Law

“What, like it’s hard?”: The Systemic Barriers to Law School Applications

Upon fictional character Elle Woods’s acceptance to Harvard law, she asks “What, like it’s hard?” Although the girl-boss icon from the 2001 film Legally Blonde is an inspiration for many, the law school application process is far from easy and laden with financial barriers. The admissions process makes it incredibly difficult for low-income students—who are […]

The Case for Abolishing the Death Penalty

This article describes executions, including botched ones.

A Letter to My Brother

Illustration by Emily Rubin (Business Administration 2022) In 1965, African American author James Baldwin took part in a debate at Cambridge University against William F. Buckley, founder of National Review and staunch opponent of the Civil Rights movement. They discussed whether “the American Dream is at the expense of the American Negro.” I often come […]

Thoughts and Prayers

Since the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11, the federal government has expended incredible amounts of time, energy and capital on the image of American protection from foreign terrorism. The nation watched on live television as the Twin Towers caught fire and fell to the ground in New York City, and the Bush administration wasted […]

Competing with Free: Innovative Solutions to Online Piracy

In 2014, the online file-sharing site The Pirate Bay was temporarily shut down — only to be back up within a matter of days.[1] Likewise, Kickass Torrents had its domain seized on the grounds of copyright infringement, only to be back in operation days later.[2] For every file-sharing site that is taken down, another pops […]

The Future of Net Neutrality

“After more than a decade of debate and a record-setting proceeding that attracted nearly 4 million public comments, the time to settle the net neutrality question has arrived.”  (1) Tom Wheeler, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, published an article on Wired.com announcing his proposed plans to settle the net neutrality debate. Net neutrality contends […]

Encryption is Not Terrorism

“Do we want to allow a means of communication between people which we cannot read?” Prime Minister David Cameron asked the press, attempting to propose a ban on services which offer “end-to-end” encrypted messaging.[1]   Simply put, encryption is the technology used to protect data. When users wish to protect their data— passwords, bank account […]

4 Years of Citizens United: The Damage and Its Solution

January 2014 marked the 4th anniversary of the highly controversial Citizens United v. Federal Electoral Committee verdict, in which the Supreme Court granted corporations and unions complete first amendment rights. The Court ruled that these entities are allowed to spend unlimited amounts of money on political advocacy as long as that money is not given […]

The Bull, the Bear, and the Wolf

  The Wolf of Wall Street, by Martin Scorsese, has just become the veteran director’s top grossing film after more than 40 years behind the camera.[1] The movie stunned audiences and critics alike, with its crude language and hedonistic plot. However, what makes the film so appalling to some members of society is what makes […]

The Democrats’ DIY Government

  Two weeks after his 2014 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama sat down and signed an executive order raising the minimum wage for federal contractors to $10.10 from $7.25.  A month later he signed another executive order expanding overtime pay.  The orders were small steps, but they back up the underlying message […]