Our Online Journal features original pieces written and edited by our Online staff at Columbia. They are not representative of any views held by the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review Editorial Board.
A major reappraisal of the U.S.-China trade relationship may have begun in the supplements aisle of your local health food store. The U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Animal Science Products Inc. v. Hebei Welcome Pharmaceutical Co. 138 S. Ct. 1865 (2018) settled an international dispute spanning more than a decade over the sale of vitamin C supplements and the procedures for interpreting foreign law in U.S. federal courts.
Read MoreAfter surviving 15 years of unrelenting domestic violence, rape, and psychological violence at the hands of her husband, a Salvadoran woman known by her initials as Ms. A.B. managed to escape to a town a few hours away from their home, only to be found and brutalized again. She attempted to seek a divorce and protection from the police but instead received armed death threats from her husband and his connections with the authorities.
Read MoreMenstrual equity, a term coined in the mid-twentieth century by feminist activists, has gained traction in mainstream media with the rise of intersectional dialogue and women’s empowerment. Contemporary feminists have taken this initiative a step further, and have recently begun the zealous advocacy for menstrual equity in the wake of the infamous ‘tampon tax’ - a tax levied on feminine hygiene products due to the fact that they do not meet the “basic necessity” tax exemption.
Read MoreThere are an estimated 21 million victims of forced labor globally, generating an approximated 150 billion dollars in illegal profits each year, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). [1] The criminal practice’s astounding profit-generation is largely attributed to its ability to be conveniently hidden within the long and murky supply chains of major corporations: in that Nike sneaker, morning Starbucks coffee, or H&M sweater that was just such a deal. [2]
Read MoreOn February 14, 2019, thirteen LGBTQ couples filed coordinated lawsuits in district courts in Japan in an attempt to legalize same-sex marriage. [1] At the time of these lawsuits, Japan had not recognized same-sex marriage or civil unions. As Asian countries begin discussing protection of LGBTQ rights, the legal basis of denying same-sex marriage has come under scrutiny. While the government has interpreted the Japanese Constitution as allowing marriage only between a man and a woman, the text itself and the intent of the text contains no such specifications.
Read MoreIn recent months, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal has captured the nation’s attention, as it presents the first comprehensive legislative effort to combat global warming. However, in the discussion of the government’s responsibility to mitigate the effects of climate change, a certain case has been lost in the noise. Juliana v. United States is a class action lawsuit in which twenty-one plaintiffs (all undergraduates at various colleges and universities across the country) are suing United States executive agencies, including the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency, for a violation of their constitutional rights.
Read MoreWhile most recent advancements in copyright law focus on mainstream technological or media-based infringements, intellectual property scholars were dealt a landmark decision in a more unconventional facet of the law: fashion. Star Athletica, LLC v. Varsity Brands, Inc (2017) [1], decided after 8 months of deliberation in the U.S. Supreme Court, examined a lawsuit brought forth by Varsity Brands when Star Athletica began to produce cheerleading uniforms with chevrons, zigzags, and other aesthetic elements similar in design to those produced by Varsity Brands, but at a far lower price [2].
Read MoreIn June 2013, Ipek Irgit debuted her bikini line Kiini. Fun and flirty, the crocheted, triangle bikini soon became all the rage among Instagram models and stylists. By 2014, the swimsuit was featured in Vogue.com, Women’s Health Magazine, and even named “the hottest bikini this summer” by People magazine. [1] While the designer’s business was booming, she was also facing significant obstacles. Irgit’s biggest hurdle? The hundreds of counterfeit Kiinis that swarmed the Internet and were creating profit for others off of her work.
Read MoreAs the push from both the public and private sectors to invest in renewable energy has intensified in recent years, new methods of energy production continue to emerge in the market. In the United States, a combination of hydropower, biofuels, and wind power produce most of the country’s clean energy. [1] Since renewable energy has only recently become a priority in the energy market, new and innovative technologies continue to be implemented, transforming the legal landscape along with them.
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