By: Daisy Geng Who actually “owns” the Moon, asteroids, or even a plot on Mars? The idea of claiming space territory may sound like science fiction, but it’s becoming a very real challenge in international law. Today, the private sector is leading the charge, with companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin,…

Vol. 34 Staff Member, Minnesota Journal of International Law The 2024 arrest of the current leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, along with one of the Juaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s sons has undeniably stirred up a hornet’s nest in northwestern Mexico. El Chapo, the former head of…

Stephanie Buersmeyer Background Gymnastics is one of the marquee events of the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, in Paris, the meet ended in controversy as the final event, the Women’s Floor Exercise Final, has been embroiled in legal disputes over the bronze medal. Jordan Chiles of USA Gymnastics (‘USAG’) competed last and,…

Mlada Simper Theft, forgery, and money laundering – the art market has a surprising dark side. Debate rages on about how prevalent or profitable the underground art market truly is, but the Organized Crime Group of the UK Metropolitan Police and Interpol estimate that the art black market generates at…

Alec Casey The presence of mercenaries in modern conflicts has garnered media attention. From Blackwater in Iraq to the Wagner Group in Ukraine, mercenaries have become a ubiquitous presence in 21st century conflicts.[1] This raises important questions—What does international law have to say about mercenaries? Have state actors and other…

Noah Richardson In 1927, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, wrote the opinion in Buck v. Bell that upheld Virginia’s forced sterilization law.[1] The statute, one of several that had been passed in states across the country, was part of a larger movement aimed…