School of Law

It’s a response made all too often by politicians in the wake of a mass shooting or violent act of terrorism: Keeping all in “thoughts and prayers.” This week, in the wake of the Dec. 2 shooting incident in San Bernardino, Calif., that sentiment seemed to reached a breaking point and shed light on the wide political and rhetorical chasm dividing the country, said John Inazu, JD, an expert on law and religion at Washington University in St. Louis.

U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced Nov. 23 a record-breaking $160 billion merger with Irish firm Allergan, the biggest merger to date involving the controversial strategy of tax inversion. The move marks the beginning of the end of the ability to stop corporate tax inversions under current tax rules, said Adam Rosenzweig, JD, professor of law and an expert on international tax law at Washington University in St. Louis.

How do we get back to forming meaningful relationships that can move toward common ground, despite our deep ideological differences? The answer lies in a confident pluralism, said John Inazu, an expert on law and religion.

At least two dozen American governors have expressed concern over allowing Syrian refugees to relocate in their states. While state governments often do play a small role in helping to resettle refugees, the governors don’t have much choice in this case, said immigration expert Stephen Legomsky.

The wave of recent student protests on college campuses has revived a long-standing debate about the tension between free speech and policies of diversity and inclusion. That tension is vastly overstated, said free speech expert Greg Magarian.

While much of the Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Program is shrouded in secrecy, a new report sheds some light, said Kathleen Clark, a leading expert on legal ethics.

A Utah juvenile court judge;s decision regarding the foster child of a lesbian couple expose the possible limits of the Supreme Court’s ruling this summer on gay marriage, said Susan Appleton, a national expert in family law.

The trial of former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Hotlzclaw, accused of 36 charges resulting from assaults against several black women while on duty, has begun. Though African Americans make up approximately 16 percent of the population of Oklahoma County, there are no black jurors among the eight men and four women serving. The jury selection process allowed for the controversial makeup, said Peter Joy, JD, a criminal justice expert at Washington University in St. Louis.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is considering adoption of anti-discrimination regulations that would apply to all health care providers and build upon the Affordable Care Act mandate prohibiting discrimination “on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.” These new rules would help reduce disparities in the health care system, said Elizabeth Sepper, JD, associate professor of law.

The Obama Administration announced Nov. 10 it will seek United States Supreme Court review of a ruling blocking President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration. Timing is crucial, says Stephen H. Legomsky, JD, DPhil, an expert on immigration law at Washington University in St. Louis.