UPDATES FOR FRATERNAL LAW

Tim Burke, Manley Burke, tburke@manleyburke.com Medical Marijuana is not Legal Marijuana Some 15 states and the District of Columbia have laws purporting to legalize medical marijuana.   In spite of that, possession, sale and use of marijuana remains a violation of...
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SUPREME COURT ISSUES IMPORTANT FREE SPEECH CASE

Daniel McCarthy The United States Supreme Court just decided a highly controversial First Amendment Free Speech case.  The case, Snyder v. Phelps,1  involved protests that the Westboro Baptist Church frequently conducts at military funerals.  This specific case involved a protest...
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Fatal Shooting at Youngstown State Fraternity

Daniel McCarthy In the early morning hours on Sunday, February 6, Jamail E. Johnson was fatally shot at the Omega Psi Phi fraternity house near the campus of Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio.  Mr. Johnson was a 25-year-old senior,...
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“All-Inclusive” Sorority Recognized At Purdue

Daniel McCarthy, Manley Burke Gamma Rho Lambda recently received official Panhellenic sanctioning at Purdue University.  The sorority’s website describes the organization thusly, “Gamma Rho Lambda (GRL) National Sorority is often referred to as a lesbian sorority, however GRL strives to...
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CHAPTERS AT MARYLAND AND LONGWOOD FACE DISCIPLINE

Numerous Greek chapters at the University of Maryland’s Greek are currently facing a variety of disciplinary charges.  Seven members of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority were charged with second-degree assault and hazing and the chapter was suspended indefinitely following hazing...
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CHRONIC NUISANCE PREMISES

Julia Carney Communities throughout the country are adopting chronic nuisance laws that impose fines or even criminal penalties on property owners for nuisance activities occurring on the premises.  The purpose of these laws is to reduce the number of police...
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EDUCATION KEY TO IMPLEMENTING CHIA

John Christopher & Sean Callan, Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP When will the law change so that donations to house corporations are tax-deductible?" We get this question all the time.  The answer is never, or at least no time soon. The...
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NORTHWESTERN MANDATES ADA COMPLIANCE

Tim Burke, Manley Burke, tburke@manleyburke.com Fraternities and sororities at Northwestern University are experiencing the complexities of operating out of houses owned by the University.  There are 29 Greek houses on Northwestern’s campus.  The University is pushing those organizations which occupy...
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