Posts for May 4, 2015
These are the posts that are accumulated in our
newsletter which goes out every 4-6 days during the school year. The posts are
organized by the major units in our Con Law (5th ed.) student textbook.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg stops by
to discuss the Supreme Court hearing on marriage equality [“Weekend Update” on “Saturday
Night Live,” thanks to Hulu, 5/3/15]: Funny. Silly, but funny.
I. Introduction to Law, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court [See TOPICS 1-10 in the 5th edition of Constitutional
Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to
this unit:
Justice Forever? Life Tenure on the Supreme Court [Talks on Law, 5/3/15]: United States Supreme Court Justices are appointed for life,
but should they be? Explore the constitutional principles, justifications, and
criticisms behind life tenure with one of the leading Constitutional scholars
in the U.S., Professor Richard Fallon of Harvard Law. Incredibly articulate and
thoughtful, Fallon even points to potential improvements on our founding legal
document. This is a 30 minute video. While you are at this site, scroll down to
se the variety of other programs they have.
II. Defining the Political System: Federalism and Checks and
Balances [See
TOPICS 11-15 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law]
Here are recent articles that are relevant to this unit:
Hillary Clinton and the Winning Strategy on
Contraception [Justia, 5/4/15]:
Professor Hamilton discusses the position of
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton with respect to
contraception.
III. The Political
System: Voting and Campaigns [See TOPICS 16-20 in the 5th edition of Constitutional
Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:
Ben Carson, famed
neurosurgeon, running for president --
Carson, who has never run for public office, is expected to be the only
high-profile African-American to enter the GOP's presidential primary as he
tries to parlay his success as an author and speaker into a competitive
campaign against established politicians.
Hollywood bundlers are
losing the spotlight [Politico,
5/3/15]: Power shifts to those who write
giant checks, rather than collect many smaller ones.
Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)
Bill inspired by student
passes Senate [Oakland Trib,
5/4/15]: Senate Bill 200 -- inspired by this newspaper's reports on an Orinda
elementary school student improperly deemed to be living outside her district's
boundaries -- would update state school residency laws to ensure live-in
workers, such as nannies, caregivers, maids and gardeners whose children live
with them could attend school in that district.
IV. Criminal Law and Procedure (4th,
5th, 6th, and 8th amendments) [See TOPICS 21-28 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent
articles that are relevant to this unit:
Don’t Give Up on Baltimore [Justia, 5/4/15]:
Professor Margulies discusses the tense
situation between the police and the community in Baltimore and argues that
meaningful reform is on the horizon.
V. 1st Amendment (Speech, Religion, Press and
Assembly) [See TOPICS
29-33 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to
this unit:
Madison
bans discrimination against atheists, non-religious [AP, 5/4/15]: While conservatives in Indiana and
Arkansas were explaining last month why their new religious objections laws
weren't invitations to discriminate against gays, the leaders of Wisconsin's
capital city were busy protecting the rights of another group: atheists.
VI. 14th Amendment, Discrimination, Privacy, Working,
Citizenship & Immigration [See
TOPICS 34-41 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to
this unit:
Anti-gay
shop owner in west Michigan defies backlash [Detroit News, 5/3/15]: When a west Michigan auto shop owner
announced last month he wouldn't serve gays, the response was quick and
visceral.
Dignity in Life as in Death [Jurist, 5/3/15]: Professor Mutcherson discusses the controversy over whether there should
or must be a constitutional right allowing the terminally-ill to engage in
physician assisted deaths
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