Legal Studies

Spanish unions have called a general strike for 2026, though they have softened it into what they describe as a 'day of struggle' rather than a full stoppage. Business confederation representatives are studying whether to take legal action to challenge the strike call, arguing over its legitimacy, while unions defend the mobilisation as a valid labour protest.

A new neuroscience study is examining why cannabis use can cause anxiety and paranoia in some people. As coverage in Scientific American explains, researchers are investigating the brain mechanisms behind cannabis-induced paranoia, a common side effect reported by users. The findings could help explain individual differences in reactions to marijuana and inform safer use guidance as legalization spreads.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued guidance addressing when an immigrant applicant is considered 'under 21 years of age', a question with major consequences because age thresholds determine eligibility for several immigration benefits, including protections for children who age out during processing. The clarification, highlighted by the Center for Immigration Studies, resolves how birthdays and filing dates interact under immigration rules. Immigration practitioners and observers are weighing what the interpretation means for pending applications.

A new study finds that gambling disorder diagnoses increased in US states that have legalized sports betting. The findings add to ongoing concerns about the public health effects of the rapid expansion of legal online and retail sportsbooks across the country, with researchers pointing to a link between legalization and problem gambling.

Nazareth University in New York is advertising a tenure-track position for an Assistant Professor in Legal Studies. The listing, circulated through academic job networks, is aimed at scholars with backgrounds spanning criminology, politics, history and the broader humanities, and signals active hiring in interdisciplinary legal studies at the institution.

A new Gizmodo report says scientists have uncovered a surprising link between cannabis use and violence. The finding is drawing attention because it challenges the common perception of marijuana as a calming substance, and it touches on ongoing debates over legalization and public health effects.

The European Commission's CORDIS research service has published a results briefing on the HRoN project, a Horizon-funded study investigating whether natural entities such as rivers, forests or ecosystems could be granted legal rights. The write-up outlines the project's examination of how such 'rights of nature' frameworks might work in law and what granting nature legal standing would mean for governance, environmental protection and courts.

The Oklahoma Senate held a study session examining the barriers guardians face when making mental health care decisions for those under their care. The discussion focused on legal and systemic obstacles in the state's mental health system. The outcome and any proposed reforms remain unclear following the study.

The University of Chicago Law School is asking what role artificial intelligence should play in legal education, prompting debate over how law schools should teach, test, and prepare future lawyers in an AI era. Educators are weighing whether AI should be a study tool, a graded skill, or a threat to foundational training like legal writing and analysis. There is no consensus yet on where the line should be drawn.