Blog by: Matthew Pakkala
In this blog, 3L staffer Matthew Pakkala discusses the ongoing crisis facing the Florida manatees. He briefly introduces the main threat—algae blooms—and details the situation unfolding in the Indian River Lagoon. Pakkala advocates for the Florida manatee to be reclassified as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
Blog By: Christian T. Deeter
In his blog, 3L Staffer Christian Deeter argues that the Fifth Circuit should hold the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) constitutional because it does not violate the non-delegation and anti-commandeering doctrines. The amended version of HISA adequately reformed the Authority, making it sufficiently subordinate to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Deeter supports his opinion with an analysis of the Fifth and Sixth Circuit’s recent rulings.
Blog By: Jose Herrera
In this blog, 3L Staffer Jose Herrera examines the extensive consequences of the booming avocado industry in Michoacán, Mexico. Herrera highlights environmental and social concerns that result from deforestation and corruption and advocates for regulatory reforms to address environmental degradation and safeguard community well-being.
Blog By: Sydney LaRue
The cruise ship industry has a history of harming the environment but has recently implemented energy-efficient technology to limit the amount of greenhouse gases and other waste produced by cruise liners. In this blog, 3L Staffer Sydney LaRue argues that these actions are not enough and that increased regulations on cruise ships are the answer to decreasing the harm cruise liners have on the environment.
Blog By: Nathaniel Richey
In this blog, 3L Staffer Nathaniel Richey discusses how the patent system has the potential to hinder innovation in the agricultural industry. Richey argues in favor of a statutory research exemption from infringement of plant utility patents, drawing parallels with the statutory research exemption applicable to pharmaceuticals and medical devices under the Hatch-Waxman Act.
In this post, 3L staffer Ian Young writes about the humpback whale populations threatened by extinction, analyzing how a group comprised of Native Americans and environmental organizations have filed suit against the National Marine Fisheries Service’s response to the EPA’s requirements under the Endangered Species Act.
When religion and law are in conflict, what which takes precedent? This question has plagued nations since the dawn of democracy, but not necessarily the dawn of time, as Dan Murphy explained in his recent article on the topic. Murphy noted that unlike ancient monarchies or dictatorships, most modern democracies vow to separate church and state. This separation of religion and democracy has fostered disagreement and tension between people’s beliefs across a wide variety of topicsissues. One such of those topics issue is animal sacrifice.
Beyond the ongoing moral debate surrounding medical marijuana, Kentucky now faces a major financial crisis that is affecting the state’s pension system. Keeping the state's financial struggles in mind, it is time for Kentucky representatives to put aside their party preference and deliberate about the benefits legalizing medical marijuana will have on the economy.
Biotechnology in the agriculture industry has been around for decades and has been regulated by the federal government since 1986. Agricultural biotechnology is a variety of tools utilized by farmers to manage and optimize production. With decades old biotechnology regulations and new approaches in gene editing (e.g., CRISPR) taking over the scientific community by storm and proving to be a powerful tool for the agriculture industry, the agencies have made multiple attempts to modernize the regulations of biotechnology within the past decade.
In 2016, after years of discussion and debate, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) issued a final rule that would “make it easier for small contract farmers…to sue meat-packing or processing companies that engage in anticompetitive practices." In October 2017, however, the USDA withdrew the rule.
