policy, and constitutional implications of applying Section 230 immunity to platforms that use AI to curate and promote third-party content. This analysis argues that algorithmic promotion of third-party content constitutes a platform's …

Overcrowding The System: Rethinking Juvenile Justice In Washington State, Mckenna White

Seattle University Law Review

The recent crisis at Green Hill School highlights the detrimental consequences of severe overcrowding in Washington State’s Juvenile Rehabilitation system—a problem exacerbated by the implementation of the JR to 25 legislation. This Note argues that the juvenile rehabilitation system, which is currently struggling to manage a wide age range of offenders, necessitates a fundamental rethinking of juvenile justice practices. By examining neurological research indicating continued brain development into the mid-twenties, along with the high prevalence of trauma among justice-involved youth, this Note proposes the creation of a dedicated third system of care within the Department of Children, Youth, and Families …

Addressing The Root Of Housing Insecurity: Washington Should Divest From “Crime-Free” Housing Programs, Sarah Cerdena

Seattle University Law Review

Crime-Free Rental Housing Properties (CFRHPs) have proven to be an ineffective and inequitable approach to public safety. Often, tenants in these properties are evicted—at times, extrajudicially—as a result of conduct that does not rise to violations of their lease provisions, much less criminal behavior. By placing extraordinary power in the hands of local law enforcement to carry out these ordinances, CFRHPs predictably pose significant harm to Black and Latinx communities, survivors of domestic violence, disabled tenants, and low-income tenants generally. Recently, the Washington State Supreme Court grappled with the tensions arising between CFRHPs and the enforcement of Washington landlord-tenant law. …

Volume 49 Masthead

Seattle University Law Review

Volume 49 Masthead

Esg Investing Breaches Erisa Fiduciary Duties? A Closer Look At Spence V. American Airlines, Inc., Eric Chin-Ru Chang

Seattle University Law Review

In Spence v. American Airlines, Inc., the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas found that American Airlines breached its fiduciary duties due to BlackRock’s ESG investing practices. Contrary to some reports suggesting that the ruling prohibits ESG investing under ERISA, a closer look at the ruling shows that the court only targeted American Airlines’ failure to manage conflicts of interest appropriately, rather than the legality of ESG investing itself. In light of the intensifying ESG backlash in the United States, this Article cautions against further restrictive measures on ESG investing. Such measures would exacerbate the widening …

In Ohio, How Old Is Too Old To Be A Judge?, Patrick Fischer

University of Cincinnati Law Review

People are getting older, and so is our judiciary. This Article examines various questions that accompany an aging judiciary: as jurists get older, can they still keep up with the job’s demands? How is the public’s confidence affected when they see increasingly older judges? Are there practical or constitutional considerations with an aging judiciary? In response to these concerns, many states have imposed mandatory retirement ages. But is this the best way to handle these concerns?

This Article begins with a brief discussion of the history of age limitations on the judiciary and some of the concerns that have accompanied …

A Conversation With Danielle Sassoon, Former Interim U.S. Attorney For The Southern District Of Ny, Jacob Burns Center For Ethics In The Practice Of Law, Criminal Law Society, Jessica A. Roth, Danielle Sassoon

2025–2026 Flyers

No abstract provided.

A Conversation With Danielle Sassoon, Jacob Burns Center For Ethics In The Practice Of Law, Cardozo Criminal Law Society, American Constitution Society (Acs), Danielle Sassoon, Jessica A. Roth

2025 Event Invitations

Danielle Sassoon is currently a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Prior to her appointment as Interim U.S. Attorney in January 2025 by President Trump, Ms. Sassoon served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York for over eight years. Among her notable cases as an Assistant U.S. Attorney were the prosecution of Lawrence Ray for racketeering conspiracy, extortion, forced labor, and sex trafficking, related to his abuse and exploitation of his daughter’s college roommates and others. She also investigated and prosecuted Samuel Bankman-Fried and others for the multi-billion-dollar fraud on customers of FTX.com. In …

Responsible Ai: Applications And Ethical Considerations, Emuesiri Oduaran, Skye Ese Oduaran

Communications of the IIMA

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms industries and societies, its applications present both immense opportunities and significant ethical challenges. This paper explores the concept of Responsible AI, emphasizing the importance of integrating ethical considerations into AI development and deployment. It examines a range of AI applications, from healthcare and finance to autonomous systems, highlighting their potential to drive innovation while also raising concerns about bias, privacy, accountability, and job displacement. The paper evaluates the ethical principles that should guide AI design, including transparency, fairness, privacy protection, and human oversight. Furthermore, it critically analyzes the current landscape of AI governance, identifying …

Ai In Law Libraries: Discussing Ethical Considerations And A Way Forward, Joshua Levine

Library Staff Articles

This review examines the AALL 2025 program “AI in Law Libraries: Discussing Ethical Considerations and a Way Forward,” focusing on the ethical challenges artificial intelligence presents for law librarians and legal professionals. The author highlights discussions on the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, responsible and transparent use of AI, risks such as hallucinations and bias, and broader concerns including environmental impact and the future of human labor. The review emphasizes that the program raised important questions rather than definitive solutions, underscoring the need for ongoing, profession-wide dialogue as AI continues to evolve.

The Role Of "Light Plagiarism" In Legal Writing , From A Recent Practitioner's Perspective, Donna L. Eng

UF Law Faculty Publications

Because practitioners are pressured to complete their tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible, lawyers regularly use documents previously drafted by other lawyers as a starting point for their drafting. Law students may be surprised to learn that in the modern practice of law, plagiarism is so widely accepted and encouraged. This article proposes several reasons why Legal Writing Professors should consider addressing that fact by discussing the process by which many lawyers draft documents in the real-world practice of law today.

First, the rules against plagiarism do not relate to the real-world practice of law. Unlike law students, who …

Laboratories Of Judicial Ethics: A Comparative Analysis Of Judicial Conduct Commissions In Tennessee, Rhode Island, And North Carolina, And Their Implications For Regulating The U.S. Supreme Court, Johnny Galloway

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

It is hardly necessary to recite the recent ethics controversies that have embroiled the Supreme Court. In the last several years, several revelations have rocked the Supreme Court and led members of Congress, President Joe Biden, and the public to question the Court’s ethical standards and impartiality. Whether the Court’s partiality and imprudence are real or perceived, recent developments like these have spurred calls for a binding code of ethics to be either adopted voluntarily by the Court or imposed involuntarily by congressional action. Given the fierce debate over ethics regulation of the U.S. Supreme Court, it is noteworthy that …

Legal Insurance And Its Limits, Nora Freeman Engstrom

Michigan Law Review

Courts are buckling under the weight of a staggering access-to-justice crisis. In three-quarters of cases, at least one side lacks a lawyer, default judgments are on the rise, and most Americans with valid claims never take legal action. The situation is dire, and it understandably has policymakers casting about for a fix. On the menu are a range of uncontroversial reform ideas, such as expanding legal aid, supporting system simplification, and promoting pro bono. But it is increasingly clear that those measures—even if accomplished—would not make a dent in the problem. Attention is thus turning to other reform ideas, such …

How The Billable Hour Can Survive Generative Ai, Jonah Perlin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The legal profession is rapidly adopting generative AI technology. With this shift has come an increasingly common assumption that generative AI will significantly reduce or even bring an end to hourly billing. The logic underlying this conclusion seems intuitive: if AI reduces the time lawyers spend on certain tasks while eliminating others altogether, then the total number of billable hours will fall. That decline, in turn, could threaten the financial viability of hourly billing, despite its place as the dominant law firm compensation model over the past half century.

This Article challenges this assumption. It argues instead that the billable …

Dual-Purpose Communications And The Modern Attorney's Need For Circuit Court Uniformity, Kipp Garrett

St. John's Law Review

(Excerpt)

In January 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in In re Grand Jury regarding the proper and applicable test to determine whether attorney-client privilege can be invoked in dual-purpose communications between a business and its legal counsel. Attorneys across the country were hoping the Court would provide an answer, ending the three-way circuit split concerning the appropriate test. Unfortunately, the Court ultimately dismissed certiorari as “improvidently granted” without an explanation. As a result, there are three major tests that federal courts use to decide whether communications between businesses and their legal counsel are protected: …

The Ethics Of Industry-Funded Speakers’ Bureaus—How They Disseminate Innovation And Could Corrupt Medicine, Jennifer E. Miller, Christopher Robertson

Faculty Scholarship

It is often said that a business without marketing is dead. But when a medical product is marketed irresponsibly, it is patients who may pay with their lives. In this context, Wieberdink et al¹ examine participation in industry-sponsored speakers’ bureaus by academic clinical faculty, conceptualizing the practice as a form of conflicted and irresponsible pharmaceutical marketing. Reviewing 129 US allopathic medical school conflict-of-interest (COI) policies, they found that less than 40% prohibit industry speakers’ bureau participation outright, while 19% impose conditional restrictions, such as requiring that faculty retain control over presentation content. Wieberdink et al¹ advocate for a …

Presentation Of The Jacob Burns Center Award For Professional Courage To: Liv Oyer, Jacob Burns Center For Ethics In The Practice Of Law, Jessica A. Roth, Liz Oyer

2025–2026 Flyers

Ms. Oyer will be joined in conversation with Professor Jessica Roth, Co-Director of the Jacob Burns Center for Ethics in the practice of Law.

Barbarians At The Gate Or Angels At The Crossroads? Examining The Impact Of The Uk Green Taxonomy On Private Equity Firms, Melek Redzheb, Fatjon Kaja

Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law

This Article explores whether the UK Green Taxonomy will foster sustainable corporate governance in private equity-backed portfolio companies. We explore how the Taxonomy will address the greenwashing problem that plagues financial markets, including the private equity industry. Our analysis suggests that general partners will have a twofold response to the new reforms. In the short term, they will seek to address the social concerns of limited partners by negatively screening unsustainable companies and cherry-picking more sustainable ones (the so-called “exit” strategy). In the long term, however, they will adopt a dynamic strategy to transform unsustainable targets into sustainable enterprises on …