With Live Nation Entertainment abusing their monopoly power over the live entertainment market, ILJ staff editor Alex Korcz suggests that the DOJ should focus on the impact of the company's activities on consumers, not just the marketplace.
Read MoreThe United States recently rejoined the UNESCO as a Member State in 2023, after the Trump Administration withdrew from the agency in 2017. Through an analysis of United States' relationships with other Member States, as well as its history of incomings and outgoings within the agency as a method of exacting influence in the international arena, Volume XLVIII staff editor Donyea James argues that the Trump Administration may consider another withdrawal from the agency as a familiar form of strategy.
Read MoreRecent U.S. policy changes, including the Space Act and the Artemis Accords, are reshaping the global approach to space resource rights, empowering private companies to mine and trade lunar resources. While NASA’s Artemis program spearheads these efforts with contracts for lunar mining, international competitors Russia and China are pushing back, challenging the U.S.-led legal framework. Volume XLVIII staff editor Samuel Grossman argues that as the race for lunar dominance accelerates, American unilateral leadership in space law - especially under the incoming Trump administration - will be key to securing strategic footholds and defining the parameters of a lunar economy.
Read MoreSociety’s growing reliance on digital interactions has made innovative digital identity management systems essential, especially as cybercrime incidents and associated costs rise dramatically. For both businesses and individuals, digital identities have become the gateway to vital services, including banking, healthcare, and government resources. In this post, Volume XLVIII staff editor Daniel Goldberg explores how blockchain technology, with its decentralized and secure structure, is emerging as a powerful solution for digital identity management. The piece delves into blockchain’s potential benefits and examines the regulatory challenges it faces, particularly under the European Union’s stringent GDPR standards.
Read MorePresident-elect Donald Trump declared that Robert F. Kennedy will have a substantial role in shaping America’s food policy during Trump’s second administration. Kennedy’s tentative plans to “make America healthy again” include reducing pesticide-intensive agriculture and banning certain food additives. He also signaled that, if given the authority, he would reform the Food and Drug Administration to ensure Americans’ access to safe and healthy food. Kennedy’s proposals have received significant backlash from public health officials and agricultural sector groups who claim that his policies “are not based on science” and could “upend the existing US food system.” Volume XLVIII staff editor Nickolas G. Erickson argues that Kennedy’s proposals closely resemble the EU’s consumer-first approach to food regulation. This post compares the EU’s and US’ regulatory states and explores the scientific backing of Kennedy’s and the EU’s food policies.
Read MoreCyber warfare has emerged as a wildly disruptive tactic and has not been dealt with comprehensively on the international stage. The United Nations is currently finalizing one of the first binding international treaties on the subject. However, the United States is faced with a serious dilemma in deciding whether to support the treaty.
Read MoreChina recently authorized its coast guard to seize foreign ships "that illegally enter China's territorial waters." The boundaries of such waters are unknown as China continues to assert claims over land features in the South China Sea and selectively interprets international law to align with its interests. This blog post analyzes how China's new law may affect the United States' lawful uses of the Sea. Given the growing tensions between the United States and China, the United States may consider entering into agreements with the coastal states of the South China Sea to combat increasing security threats.
Read MoreOnline sports betting's rise to prominence presents novel regulatory issues. The United Kingdom's Department for Culture, Media & Sport has proposed changes to regulation in order to curb modern problems. Volume XLVIII staff editor Jake Brown argues that the United States would equally benefit from those changes, but faces challenges in doing so becuase of state-level regulation. This post suggests that online betting should be regulated on the federal level in the United States so players and operators can benefit from sweeping regulations.
Read MoreBrexit presented unique complications for Northern Ireland, given its place in the United Kingdom and its open border with its EU-member neighbor, the Republic of Ireland. These complications led to the Northern Ireland Protocol which established a customs border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, significantly hindering Northern Ireland’s trade routes. By the end of this year, Northern Ireland’s government is set to vote on acceptance of the Windsor Framework, a trade agreement which would replace the Northern Ireland Protocol and remove the intra-UK customs border. Volume XLVIII staff member Jack Flanagan analyzes how the Windsor Framework alleviates several of the Protocol’s biggest pitfalls – and why the upcoming vote fills a democratic deficit relating to Northern Ireland’s position in the UK.
Read MoreLaos, the most heavily bombed country per capita due to U.S. military actions during the Vietnam War, continues to grapple with the dangerous legacy of unexploded ordnance (UXO). Volume XLVIII staff editor Justin Ferrari argues that the current pace of providing financial aid for UXO clearance is insufficient; instead, the U.S. must adapt its successful domestic cleanup frameworks, like CERCLA and DERP, to address this humanitarian crisis effectively. This post examines how leveraging these legal and financial infrastructures could accelerate remediation efforts in Laos and set a global precedent for post-conflict recovery
Read MoreDespite the declining unionization rates in the US, unions in Europe have flourished. Milo Young argues that this is due to fundamental differences in unionization models. He states that adopting part of Europe's approach to labor relations can go a long way to boost union participation in the US without sacrificing business growth. This post analyzes the differences between the two models of unionization and proposes a path forward.
Read MoreThis past February, the U.S most recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Somalia to build five new military bases in the East African Nation, valued at over $100 million. The U.S. has a long history of providing military aid to Somalia including through the training and advising of the Somali Armed Forces. However, Volume XLVIII staff editor Emily Jones argues that the Congressional authorizations for this type of military spending and direct support are too broad, and will lead the United States into more entanglements in irregular conflicts and potential long-term quagmires.
Read MoreOdious debt refers to illegitimate debts incurred by despotic rulers that can be repudiated by successive governments when the funds are used to benefit the regime rather than the people. However, many scholars view the concept as more theoretical than practical. Volume XLVIII staff editor Jalen Wright explores an ex-ante approach to realizing the principles behind odious debt by proactively identifying illegitimate debt and despotic regimes.
Read MoreThe Taliban established a de facto government in Afghanistan in 2021. Since that time, they have placed significant restrictions on women's rights. ILJ Staffer Alleyah Ally explores these restrictions as crimes against humanity for gender persecution. This post outlines international avenues for accountability, including an ICC investigation and expanding legal avenues for Afghanis fleeing gender-based persecution in the United States.
Read MoreAs Europe's tourism sector soars past pre-pandemic levels, so do the detrimental effects of overtourism, including: unaffordable housing, deterioration of local environments, and rising dissatisfaction and animosity of locals. Volume XLVIII staff editor Panayotis (Baki) Agelarakis explores the legal measures several European countries have imposed to counter overtourism. This post also explores a potential European Union body that would both deter overtourism and incentivize travel to less popular tourist destinations.
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Guyana, a developing country in South America with a population of only 800,000, has stimulated its economy through a massive fossil fuel discovery over the past five years. Through its vast forestation, Guyana also generates revenue by selling carbon credits. This unique interplay between forest preservation and fossil fuel extraction raises concerns over the current international framework surrounding carbon emissions. Volume XLVII staff editor Matthew Haag argues that the International Panel on Climate Change should update their methodology and explores the implications of these changes.
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With global food insecurity rising in a post-pandemic world, staff editor Sarah Fellenbaum compares Swiss and American law to argue that a human rights law approach is crucial in combatting hunger.
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While an individual nuclear weapon may be controllable in isolation, even a relatively controlled nuclear strike may prompt other countries to respond with counter-strikes that themselves violate international law. Many countries, including the United States, take the position that under the doctrine of causation, the decisions of the other country to counter-strike constitute an intervening cause that breaks the chain of causation, absolving them of responsibility for the effects of the subsequent strikes. This blog post examines exceptions to the doctrine of intervening cause that would potentially hold the country behind the initial strike responsible for the effects of the subsequent counter-strikes. Given the risk of escalatory counter-strikes in the context of nuclear weapons, these exceptions raise questions about the durability of the legality of nuclear weapons.
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As multinational corporations (MNCs) at the helm of global supply chains profit extraordinarily, workers further down the chain are exploited and abused. The price of MNCs’ gargantuan market power should be strict liability for workers’ rights abuses along supply chains. This post explores strict liability as a regulatory framework for MNCs engaged in labor rights abuses along global supply chains.
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Like many other countries around the world, Kenya is currently facing a femicide and gender-based violence (GBV) crisis. This crisis is only worsened by a legal system that is slow to act. Though activists and grassroots organizations have called for legislative reform, Volume XLVII staff editor Joy Kemunto argues that legislative reform is not enough. This post explores the laws Kenya currently has in place and the alternative suggestion that the international community play a more involved role in tackling femicide.
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