New on the UC Law Review Blog, Brookelynn Stone discusses how the “American Dream” of homeownership is increasingly out of reach for many Americans as housing costs surge nationwide. She examines how Idaho’s recent legislation seeks to restore affordability and whether state intervention is necessary when local zoning boards fail to act.
Andrew Pyles discusses the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Olivier v. City of Brandon and argues that the decision will have a disparate effect on municipal governments, their ability to enact local laws, and the number of lawsuits brought against them under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
In this Article, Mofe Koya examines how systemic medical neglect of pregnant women in state jails raises serious Eighth Amendment concerns. She further explains how inadequate medical care and the absence of federal standards that require a minimum level of prenatal care during incarceration have transformed pregnancy in custody into cruel and unusual and therefore unconstitutional punishment.
Jack Frischen examines how climate change escalation could strain existing U.S. environmental law and emergency powers, raising the risk of expanded federal control if meaningful reform is delayed. He argues that strengthening environmental regulation is essential to safeguard democratic governance and prevent crisis-driven overreach.
Katie Bunch examines the legal regulation of short-term rental platforms under municipal zoning law, analyzing how traditional land use classifications, varying ordinance language, and differing judicial interpretations influence the treatment of Airbnb and Vrbo properties. She evaluates how clearer statutory definitions and balancing approaches could reduce ambiguity and improve consistency in zoning enforcement.
Joanna Swaiss discusses how Ohio’s biological evidence retention statute lacks a remedy for criminal defendants when governmental entities violate it. She argues that this lack of remedy severely disadvantages wrongfully convicted individuals who stand to benefit from evidence preservation, and she proposes an avenue for post-conviction relief in cases of intentional evidence destruction.
Nathan Steineker analyzes a public pension fund policy permitting the revocation of a retiree’s benefits based on conduct that may raise concerns under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
Andrew Pyles discusses the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, which forbids local governments from requiring parking around transit stations, focusing on whether states should preempt local land-use laws through sweeping legislation.
Katie Bunch examines how wearable healthcare devices collect sensitive health data that often falls outside of HIPAA protections. She explores potential gaps in federal and state privacy laws and argues for stronger consent requirements, expanded HIPAA coverage, and more uniform protections to ensure consumers’ health information is safeguarded as technology continues to advance.
Josh Smith explores the growing tension between presidential self-promotion and the law governing America’s public lands. Using the Trump Administration’s placement of presidential imagery on national park passes as a case study, this Article analyzes whether politicizing public lands exceeds statutory authority and erodes the constitutional norm of politically neutral governance.
