Posts for December 10, 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.
The Top 5 Legal Stories in 2016 [The New Yorker, 12/8/15]: It’s time for my annual year in review in advance. Here are what will be
the top five legal stories of 2016. Accuracy guaranteed! Ish.
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:
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:
Six Snowballs Thrown in Gun Control Debate [The New Yorker, 12/8/15]: In the debate about the necessity of bringing America into agreement
with the rest of the civilized world on the issue of guns and gun killings,
there are some persistent snowballs-in-the-Senate that keep getting thrown,
which need to be mopped up as they melt.
With
nation's 1st ban on abortion method at stake, Kansas court ponders new state
protections [AP, 12/9/15]: A lawsuit blocking Kansas' first-in-the-nation ban on
a common second-trimester method for terminating pregnancies forced an appeals
court Wednesday to wrestle with whether the state constitution independently
protects abortion rights.
Appeals
court asked to declare Arizona abortion law illegal [Ariz.
Daily Star, 12/9/15]: An
attorney for civil rights groups asked a federal appellate court Wednesday to
give them a chance to prove that a state abortion restriction is aimed at
minorities and unconstitutional.
Could New California Law
Prevent Mass Shootings? [CPR,
12/9/15]: California law enforcement agencies will get a new tool in January
that they hope could prevent mass shootings. The new law is drawing criticism
from gun rights advocates, while last week’s San Bernardino shooting has
supporters hoping to expand its reach.
Guns and Abortion [Gerard Magliocca in Concurring Opinions, 12/9/15[: “I guess I should say something about the most recent
discussion on guns in the United States. My take is that the answer to the
problem of gun violence rests on changing culture rather
than law….”
The
American Presidency
[TOPIC 15]
Obama uses slavery speech
to strike back at Trump [Politico,
12/9/15]: Americans betray their past and their ideals if they fail to “push
back against bigotry in all its forms,” President Obama said Wednesday in a
veiled but forceful rebuttal to Donald Trump. Obama's speech on Capitol Hill
was officially a commemoration of the Constitutional amendment that ended
slavery. But his contemporary message was unmistakable in the context of the
explosive national debate over discrimination prompted by Trump’s call to block
Muslims from entering the United States.
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:
The
justices go fundamental: Who is entitled to representation in America? [The
Economist, 12/9/15]: Two hundred and
twenty-six years after America’s Constitution was ratified, it might come as a
surprise to learn that a fundamental question about the nature of the republic
has never been resolved—or even posed.
Donald Trump and the Need for Civil, Accurate
Discourse [Justia, 12/10/15]:
Professor Hamilton argues that Trump and his
extreme comments illustrate the need for civil, accurate discourse, rather than
blunderbuss and showmanship.
Poll: Trump's statements
on Muslims [SD Union-Trib,
12/9/15]: A slight majority of 500 San Diego residents polled strongly or
somewhat agreed with Donald Trump's statements on Muslims.
Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)
Republicans 2016: The Presidential
Shakeup Continues: Watch the Rising Sons of the Sun Belt [Sabato’s Crystal Ball, 12/10/15]:
The Donald Trump Show continues to dominate the airwaves and the polls, and the
other candidates seem mere apprentices by comparison.
The Down-Ballot Outlook as 2016
Approaches
[Sabato’s Crystal Ball, 12/10/15]: Full Senate, House, and gubernatorial updates and ratings changes.
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
The Marshall Project’s Holiday Gift Guide [Marshall Project, 12/10/15]: We’ve compiled a gift
guide unlike any out there: specifically, gifts for people in your life who care
about criminal justice.
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:
First Five: A podcast with Jason
Rezaian’s brother, Brown University’s ‘witch hunts’, and Trump wants to ban the
internet [Newseum,
12/10/15]: Scouring the web for First Amendment news is our job.
U.S. Attorney General
restates position on anti-Muslim speech [FAC, 12/8/15]: U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch
warned last week that her department would act against those who expressed
anti-Muslim statements that “edge towards violence.” She was attempting to
address the uptick in violence against Muslims since the Paris terrorist
attack.
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:
In race case, will Justice Kennedy go from liberal
hero to goat? [Politico /
The Atlantic, 12/8/15]: The justice holds the swing vote in a case that could
end affirmative action in college admissions.
No, Scalia's comment about
'less-advanced' schools wasn't racist [LA Times, 12/9/15]: Wednesday's oral argument in the Court
over affirmative action at the University of Texas had barely concluded before
the Internet lit up with 'shock horror' reactions to something Justice Antonin
Scalia said.
SCOTUS
could punt, again, on affirmative action [Politico, 12/9/15]: The Supreme Court wrestled Wednesday
for the second time with a case that could end affirmative action in higher
education, but several justices suggested that even on its return visit, the
case still wasn’t ripe for a definitive decision.
Thurgood
Marshall and the Need for Affirmative Action [The New Yorker, 12/8/15]:
The Supreme Court
has gradually narrowed the acceptable grounds for affirmative action since
1978….
North Carolina law
allowing officials to refuse to perform same-sex marriages challenged [Jurist, 12/9/15]: The
lawsuit was filed on behalf of six plaintiffs who seek to overturn North
Carolina SB 2 which permits
public officials to recuse themselves from duties associated with marriage
based on sincerely held religious beliefs.
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