JURIST Guest Columnist Robert A. Sedler of Wayne State University Law School discusses the validity of censoring disparaging trademarks… The Constitution changes everything. When the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) refused to register as a trademark the name of an Asian-American rock band, The Slants , on the ground that the name “disparages and [...]

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases Tuesday. In Duncan v. Owens the court heard arguments to determine whether habeas relief can be given without precedent that the inference of motive at trial violates the defendant’s right to due process. The case arose when Lawrence Owens, who was convicted of first-degree murder [...]

The US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in Bruce v. Samuels that the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) requires prisoners to pay filing fees on a per-case, not a per-prison basis. The particular question in the case was when a prisoner has more than one case or appeal pending, does the PLRA cap the prisoner’s filing [...]

UN human rights experts called Monday for a review of the UK’s draft Investigatory Powers bill . They fear that the present draft of the bill could threaten freedom of expression and association. The bill is intended to govern how UK authorities monitor suspects under surveillance. In a report to the Joint Committee on the [...]

The Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court granted the two largest daily fantasy websites a stay on Monday allowing them to continue to operate within the state during their appeal. The appeal comes in a challenge from New York’s attorney general Eric Schneiderman, who claims that FanDuel and DraftKings are illegal gambling [...]

Human rights experts from the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) joined in sending an open letter Monday urging the US government to shut down the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay on its fourteenth anniversary. The letter mentioned the recent steps by the Obama administration to close the facility, but noted that [...]

UNICEF said Tuesday that approximately 24 million children living in crisis zones are out of school, further threatening the future of their societies. Nearly one in four children between the ages of six and 15 in conflict are out of school. South Sudan has the largest number with 51 percent of children out of school, [...]

A Swedish prosecutor on Tuesday announced a preliminary investigation into Volkswagen regarding the emissions test cheating scandal that has affected millions. Sweden’s National Anti-Corruption Unit has said it is focused on claims of serious fraud and the keeping of false records. A spokesperson from Volkswagen said the company invited the investigation and denied the involvement [...]

The US House of Representatives approved legislation Monday that would expand rights of unpaid interns in the federal government. Currently, unpaid interns are not classified as employees, leaving them unprotected from discrimination under the Civil Rights Act . This bill only involves unpaid interns in the federal government, with two other proposed bills focusing on [...]

Saudi Guantanamo detainee Muhammed Abd Al Rahman Awn Al-Shamrani has been repatriated to his home country, the US Department of Defense (DOD) announced Monday. The Periodic Review Board (PRD) determined in September that “continued law of war detention of Al-Shamrani does not remain necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the security of [...]