University of Baltimore Law Review

Cassandra Brumback*

Allyson Felix (Felix) was once one of Nike’s most marketed athletes.  Allyson Felix, Allyson Felix: My Own Nike Pregnancy Story, N.Y. Times (May 22, 2019), https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/opinion/allyson-felix-pregnancy-nike.html.  She holds nine Olympic medals and is the United States’ most decorated female runner of all time.  Id.  However, when Felix told Nike she was pregnant in 2018, Nike proposed a 70% pay reduction.  Id.  This did not sit well with Felix, who fought for a contractual guarantee that she would not be penalized for her pregnancy.  Id.  Nike refused, causing Felix to break from the company and secure a more beneficial contract with the women-focused apparel brand Athleta in July 2019.  Chris Chavez, Allyson Felix Signs Athleta Sponsorship After Nike Dispute for Maternity Policy Change, Sports Illustrated (July 31, 2019), https://www.si.com/olympics/2019/07/31/allyson-felix-athleta-sponsorship-nike-maternity-leave-policy. (more…)

Madison Buchness* 

 In 2014, the Maryland General Assembly decriminalized the possession of less than ten grams of marijuana.  See Robinson v. State, 152 A.3d 661, 673 (Md. 2017).  Possession of less than ten grams of marijuana is now a “civil offense” under Maryland law and results in the issuance of a civil citation and a fine.  Id.  The decriminalization of marijuana in Maryland has brought to light the issue of an illegal search and seizure solely based on the odor of marijuana.  See id.  The Fourth Amendment protects the people’s right against unreasonable searches and seizures.  State v. Johnson, 183 A.3d 119, 128 (Md. 2018).  In 2019, the Maryland Court of Appeals began its opinion with the title of Bob Dylan’s song “The Times They Are a–Changin’[,]” subsequently holding that the mere odor of marijuana is not enough to give police officers probable cause to search and arrest a person.  Pacheco v. State, 214 A.3d 505, 508, 518 (Md. 2019). 

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Jenna McGreevy*

President Donald Trump started a Twitter storm on the morning of Friday, August 23, 2019, that continued into the late evening as a new attempt to address the ongoing trade war with China.  See Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump), Twitter (Aug. 23, 2019, 10:59 AM), https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1164914960046133249.  This series of tweets, a common form of communication used by the current President with the American people, caught the attention of many as it issued a new set of “orders” to all American businesses.  See id.  Specifically, President Trump “hereby ordered [American companies] to immediately start looking for an alternative to China.”  Id. (more…)

Micah Millsaps*

In a landmark decision on August 26, 2019, Judge Balkman of the Cleveland County District Court ruled in favor of the State of Oklahoma in its lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and ordered the company to pay $572 million in damages for its role in the opioid crisis in the state.  Meghan Keneally, Oklahoma Judge Orders Johnson & Johnson to Pay $572M in Opioid Suit, ABC News (Aug. 26, 2019, 5:21 PM), https://abcnews.go.com/US/oklahoma-judge-set-reach-decision-latest-major-opioid/story?id=65193231.  Johnson & Johnson was the first of many pharmaceutical companies to face trial in the nationwide effort to combat the crisis and its lingering effects.  Jan Hoffman, First Opioid Trial Takes Aim at Johnson & Johnson, N.Y. Times (May 26, 2019), https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/26/health/opioid-trial-oklahoma-johnsonandjohnson.html.  Opioid addiction is an ever-growing epidemic, responsible for approximately 400,000 deaths over the past two decades.  Lenny Bernstein & Katie Zezima, Purdue Pharma, State of Oklahoma Reach Settlement in Landmark Opioid Lawsuit, Wash. Post (Mar. 26, 2019, 6:05 PM), https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/purdue-pharma-state-of-oklahoma-reach-settlement-in-landmark-opioid-lawsuit/2019/03/26/69aa5cda-4f11-11e9-a3f7-78b7525a8d5f_story.html.  In light of this epidemic, state and local governments have taken action by initiating lawsuits against those who are accused of being the root of the problem, starting with opioid manufacturers and distributors, and extending to pharmacies carrying opioid drugs. (more…)