Get ‘Em While They’re Hot: Thomas Jefferson Law Review’s Newest Edition
September 27, 2011
In case you haven’t noticed, the newest edition of Thomas Jefferson Law Review (TJLR) is now available. This issue is jam packed with exciting content, authored by both professors and students. TJLR can be found on tables around campus, on stands, and in the library. Be sure to pick one up. They are free to students, so don’t hesitate.
A Law Review is primarily composed of Articles and Notes. Generally, Articles are written by professors from universities and law schools across the country and around the world. Articles are generally longer in length, and provide an in depth look and analysis of some legal issue. Notes, on the other hand, are generally written by law students. Typically, TJLR publishes Notes from TJSL students. Notes are usually shorter in length than articles and consist of analysis of an unsettled area of law. Students who publish Notes in TJLR spend close to a year writing and editing. TJLR and some of its student Note authors have even been honored with the Burton Award, which is one of the highest honors granted to published students. In fact, with four Burton Awards, Thomas Jefferson School of Law is tied with Stanford Law School for earning the most
Burton Awards in California.
The new issue of TJLR really grabs your attention with the Lead Article, written by Ronald J. Placone, Ph.D., of Carnegie Mellon University. The Article, entitled “The United States Supreme Court: A Decline in Civility,” discusses whether the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinions involving abortion are becoming more or less civil. The analysis compares the pre-1987 Burger court against the post-1987 Rehnquist court, and uses analysis of variance (MANOVA and ANOVA) and keyword analysis, a type of text analysis developed at Carnegie Mellon University.
Ray L. Ngo, a solo practitioner, authored an Article entitled “The Elephant in the Room: A Critique of California’s Constitutional Amendment Process that Gave Birth to the Baby Elephant (Proposition 8) and A Call for Its Reform.” The Article discusses the voter initiative power in California, its relationship with the very controversial Proposition 8, and the California Supreme Court decision that ruled Proposition 8 was a lawful exercise of the voter initiative process.
Several students from TJSL also authored Notes appearing in the current issue of the TJLR. Bunkosal Chhun ’11, authored a Note entitled “Catcalls: Protected Speech or Fighting Words.” The Note looks at what constitutes a “catcall” and whether they should be considered unprotected speech under the fighting words exception to the First Amendment. Jaime Moss ’12, wrote a Note entitled “Patients at Risk: The Need to Amend The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to Ensure the Safety of Imported Prescription Drugs.” In her Note, she looks at problems associated with the perceived lack of safety regulations for prescription drugs imported into the United States. Noah Wald ’12, wrote a Note entitled “Don’t Circumvent My Dongle! Misinterpretation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Threatens Digital Security Technology.” Noah’s Note criticizes a recent decision by the Fifth Circuit, which Noah contends misinterpreted the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and does not offer enough protection to software developers who use “dongle” technology. His analysis focuses on the negative impacts the court’s decision has had on the music industry. James Wolken ‘12 also added to the scholarship of TJLR with his Note entitled “Valencia’s Reasonable Belief Test: Expanding the Scope of Burglary in California One Window Screen at a Time.” In his Note he criticizes the interpretation of California’s burglary statute by California courts.
The current issue of TJLR will certainly have something of interest to you. Be sure to pick one up today!