Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Posts for May 5, 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.

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:

The Junior Justice [The American Prospect, Spring 2015]: Elena Kagan is rewriting the role of a Supreme Court justice in American democracy.

After agreeable term, Supreme Court is back to being disagreeable [USA Today, 5/4/15]: After a 2013-14 term in which two-thirds of the cases were decided unanimously, that percentage has dropped to a more pedestrian 44%. For this time of year, when about half of the cases have been decided, that's lower than usual — and more in line with where the court usually winds up in June.

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:

Supreme Court Seeks Obama Administration Comment on Marijuana Case [WSJ, 5/4/15]: Oklahoma and Nebraska call Colorado's legalization of pot a 'cross-border nuisance.

The American Presidency [TOPIC 15]

Court skeptical on Barack Obama immigration challenge [Politico, 5/4/15]: Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio contends his jail is spending millions of dollars to house illegal immigrants Obama is refusing to deport

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:
Carly Fiorina's Silicon Valley story could boost or bust her presidential bid [CC Times / KQED / CalBuzz, 5/4/15]: Carly Fiorina is as close as it gets to a Silicon Valley candidate for president. So why did the former Hewlett-Packard CEO move 2,400 miles across the country to leave her California story behind? 

Carly Fiorina fails to register website, gets whacked [TIME, 5/4/15]: Fiorina’s campaign apparently neglected to register the domain http://carlyfiorina.org/ -- but someone else did and that person is hammering the former Hewlett-Packard chief on the number of layoffs she oversaw during her tenure at the company.

Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)


California Assembly passes bill to ditch ‘Redskins’ mascots [SF Chron, 5/4/15]:  A handful of California high schools would need to ditch their “Redskins” mascots under legislation that passed the state Assembly on Monday.

Greenhut: Bills would hobble charters with new regs [San Diego U-T, 5/4/15]: Legislators more concerned about job protections than education?

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:


Muslims Condemn Violence at Muhammad 'Art Show' [CNS, 5/5/15]: Muslim leaders swiftly condemned the attack on a Dallas art show of Muhammad cartoons but also denounced the "hate speech" they say incited it.

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:

From the 11th Circuit: "In sum, while singing in the rain may result in a glorious feeling, singing in the post office is not a constitutional right." The opinion in Watkins v. U.S. Postal Employee (5/4/15) can be found at:

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:

Poll: Majority Wants Supreme Court to OK Same Sex Marriage Nationally [NBC News, 5/5/15]: Nearly three in five Americans want to see the Supreme Court legalize gay marriage throughout the United States, according to a new NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll.

Justice Alito Asks Whether Non-Romantic Couples Should Have the Right to Marry: Absurd Question? [Justia, 5/5/15]: Professor Colb discusses a question Justice Samuel Alito asked during oral argument last week in the same-sex marriage cases—whether non-romantic couples should have the right to marry.

International Law, Citizenship and Immigration [TOPIC 40-42]


Compensation for wartime wrongs? [Law News, 5/4/15]: Retired Justice John Paul Stevens, borrowing an idea from the belated government effort to make up for holding loyal Japanese-Americans in prison campus during World War II, on Monday proposed a similar approach to wrongs committed by government officials in carrying out the “war on terrorism.”


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