Dome:
Law, Legislation & Policy

Housed at Boston University School of Law, Dome is a valuable resource for news, analysis, and opinion on legislation and public policy. Dome is staffed by students of BU Law’s various legislation clinics. Dome features work contributed by staff members, scholars, practitioners, and law students interested in legislation and public policy.

Examining the ERA’s Comeback: the Legal Debate Over a 38th Ratification

By Chloe Aubuchon
February 5th, 2019 in Analysis, Federal Legislation, State Legislation.

At a time when the issues of gender and sexual harassment have come to a head, some activists are looking to a decades-old proposed constitutional amendment to secure gender equality. The Equal Rights Amendment (“ERA”), originally proposed by suffragist Alice Paul in 1923, would affirmatively state that no person’s rights... More

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Who Will Save the Africa Parliamentary Knowledge Network? by Elizabeth Bakibinga-Gaswaga

By Sean J Kealy
December 13th, 2018 in Africa, Conference, Legal Education, Legislative Operations.

The bright promise that was the Africa Parliamentary Knowledge Network (APKN) is seemingly fading away. This important project, where African parliamentarians and their staff committed to help each other build capacity and share information was making a real difference in the governance of Africa. Sadly, when the United Nation's Department... More

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Some Unsolicited Advice To Nancy Pelosi (and Those Who Would Replace Her)

By Sean J Kealy
November 1st, 2018 in Analysis, Legislative Operations, Opinion.

If the “Blue Wave” materializes next week, as so many predict, you Madame Leader, will become Speaker of the House once again.  Time marches on, and as many have already pointed out, you and the rest of the top Democratic House leaders are all closing in on 80 years old. ... More

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The Problems With Euclidean Zoning

By Rachel Watsky
July 19th, 2018 in Analysis, State Legislation.

Since the1926 landmark Supreme Court case, Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co., 272 U.S. 365,  it has been understood that the localities, municipalities, towns, and cities of the United States have the right to zone by dividing the town or community into areas in which specific uses of land are... More

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The U.S. Postal Service is Staying Alive (for now)

By Caitlin Britos
July 19th, 2018 in Analysis, Federal Legislation, Legislative Oversight.

During the Spring, President Trump has brought to the spotlight a little-discussed, quite unsexy policy dilemma: how to save the U.S. Postal Service. In a series of Tweets, the President accused Amazon of unfairly taking advantage of the U.S. Postal Service. The first of these Tweets appeared on his Twitter feed... More

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