The Legal Eagle Lowdown
GET THE LOWDOWN!
The Legal Eagle Lowdown is a companion blog for the Foundation’s legal newspaper for kids, The Legal Eagle, which is published FREE three times a year. All articles published in The Legal Eagle, (complete with discussion questions) are also posted to the blog so they may be used as individual handouts.
If you would like a FREE subscription to The Legal Eagle click here. You can also take out a digital-only subscription here. You can check out back issues of the newspaper by opening The Legal Eagle toggle on our Publications Page.
Battles Intensify Over Social Media Bans and Free Speech
by Michael Barbella The framers of the U.S. Constitution could never have imagined social media; however, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does apply to online speech as well as the spoken or written word. Social media companies, however, have First...
Is Corporal Punishment Making a Comeback?
by Daryl E. Lucas Whether you’re for or against the use of corporal punishment in schools, the one thing everyone probably agrees on is that the practice is not easily forgotten if it’s been used on you. In an opinion piece for NBC News’ blog, S.C. Beckner, an...
Garden State Serious About Protecting the Environment
by Maria Wood The National Climate Assessment, a congressionally mandated report, which was released in November 2022, revealed that over the past 50 years America has warmed 68% faster than the planet as a whole. In addition, the report showed that the U.S. has...
U.S. Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Praying Football Coach
by Suzi Morales In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of a football coach employed at a public school to pray on the field after games. The Court’s decision illustrates the complexity of interpreting the five clauses in the U.S. Constitution’s First...
Juvenile Strikes Count in Three Strikes Law
by Maria Wood “Three strikes and you’re out” doesn’t just refer to baseball, it also applies to those who commit serious crimes in the Garden State. New Jersey is one of 28 states that have three strikes laws on the books. Passed in 1995, New Jersey’s Three Strikes...
Right to Remain Silent? Not About Passcodes
by Michael Barbella Increasingly, the nation’s courts need to look to the U.S. Constitution to interpret laws dealing with 21st century technology as digital devices become entrenched in everyday life, as well as in criminal activity. Computers, cellphones, and other...
It’s a Warming World—What Can Be Done?
by Jodi L. Miller There is no question that the Earth is warming. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the warmest seven years on record have all occurred since 2015, with 2016 and 2020 tying for the hottest. According to the National Aeronautics and...
Climate Change Litigation Heats Up as Temperatures Rise
by Michael Barbella The mercury’s gradual climb over the last four decades has not only made the planet hotter overall, it also has triggered an increase in climate change-related lawsuits. The number of such legal actions rose steadily throughout the late 20th and...
Holding Corporations Accountable for Climate Change
by Emily Pecot Everyone can play a part in combatting climate change. Corporations, however, are uniquely positioned to play an even bigger role and are facing pressure to take meaningful and timely action. According to a 2021 report, “Taking Stock: A Global...
Garden State Leads the Way on Climate Change Education
by Suzi Morales When Egg Harbor Township High School science teacher Jim House began teaching environmental science 12 years ago, his class was one that students often took just to get another science credit. Today, teaching about environmental issues has become much...