Daily Briefs

Juneteenth could become a Michigan court holiday


LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court is considering a statewide court holiday on Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery.

The court said it will accept public comment and hold a hearing in the months ahead.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, two months after the Confederacy had surrendered. It was about 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in Southern states.

Congress and President Joe Biden created a federal holiday  this year.

The Supreme Court said it's willing to consider dropping another court holiday, such as Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve, to make room for Juneteenth or simply add Juneteenth to the roster.

Justice David Viviano wrote a dissent, saying courts should remain open on Juneteenth while judges, lawyers and litigants pause and reflect on the day's historical significance.

“Our court already requires state courts to observe 12 holidays that occur or are celebrated on weekdays,” Viviano said Wednesday. “And these holidays are in addition to the 30 days of annual vacation leave that are available to judges.”

 

Detroit Mercy Law announces Law Review Symposium topic and calls for proposals
 

University of Detroit Mercy Law Review recently announced the topic for their annual symposium. The topic will be Governing Bodies: Bodily Autonomy and the Law. The symposium will take place on March 4, 2022 in Detroit, MI.
Bodily autonomy has been regulated or banned on many levels throughout our history, ranging from slavery to the right to an abortion, assisted suicide, transgender rights, and even issues surrounding the present COVID-19 pandemic. While these laws and regulations have led to controversy and protest, it remains unclear where exactly the line should be drawn limiting government power over our bodies, or if there should be a line at all.

Detroit Mercy Law Review invites academics, scholars, practitioners, and other stakeholders to submit proposals for panel presentation and potential publication on topics involving governments and entities attempting to regulate bodily autonomy. These may include, but are not limited to, the following: slavery, vaccine passports and mandates, abortion laws, assisted suicide, data privacy issues, and transgender rights. 

Proposals should be approximately 250-500 words, double-spaced, and should detail the proposed topic and presentation. Proposals must be submitted no later than 5 pm EST on Friday, October 29, 2021, by email to Mackenzie Clark, Symposium Director, at lawreview@udmercy.edu. In your e-mail, please indicate whether your proposal is for a presentation only or if you plan to submit an article based on your presentation for potential publication in the Detroit Mercy Law Review. Also, please include a current CV or resume.

Decisions will be emailed on or before Monday, November 7, 2021. The final completed manuscripts must be submitted by Friday, March 11, 2022, for editing to commence by the Law Review staff.

Questions can be directed to Clark at the email above.



––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://legalnews.com/subscriptions
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available

––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available