On April 25, 2013, Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) introduced the Phoenix Law Review Victim's Rights Issue Volume 5 during a Congressional hearing on the proposed National Victims' Bill of Rights.  You can view the special edition on HeinOnline.

The Phoenix Law Review members worked on this special edition of the journal related to the new proposed national Victim's Rights Amendment.  The law review board also traveled to Washington last April to attend the first of many hearings on the bill.

Phoenix School of Law's Adjunct Professor Steve Twist worked with the Law Review group on the special edition and arranged for them to meet the Arizona delegation to Congress.

View the hearing here.

(Still of the April 25, 2013 Hearing)

The case is U.S. V. Windsor.  Do you know the facts?  Read the parties' briefs on WestlawNext.

Brief for Plaintiff-Appellee

Brief for Defendant-Appellant

Also, see many other Amicus Curiae briefs and the Petition for Writ of Certiorari. 

Once logged in to WestlawNext, select "Briefs" from the "All Content" tab on the homepage.

Type the search string "US v. Windsor & DOMA."

How do you think the case will be decided?  What was the legislative intent?

Will they actually reach a decision on the merits - under Equal Protections, 10th Amendment state police power, dismissed for lack of standing?

morguefile.com

Constitutional?  Argue among yourselves.

See the proposed bill that will require high school students to take an oath to receive their diploma.  It is available at the Arizona State Legislature website.  Click the link below:

http://www.azleg.gov//FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/51leg/1r/bills/hb2467p.htm&Session_ID=110 

The politicians introducing the bill are Representatives Thorpe, Borrelli, Seel, Shope, Smith: Dial, Livingston, Senator Crandell.

morguefile.com

Lance Armstrong’s wealth is estimated to be $100 million but after his confession in Oprah’s interview that will probably need to be recalculated. Read more about the real and potential lawsuits involving Armstrong in this NPR article.

Interested in learning more about Lance Armstrong’s legal woes and his career?  Take a look at ProQuest eLibrary for news articles, transcripts, and pictures. Don’t forget that WestlawNext and Lexis  also have legal and general news files.  Or, for assistance finding other authoritative news sources stop by the Legal Research Help Desk.

Image Source (morguefile.com)

Cats substantially impact interstate commerce according to a recent 13 page opinion by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling discussed by the ABA Journal. The court ruled that the cats living at author Ernest Hemingway's museum/home are subject to federal regulation.  In Constitutional Law, law students learn that the Commerce Clause regulates instruments, channels, and things (including cats?) that substantially impact commerce.  The cats are the offspring of the author's famous six-toed cat, Snowball.  Judge Dubina, writing for the majority, reasoned that the presence of the cats draws people to the museum as an exhibition.  Thus, they are an important part of the museum's commercial activity and therefore subject to regulation by Congress.

If you are interested in learning more about constitutional law, take a look in the library catalog.  Or, stop by the Legal Research Help Desk for assistance with formulating a research strategy. 

Meow!

-Kristin