Volume 32, Issue 1 (Fall 2024)
Prefatory Matter
Front Matter and Table of Contents
Article
The Evolution of Immigration Policy and Law Within the Democratic Party: A Comparative Analysis of Immigration Law and Policy Between The Obama and Biden Administrations
Armando A. Olmedo Arias, Televisa Univision, Inc.
Notes
Power and Finesse: How the United States’ and Australia’s Women’s National Soccer Teams Score for Equal Pay
Arianna Amato
Over the last fifty years, women’s soccer has emerged as a segment of the sport attracting an audience of all ages, genders, and national origins. Despite its relatively young but dense history, the sport’s following is fun, passionate, and inspiring to both die-hard fans and casual viewers alike. However, with its explosion in popularity comes a corresponding rise in life-altering issues requiring legal solutions. Behind the scenes, these female athletes come together not only over their love of the beautiful game but in confronting similar challenges regarding their employment agreements, which are governed by domestic and international labor law, as federations have historically been reluctant to righteously compensate to their female players equally to their male players. The most recent World Cup in the summer of 2023 once again brought these issues to the forefront of international news, with particular focus on pre-tournament favorites the United States Women’s National Team and the co-host Australian Women’s National Team, commonly known as The Matildas. Demands from these teams and others around the world for equal pay have only become louder and louder, though, prompting them to utilize domestic and international labor law to effectuate worthwhile change in the form of equal pay between women’s and men’s national soccer team players. The USWNT and The Matildas utilized different methods to achieve this worthwhile change, though, with each method bearing a myriad of advantages and disadvantages. While this note opines that The Matildas’ approach bettered the USWNT approach in their own respective contexts, both teams ultimately attained equal pay for their players.
This note will begin by briefly exploring both the history of women’s soccer both globally and in the United States and Australia. Then, it will examine labor law in their respective countries and their application to each team’s choice of bargaining strategy to obtain equal pay. This examination will include the backdrop against which the campaign for equal pay began and the measures each team and its players took as a part of that campaign. A comparison of each team’s strategy will follow. Next, the note will investigate these strategies to determine how well the teams and other contributors, like the general public, accomplished their goals and how they can impact other teams around the world. Specifically, the effects will be assessed through weighing the long-awaited result of equal pay for women and men with the economic and social costs accumulated for the teams and their players along the way. A synthesis will conclude the note about how the team, their federations, and international governing bodies may be able to play a significant role in shaping the future of women’s soccer.
This Note considers and compares rules and regulations Switzerland and the United States have placed on the trade and importation of gold. It explores the history of the gold trade which has led to its modern use and the negative implications that gold refining in Switzerland has on countries where gold may be illegally mined. Although some rules are in place in these gold mining countries, regulations upon the acceptance of gold may have an even greater impact on the gold supply chain and the human rights issues it affects. The United States and Swiss governments currently have some restrictions on gold importation, but this Note will look at the strength of these regulations and how they can or should be improved. Along with this, the Note will analyze the impact nongovernmental organizations have on the gold supply chain and if their oversight has a strong enough impact that reaches back to the first step of gold mining or if the governments are the actors that need to intervene the most.
This note explores the intricate interplay between cultural heritage preservation and copyright protection, focusing on the distinctive case of Eastern European folk music. It delves into the historical and cultural significance of Eastern European folk music traditions, the challenges posed to their preservation, and the copyright protection mechanisms in place across the region. In parallel, the paper provides an in-depth analysis of copyright protection in the United States, highlighting its implications for folk music.
The comparative analysis showcases the unique approaches of Eastern European nations and the United States in safeguarding their respective folk music heritages. By examining key case studies, this study uncovers the successes, limitations, and practical implications of the copyright protection strategies employed in both regions.
Furthermore, the note examines the role of international copyright agreements in shaping heritage preservation and explores the effects of copyright protection on cultural exchange and globalization. Through a thorough examination of the legal frameworks, case studies, and current challenges, this student note aims to provide valuable insights into the complex relationship between copyright and cultural heritage preservation, offering recommendations for the future direction of these efforts.
