MJIL Blog

  Lexi Shields, University of Minnesota Law School   Shakira, the Colombian pop star known for iconic Latin hits such as “Whenever, Wherever” and “Hips Don’t Lie,” finds herself in the public eye for more than just her music career—for several years, she has been in a legal battle involving allegations of tax evasion.[1] The […]

Rachel Pederson, University of Minnesota Law School   The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) implemented a policy allowing students-athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness, but international students-athletes are subject to visa regulations restricting them from doing so. In June 2021, the Supreme Court upheld a Ninth Circuit injunction against rules promulgated

James Kile The open ocean has long been a chess board in the struggle for nations to gain and maintain influence.[1] From piracy, war, and trade, the world’s oceans have often been a battleground of international political strategy.[2] The dark side of the ocean shipping ecosystem is one of many recent challenges faced by Western

Eric Quintana-Snyder As reproductive technology has improved in the past decade, the popularity of surrogacy has soared, becoming an increasingly popular option for LGBTQ+ couples who wish to have children. Many individuals and couples therefore have turned to international surrogacy arrangements to fulfill their dreams of parenthood. In fact, the industry is expected to grow

Sierra Paulsen On March 21st, Uganda passed sweeping legislation to further criminalize the LGBTQ community.[1] In a near unanimous 387 to 2 vote, Uganda’s Parliament approved the bill, which outlaws identifying as LGBTQ and bans “promoting and abetting homosexuality” and “conspiracy to engage in homosexuality.”[2] While Uganda is no stranger to homophobic rhetoric and already

Anastasiya Kadukov Whether it’s the algorithms of TikTok or the AI of ChatGPT, technology is becoming more sophisticated every day. The world is changing, and emerging technology is surpassing society’s expectations. These platforms are transforming our relationship with the Internet and one another. Through these everchanging accelerated times comes a lot of fear and lack

AnnaLisa Hamann Following months of negotiations surrounding the Compact of Free Association (COFA) renewal,[1] the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on January 12, 2023.[2] According to the U.S., the new MOU “confirms the shared desire to strengthen the special partnership between our nations.”[3] The

Thorin Wenner On March 23, there were chaotic scenes in Paris as police clashed with anarchists and other protesters in the French capital.[1] This was the ninth successive day of protesting, and they were not just limited to Paris; train and air travel across the country were disrupted by protests.[2] The intensity of the government

Laura Phillipp Tucker Did Lord Elgin know he was creating a centuries-long strife when he took The Parthenon Marbles—a collection of Ancient Greek sculptures—from the Parthenon in Athens to London in 1799?[1] The marble statues currently housed in the British Museum are from the 5th Century B.C. and were part of a “frieze that ran

Suzanne Mead A small island country off of the coast of India, Sri Lanka rarely makes U.S. headlines.[1] Yet, a majority of people in the U.S. agree that democracy is the best system of government and with democracy comes elections of a country’s leaders.[2] The country of Sri Lanka has a parliamentarian system that includes