It’s been quite a long time since I’ve been able to enjoy the verdant fields and lush plains that are contributing to Duenos, but I’ve managed to escape from the clutches of the law briefly to . . . talk about what I’ve written on the law.
I’m involved with the “Illinois Business Law Journal”:http://iblsjournal.typepad.com/, a blog designed to give law students (and others) the ability to write on pertinent business issues. Though the issues touch business in some way, the scope of the possible topics is extremely broad.
“http://iblsjournal.typepad.com/ I just finished my "first article":http://iblsjournal.typepad.com/illinois_business_law_soc/2008/02/picture-yoursel.html, which discussed the current and prospective state of the law with regard to border searches of laptops and other electronic storage devices performed by US Customs, which has an especially powerful impact on international business travelers. I encourage you to give it a read, but for those with shorter attention spans, here's the basic deal: You'd be surprised what extensive powers the federal government has under existing case law to search your property at the border, and the government rarely needs to suspect you of anything to do so. That being said, there is a particularly influential case being decided in federal court in California right now (United States v. Arnold) that could shape the future of how the law regards laptops and similar devices. Basically, the government is trying to argue that a laptop is no different from any other kind of container that you can put things into. It's also trying to argue that it needs to get into your files to ensure that you're not carrying anything illegal over the border. I think you can guess how I feel on that one, but if you'd like to know more, check out the "article":http://iblsjournal.typepad.com/illinois_business_law_soc/2008/02/picture-yoursel.html. Fortunately, groups like the "Electronic Frontier Foundation":http://www.eff.org have the back of privacy-loving people everywhere, and cases like these help motivate me to further study the law so that I will be able to work to protect vital rights one day myself.