Inequality Inquiry

Shorter Form Content from the Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality


Delaying Justice: How Jurisdictional Gaps Fuel the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis in the United States

October 21, 2024

By: Alejandra Arboleda, Volume 43 Staff Member View/Download PDF Version: Delaying Justice – How Jurisdictional Gaps Fuel the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis in the United States (Arboleda)   Hand-in-hand, thirty-eight Dakota men began to harmonize, calling out each other’s names to ensure no one was missing.[1] Four thousand spectators gathered to witness a…

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“Mind Your Own Damn Business”: Why Governor Walz Is Right that The Right to Control Your Body Should Not Be Based on Geography

October 19, 2024

By: Claire Cavanagh View/Download PDF Version: _Mind Your Own Damn Business_ – Why Governor Walz Is Right that The Right to Control Your Body Should Not Be Based on Geography (Cavanagh)   Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz (Walz), has been selected as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. Throughout the campaign, especially during the vice presidential…

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The Case for a “Good Faith Bargaining” Requirement in Minnesota’s New Tenant Association Law

October 18, 2024

By: Wyatt Lutenbacher, Volume 43 Lead Symposium Editor View/Download PDF Version: The Case for a _Good Faith Bargaining_ Requirement in MN’s New Tenant Association Law (Lutenbacher)   “It’s not ‘When we fight, we win,’ but ‘If we don’t fight, we lose.’”[1] Introduction In August 2020, a group of tenants gathered outside the office of Havenbrook…

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Opt-out Privacy Policy Worsens Algorithmic Price Discrimination: The Case of the American Privacy Rights Act

June 1, 2024

By: Cole Edick*   In a data-driven world, data governance has serious implications for social inequality—from civil rights to consumer protection.[1] But the current approach to data governance in the United States may overemphasize individual privacy choice at the cost of collective approaches to inequality that better mitigate the harms inherent in the datafication of…

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The Tragic Fallout of Opioid Regulations on Individuals with Chronic Pain

May 6, 2024

By: Remy Bell* “Ms. Steinberg, I hate to make you get up off your cot,” Senator Johnny Isakson said sympathetically.[1] Ms. Steinberg—adding some levity to the severity of her condition, which required her to lay down until it was her turn to testify—chuckled and replied, “That’s okay: I’m used to going back and forth.”[2] During…

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Will Solitary Confinement’s Visibility in the Public Consciousness Lead to Real Change?

April 29, 2024

By: Zinaida Carroll* On March 15, 2024, Charles Leo Daniel was found dead by suicide in his solitary confinement cell at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington.[1] Mr. Daniel had been held in solitary confinement for almost four years according to federal data––the second-longest sentence of solitary confinement in immigration detention.[2] The public…

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Redefining De Facto: Cruz-Guzman and the Future of Racial Segregation in Minnesota Public Schools

April 17, 2024

By: Fariza Hassan*
As Cruz-Guzman makes its way back into the legal sphere with this new lens, it is important for Minnesota courts to take into consideration the historical trends and impacts of state-imposed desegregation. Minnesota has a powerful opportunity to rectify a long history of racial discrimination faced by young Black and brown children within the realm of public education, but the question of who will truly reap these benefits and how exactly such benefits ought to be derived is one that requires great care and diligence by the state. 

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Tick-Tock TikTok: Time’s Up on Online Free Speech?

April 16, 2024

By: Anonymous In this day and age where the internet is in wide proliferation, most Americans receive their news from their smartphones, with a large percentage of people receiving their news from social media.[1] The days of opening a newspaper for the daily news are gone, in favor of swipes, reposts, and shares. One of…

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Can Kayden’s Law Erase the Legal Fiction of Parental Alienation?

By: Sydney Koehler Debunking “parental alienation” “Parental alienation syndrome” may sound like a medical diagnosis, but it is decidedly not—at least, not according to the scientific community.[1] Dr. Richard Gardner’s theory of “parental alienation” has been discredited by medical experts and human rights advocates as an empirically unfounded “pseudo-concept” that reifies negative stereotypes about victims…

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The Texas Two Step: Double Standards of Bankruptcy Code Abuse

April 12, 2024

By: Jacqueline Brant* The Texas Two Step: Double Standards of Bankruptcy Code Abuse   For decades, there has been a stigma attached to individuals seeking to discharge their debt through filing bankruptcy. The purpose of bankruptcy is to “give a ‘fresh start’ to honest but unfortunate debtors by providing them with an opportunity to reorganize…

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An Ongoing Struggle: Police Brutality and Native Americans

April 3, 2024

By: William Rauschenberg Per capita, Native Americans are among the most common victims of police violence of any minority group in the United States.[1] Depending on the year and statistics used, Indigenous Americans are either the most at risk or second behind Black Americans.[2] This is a striking figure that, like many Indian issues, is…

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Consumer Protection from Carbon Neutrality Claims Based in Carbon Offsetting

April 1, 2024

By: Lizzy Miller*

In recent years, the discourse surrounding carbon offsets has gained significant traction as companies strive to advertise their commitment to environmental sustainability. The growing popularity of carbon offset initiatives has also brought forth concerns about “greenwashing,” or misrepresentation of a company’s sustainability or environmentally friendly policies.

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Seneca Re-Ad Industries Reinforces Why Congress Should Eliminate 14(c) Certificates

March 29, 2024

Seneca Re-Ad Industries Reinforces Why Congress Should Eliminate 14(c) Certificates By: Matthew Schmitz* Early this year the District Court for the Northern District of Ohio reviewed the application of a key component of American minimum wage law: Section 14(c) certificates.[1] The case, brought by workers with disabilities and appealed by their employer, seems to represent…

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Educational Integrity in Corporate Childcare: Addressing Poor Regulatory Oversight through Head Start’s Compliance Model

March 20, 2024

Educational Integrity in Corporate Childcare: Addressing Poor Regulatory Oversight through Head Start’s Compliance Model By: Anthony Alas $60.4 billion. That’s the annual revenue from childcare in the private sector.[1] Children have become piles of profit for corporations, and the American family demands its dividends. As long as childcare remains in corporate hands,[2] childcare corporations must…

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New Legislation Seeks to End Marriage Penalty for Supplemental Security Income

March 11, 2024

By: Skylar Mayhew* Every month, people with disabilities are eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI).[1] SSI is a disability program funded and administered through the Social Security Administration.[2] The amount that a person with a disability receives each month can be lowered depending on several factors.[3] One factor that troubles advocates is the substantial…

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