L. Pembroke – Fall 2023

You’ve Got You Major Questions Mixed Up with My Traditional Judicial Decisionmaking! Or How the Court Learned to Prevent Loan Forgiveness and Further Handcuff the Administrative State Liam Pembroke When the Supreme Court held that the Secretary of Education did not have congressionally delegated authority to forgive individuals up to $20,000 of student debt from… Continue reading L. Pembroke – Fall 2023

Hill – Fall 2023

Can the FTC Help Lower Rents? Brian Hill INTRODUCTION In recent years, with every credit card tap or “buy now click,” rising prices have beleaguered consumers’ bank accounts during a time of high inflation[1] and low consumer satisfaction[2].  In the past year alone, high rents,[3] expensive airfare,[4] and costly trips to the grocery store[5] have… Continue reading Hill – Fall 2023

Honeycutt – Fall 2023

Incorporating Carbon Offsets into Agencies’ Sustainability Strategies Joseph Honeycutt In December 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14057, directing all federal agencies to adopt emissions reductions goals and measures “in order to achieve a carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050.”[i] While ambitious, the order lacks any… Continue reading Honeycutt – Fall 2023

Lavoile – Fall 2023

The Rise of Greenwashing Litigation against Airlines and the Impact of Conscious Consumerism Giovanni Lavoile Recently, there has been a rise of conscious consumerism, a trend defined by buying practices that are “driven by a commitment to making purchasing decisions that have a positive, social, economic, and environmental impact.”[i] This rise had led to more… Continue reading Lavoile – Fall 2023

Lyon – Fall 2023

Whales, Monkeys, and a River – the Future of Environmental Standing? Nate Lyon A Palila is a small, finch-billed Hawaiian honeycreeper that successfully obtained injunctive relief against the state of Hawaii when it “wing[ed] its way into the federal court as a plaintiff in its own right” in 1988.[i] The Palila IV decision, which seemingly… Continue reading Lyon – Fall 2023

Zhang – Spring 2023

Conscious Consumerism, Class Actions, and Carbon Offsets Rina Zhang A growing segment of environmentally-minded consumers choose to spend their money on brands and products that signal their commitment to sustainability.”[1] However, as more companies label their products with environmental sustainability claims like “green,” and “carbon neutral”, there are increasing concerns that some of these terms… Continue reading Zhang – Spring 2023

Zimbelman – Spring 2023

Extended Producer Responsibility in Ontario: A Model for the U.S.? Wyatt Zimbelman On July1, 2023, municipalities in the Canadian province of Ontario will begin the transition to full producer responsibility for Blue Box (product packaging, paper products, and packaging-like[1] products) recycling.[2] This transition, authorized under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016[3], will move… Continue reading Zimbelman – Spring 2023

Williams – Spring 2023

Transfer of Development Rights in Urban-Rural Settings: A Conservation and Pro-Housing Strategy for Michigan Jessie Williams By “moving” development rights from preserved land parcels to provide density increases elsewhere, transfer of development rights (“TDR”) programs combat urban sprawl and preserve natural and agricultural open space, while incentivizing urban planning best practices such as increased housing… Continue reading Williams – Spring 2023

Shapiro – Spring 2023

Mifepristone & the FDA Post-Dobbs: States Sue & Potential Preemption Sara Shapiro Introduction Last summer, after an unprecedented leak leading to an eruption of nationwide protests,[1] the United States Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade,[2] Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey,[3] and their progeny in its bombshell Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health[4]ruling. Shortly thereafter,… Continue reading Shapiro – Spring 2023

Shalloway – Spring 2023

The Role of Electric Vehicles in Michigan Eric A. Shalloway In the state of Michigan, gas taxes contribute funds to improve roads and infrastructure, but between 2019-2021 it is estimated that there was a $50 million decrease in revenue due to electric vehicle owners not paying the tax.[1] The Michigan County Road Association explained that… Continue reading Shalloway – Spring 2023