It is with great pleasure and honor that I fully assume the role of the Editor-in-Chief of our beloved publication, starting with this issue. As I step into this position, I am humbled by the opportunity to serve our College and contribute to the field of legal medicine.
First and foremost, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my predecessor, Dr. Joseph D. Piorkowski Jr., whose dedication and leadership allowed our publication to continue. Dr. Piorkowski’s commitment has set a standard that I aspire to uphold. His mentorship has been invaluable on a personal level, and I am truly honored to follow in his footsteps.
As I embark on this journey as the Editor-in-Chief, I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. I recognize the weight of the responsibility that comes along with following legendary names who have held this position before me. I am committed to building upon our publication's substantial legacy and delivering content that informs, inspires, and engages our readers. With your support, I am confident we can achieve significant milestones together and elevate the Journal of Legal Medicine to greater heights.
I also want to express my gratitude to you, our readers. Your continued support and engagement are the driving force behind our publication. I eagerly look forward to hearing your feedback, ideas, and suggestions as we work together to make our publication the best it can be.
I am honored to serve as your Editor-in-Chief and will lead our publication with integrity, passion, and vision. Thank you for your ongoing support!
That said, we are thrilled to present the latest issue of our Journal!
In this issue, Katherine Drabiak outlines the potential problems with using medical boards to regulate misinformation. She argues that doing so exceeds the traditional role of state medical boards, and disciplining physicians for disseminating misinformation could pose constitutional concerns, interfere with the practice of medicine, and suppress information critical to the public interest.
This issue also features an article from Francesco Chirico and colleagues, who provide a unique European perspective on medical assessment for driving fitness with a comprehensive review of occupational health standards and the legal landscape in the European Union.
Finally, as is a longstanding tradition of the Journal of Legal Medicine, we are pleased to continue to publish the proceedings of the National Health Law Moot Court Competition hosted annually by the Southern Illinois University School of Law. It is important to note that, as in the past, the National Health Law Moot Court Competition continues to be sponsored by the American College of Legal Medicine, our parent organization, and related articles mentioned below are published as submitted and were not subject to peer review. We take great pride in supporting law students' scholarly contributions and professional development and appreciate the opportunity to continue to partner in this endeavor.
The 2022 – 2023 competition explored state bans on gender-affirming care in minors. In this issue, you will find the introductory comments by Cheryl L. Anderson, who delivers a balanced and detailed review of the legal issues. Her commentary is focused on two important matters that needed to be addressed by the teams: 1) the likelihood of success on the merits of the presented case for injunctive relief, and 2) do state laws banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors violate the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the XIV Amendment. This is followed by the Transcript of Record ("the problem") and the winning brief by the South Texas College of Law Houston team, Madelyn Chidester, Joshua Fojtik, and Armon Mehrinfar.
Sincerely,
Editor-in-Chief