Posts for December 23, 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 (5^th ed.) student textbook.

“Free the Law” [Harvard Law School]: For those of you who haven’t heard yet, Harvard Law School announced today that, with the support of Ravel Law, a legal research and analytics platform, it is digitizing its entire collection of U.S. case law, one of the largest collections of legal materials in the world, and will make the collection available online, for free, to anyone with an Internet connection. Find it at:

http://librarylab.law.harvard.edu/projects/free-the-law

Thanks to newsletter reader…and now contributor, Paula Russo, of Connecticut’s The Hotchkiss School, for the heads up!

I. Introduction to Law, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court [See TOPICS 1-10 in the 5^th 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 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

III. The Political System: Voting and Campaigns [See TOPICS 16-20 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

Harry’s Guide To 2016 Election Polls [538 / Real Clear Politics, 12/23/15]: NPR’s “On The Media” has a great series called the “Breaking News Consumer’s Handbook,” and as part of our ongoing partnership with them, we put together a handy list of rules for interpreting election polls. Listen to the whole episode, or just to my dulcet tones:

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/harrys-guide-to-2016-election-polls/?ex_cid=538fb

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/president/index.html

Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)

New Laws Open New Paths To Electric Bikes and Skateboards [CPR, 12/22/15]: Electric bike and skateboard riders will have new access to California roads in 2016, as well as new requirements. 

http://www.capradio.org/63215

IV. Criminal Law and Procedure (4^th, 5^th, 6^th, and 8^th amendments) [See TOPICS 21-28 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit

V. 1^st Amendment (Speech, Religion, Press and Assembly) [See TOPICS 29-33 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

Rock Band Wins First Amendment Appeal Over 'Disparaging' Trademarks [Bloomberg / CNS, 12/22/15]: Slants frontman Simon Tam has scored a big victory at a federal appeals court in his challenge to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office's refusal of a trademark registration.

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-12-22/-slants-can-t-be-denied-as-trademark-u-s-appeals-court-rules  

http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/12/22/offensive-trademarks-get-federal-circuits-approval-in-slants-case.htm

VI. 14^th Amendment, Discrimination, Privacy, Working, Citizenship & Immigration [See TOPICS 34-41 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

Judge Adds Gays & Lesbians to Title IX Discrimination Ban [CNS, 12/22/15]: Pepperdine University must answer claims brought by two female basketball players who say coaches harassed them about their sexual orientation in violation of Title IX rules, a federal judge ruled.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/12/22/judge-adds-gays-lesbians-to-title-ix-discrimination-ban.htm

Formerly interned Japanese Americans stand up against Muslim hate [SF Chron, 12/22/15]: At the age of 93, Hiroshi Kashiwagi fears the country hasn’t changed much since he was interned at Tule Lake during World War II, and he empathizes with Muslim Americans who are enduring hate that Japanese Americans like him once endured. 

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Formerly-interned-Japanese-Americans-stand-up-6716136.php

Friedrichs v. CTA update [Concurring Opinion, 12/23/15]:  In urging the Court not to overrule the unanimous judgment in Abood v. Detriot Bd. Of Educ. (1977), the brief’s authors offer five reasons to support the Court’s invocation of stare decisis.

http://concurringopinions.com/archives/2015/12/fan-90-first-amendment-news-law-professors-urge-justices-to-honor-stare-decisis-in-union-1-a-case.html