Nearly 20 years ago, a law review article warned that issues around the law governing presidential transitions were certain to pop up again. That prediction is now coming true.

The Presidential Transition Act, passed in 1963, has become the focal point of debate on the start of the Biden transition process. Emily Murphy, the Trump appointee heading the General Services Administration, is refusing to sign off on transferring resources to the Biden transition team, raising questions on whether the president-elect has any legal avenues to force her to identify him as the winner.