The Right to Die

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Assume that you are working as a legal assistant in a law firm. Your firm has just been retained by Bob Stanton, a local man, whose wife, Freda is suffering from a terminal illness. It seems that Freda has been suffering from severe pain due to her illness and is asking her husband to help end her life. Despite medical assistance and pain medication, Freda says that her pain is unbearable. Bob has retained your firm to advise him on the legal parameters for assisting his wife. Specifically, Bob wants to know if Freda has the freedom to end her life, and if so, how it can be done.

Using the laws from your home state, along with the basic standards of due process discussed in Washington v. Glucksberg(1997) and Gonzales v. Oregon (2005) prepare a legal memorandum outlining the legal standards for assisted suicide in your state. Be sure to address: (1) whether your state allows for physician-assisted suicide; (2) any criminal laws that exist regarding suicide; and (3) whether these laws interfere with the right to privacy liberty, and/or due process.

Your brief should be 1-2 pages in length and follow these guidelines:

  • Double-spaced
  • 12 point Times font
  • One inch margins
  • Bluebook or Cornell site citation method (Title page, Citations, Reference page, and quotes over three lines do not count towards the minimum page limit)
  • Correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation