MJIL

Volume 32 - Issue 2

The New International Agreement to Address Biodiversity Loss

Maria Pfister What is the agreement? Last month, over 190 countries signed a new agreement to protect global biodiversity.[1] The agreement, titled the “Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,” was the end result of a nearly two-week conference, the 15th United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (“COP15”), held in Montreal and co-hosted by Canada and…

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A Few More Steps in the Right Direction?: COP15 and the Fight for Biodiversity

Harrison LeFrois After widespread coverage of the 27th United Nations’ (“UN”) Climate Conference of the Parties (“COP27”) held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in November, 2022,[1] there is more hopeful environmental news to share. The 15th UN Biodiversity Conference (“COP15”) was held in Montreal, Canada from December 7 through December 19, 2022.[2] The Biodiversity Conferences were…

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The Consequences and Future of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Failed “China Initiative”

Connor Smith In  February 2022, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) ended the “China Initiative,”  an effort launched in November 2018 by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to identify and prosecute Chinese spies who had purportedly infiltrated American research institutions—both public and private.[1] The China Initiative sought to combat industrial espionage and theft of intellectual property, though…

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Prison Law Libraries, or Paralegal Prison Officers? Why Not Both: Using Ghana as a Model for U.S. Correctional Officer Education Reform

Jasmin Hernandez Du Bois Despite holding less than five percent of the world’s population, the United States has nearly twenty-five percent of the world’s total prison population.[1] Using Ghana’s paralegal training program as a guidepost, this article seeks to encourage the United States to take a progressive approach to prison reform, including the implementation of…

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No Way Out: How COVID-19 Restrictions Force Extra Burdens on North Koreans

Jay Kim Soon after the COVID-19 outbreak, the world was under lockdown, but in 2022, the frontline and borderline areas of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (“North Korea”) remain closed.[1] Moreover, the North Korean government continues to enforce the “shoot to kill” order.[2] Under this order, people are shot unconditionally for entering into the…

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The CHIPS and Science Act is Unlikely to “Chip Away” at Taiwan’s Position in the Semiconductor Industry Any Time Soon.

By Grant Newman In September, President Biden reiterated he would send U.S. forces to Taiwan if there was an unprecedented attack, calling into question the United States’ “strategic ambiguity” policy after Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was met with a display of Chinese military exercises. [1] Fear of a potential clash between the world’s two…

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The Presumption Against Extraterritoriality: United States v. Bowman and the Importance of Nationality

By Matti Mortimore Courts apply a presumption against extraterritoriality when assessing the geographic scope of federal statutes. Unless Congress has clearly indicated a statute regulates conduct abroad, courts will assume it applies only within the United States. The Supreme Court has vigorously enforced the presumption over the last three decades,[1] stating that it should apply…

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