The Roundtable
Welcome to the Roundtable, a forum for incisive commentary and analysis
on cases and developments in law and the legal system.
on cases and developments in law and the legal system.
 By Libby Rozbruch
Libby Rozbruch is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Psychology. With the growing sophistication of artificial intelligence, many professions are adapting and beginning to operate on a more effective level – and what better profession to benefit from the efficiency of artificial intelligence than that which relies on precedent via endless amounts of data? Though known for being traditional and slow to change, the legal profession is inevitably embracing disruptive technologies that are forcing them to re-think the status quo. [1] Perhaps the potential for a paradigm shift in how legal work is done and how lawyers look at data is exactly what the profession needs. The use of AI is particularly relevant to the legal sphere, as its primary function involves looking for patterns in data. [2] Every good lawyer knows that the key to persuasive communication is to tell a story, and deep within the data lies a story to be pitched to a potential client or to be told to a judge at trial. In order to tell that story, lawyers need to be able to sift through the data.
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 By Libby Rozbruch
Libby Rozbruch is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Psychology. The rapid introduction of advanced technology in surgery has had a significant impact on clinical practice. With its growing application, the robotic surgery device has had to meet new demands of different types of surgery, and this transition has not been entirely trouble-free. Specifically, malfunction of the robotic device in surgery presents an issue regarding the complicated legal roles and responsibilities of the various involved parties. The principles of law that are binding upon professional liability in medicine are exactly the same for robotic surgery. The complexity of litigation associated with it stems from the difficulty of determining liability given that an integral part of a patient’s treatment is the use of a sophisticated medical device. [1] Therefore, in the case of an undesirable outcome, liability can fall on either the surgeon performing the surgery or on the manufacturer of the robotic device, or both. As a result, litigation associated with robotic surgery often combines medical malpractice law and products liability law, though the two are completely separate.[2]  By Libby Rozbruch
Libby Rozbruch is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Psychology. Over the past decade, scientists have been exploring the potential of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as a method for lie detection. fMRI measures small, variable changes in the ratio of oxygenated blood to deoxygenated blood during a particular task or when a particular stimulus is presented. When a specific area of the brain is active, there is a local increase in oxygen-rich blood. In turn, fMRI allows scientists to assess and identify increased activity in brain regions associated with the cognitive processes required for lying. [1] The question is – should information acquired from this type of brain imaging technology be used as evidence in the courtroom?  By Libby Rozbruch
Libby Rozbruch is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Psychology. The ongoing legal battle between Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and the National Football League (NFL) represents the NFL’s latest high-profile fight over its ability to punish its players for their off-field behavior. On Aug. 11, the NFL announced a six-game suspension for Ezekiel Elliott, which stemmed from a year-long investigation of the domestic violence allegations made against Elliott in July 2016. [1] Though Elliott was never criminally charged and has denied wrongdoing, his suspension is in line with the NFL’s domestic violence policy, which states that “violations of the Personal Conduct Policy regarding assault, battery, domestic violence or sexual assault that involve physical force will be subject to a suspension without pay of six games for a first offense, with consideration given to mitigating factors, as well as a longer suspension when circumstances warrant.” [2] Nonetheless, the NFL has faced intense scrutiny for seeming to frequently flout its own domestic violence policy and inconsistently punishing its players. [3] Because of this, Ezekiel Elliott and the NFL Player’s Association (NFLPA) have called into question the NFL’s neutral arbitration. |
