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.

Can Partisan Gerrymandering be Stopped?

By Mikayla Foster
July 19th, 2018 in Analysis, Legislation in Court, Legislative Operations, State Legislation.

Attention to partisan gerrymandering has heightened as the next wave of redistricting fast approaches and the Supreme Court’s 2017-2018 docket included two cases regarding the constitutionality of partisan gerrymander. Following the release of the 2020 census, states will set out to redraw their district maps. States redistrict at least every... More

Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Arizona’s Teacher Strikes: The End or Just the Beginning?

By David Bier
July 19th, 2018 in Analysis, Budget & Appropriations, State Legislation.

For six school days in late April and early May, teachers across the state of Arizona walked out of their classrooms to demand better pay, more classroom funding, and other concessions from governor Doug Ducey (R) and the Republican-controlled state legislature. These teachers, inspired by similar walk-outs in West Virginia, More

Tagged: , , , , , ,

Mental Illness and Gun Violence:  What’s Really Responsible?

By Nicholas Stone
July 11th, 2018 in Analysis, Federal Legislation, Local Legislation, State Legislation.

You’ve heard it all before.  In fact, you’ve heard the same arguments repeated back and forth so many times you have memorized them yourself. The cycle goes like this:  There’s a mass shooting, then in the tragic aftermath, the liberal and conservative pundits begin repeating their arguments left and right. ... More

Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

New York State’s Missed Opportunity On Early Voting Propositions

By Meghan Hayes
July 11th, 2018 in Analysis, State Legislation.

It’s no secret that the United States has one of the lowest voter turnout rates of any established democracy. Data provided by the Pew Research Center shows that out of the 35 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United States places 28th for voter turnout. More

Tagged: , , , , , , ,

A Practical Guide to Surviving Your First Legislative Externship

By jnia
July 11th, 2018 in Legal Education, Legislative Operations.

I have done quite a few externships over the years in a variety of fields. However, working at the State House has kept me on my toes. I had so much to learn. I had a great boss and that helped. But looking back, I wish I had prepared a... More

Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,