EDITOR'S NOTE.

• Author: Reid, Michelle A.

Dear Reader:

On behalf of the Suffolk University Law School Moot Court Honor Board, I am proud to present the second Issue in Volume XXIV of the Suffolk Journal of Trial & Appellate Advocacy. This Issue contains one lead article and eight student-written pieces, each designed to be of practical use to lawyers and judges at the trial and appellate levels.

The Lead Article, Hit the Ground Running: The Complete Opening Statement Supported By Empirical Research and Illustrations, was written by Harry Mitchell Caldwell and Deanne S. Elliot. Attorney Caldwell is a Professor of Law and the Director of Trial Advocacy at Pepperdine University School of Law. He teaches criminal law, criminal procedure, and trial advocacy courses. Attorney Elliot is a prosecutor in the Shasta County District Attorney's Office. We are honored to publish an article by Attorneys Caldwell and Elliot, who successfully unveil the intricacies of a properly executed opening statement.

The student-written pieces address topics that are of interest to members of the bar in Massachusetts and nationwide; the issues they address involve:

* a review of antitrust regulations and the current climate surrounding vertical mergers (Natalie Brough);

* a discussion of the history and creation of the Department of Transportation, and the agency's efforts in creating national safety regulations on highways by comparing efforts to combat drunk driving with efforts to deter texting and driving (Julianne Jeha);

* an analysis of the Massachusetts Slayer Rule and an argument that the Rule violates the Fifth Amendment as it deprives an individual of their constitutionally protected property (Paul Mourad);

* an examination of the development of modern U.S. privacy laws compared to laws established in the European Union, and a discussion of their practicality in the vast technological era, and their applicability and enforceability in disputes (Aleksandra Popova);

* a discussion of contractual dealings handled over text messaging and the Massachusetts' Land Court's analysis of how text messages should be viewed in the context of land...