Monday, December 28, 2015

Posts for December 28, 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.

Harvard Launches “Free the Law” Digitization Project [Library Journal, 12/16/15]: It took Harvard Law School (HLS) nearly 200 years, since its founding in 1817, to amass its collection of United States case law reporters—one of the world’s largest collections of legal materials. It will take the HLS Library about three years to scan and digitize that collection and, in partnership with legal technology startup Ravel Law, make it freely available to the public online. If all goes according to plan, by early to mid–2017, the “Free the Law” project will have digitized the “official print versions of all historical U.S. court decisions,” according to the HLS Library blog.

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:

So, there are going to be a lot of people older than 75 on the Supreme Court in 2017 [Wash Post, 12/27/15]: Supreme Court justices are, with some notable recent exceptions, generally circumspect. They can't or won't say much when commenting publicly on matters before the court, those that may come before the court and, in some cases, those that already have. So when ABC's "This Week" aired a rare interview with Supreme Court Justice Breyer on Sunday, his response to questions about how Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump could influence his plans to retire was, not surprisingly, vague.

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:

Alaska-US power struggle over moose hunter heads to the Supreme Court [Alaska Dispatch-News, 12/25/15]: On Jan. 20, the government's top lawyers are scheduled to square off against the team representing an Alaska moose hunter who has spent a small fortune fighting for what, to him, is the spirit of the Last Frontier.

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:

Activists predict abortion will be a hot issue in campaigns [AP, 12/27/15]: The Supreme Court will be hearing arguments, probably in March, regarding a Texas law enacted in 2013 that would force numerous abortion clinics to close.

Why Politicians Want You to Panic [Politico, 12/27/15]: Crime is down, jobs are growing, America is pre-eminent. And yet Republican candidates are still fanning the flames of fear. 

The Wild Ideas You Missed While Donald Trump Was Talking [Politico, 12/26/15]: Trump’s not the only Republican making dubious claims. He’s just the only one we’ve paid attention to.

Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)


California Politics Podcast: So Long, 2015! Link to the podcast here:

New California laws 2016: What to expect in the new year [Sac Bee, 12/27/15]: Like bubbles ascending a champagne flute, a bevy of recently passed California policies will float to the surface and take effect this Jan. 1. Here’s a review of some of the major items. 

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


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:

Appeal filed in free speech case over anti-gay essay [AP, 12/27/15]: A judge dismissed a former University of New Mexico student's lawsuit alleging she was ostracized by professors for anti-gay remarks made in a paper, federal court documents revealed.

ISIS Influence on Web Prompts Second Thoughts on First Amendment [NY Times, 12/27/15]: It is one of the most hallowed precepts in modern constitutional law: Freedom of speech may not be curbed unless it poses a “clear and present danger” — an actual, imminent threat, not the mere advocacy of harmful acts or ideas. But in response to the Islamic State’s success in grooming jihadists over the Internet, some legal scholars are asking whether it is time to reconsider that constitutional line.

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:

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


French President proposes constitutional amendment [Jurist, 12/27/15]:  It is reported that the proposed amendments would allow the government to strip the nationality of natural born citizens convicted of terrorist acts and extend emergency policing policies. The current emergency policing policies allow for officers to conduct warrantless searches and conduct house arrests. The French Parliament is set to vote on the proposed amendments in the beginning of the next year.


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