Posts for January 8, 2016

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.

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:

Justice Breyer on Term Limits, Differences with Justice Scalia and More [WSJ blog, 1/7/16]: The biggest divide among U.S. Supreme Court justices isn’t exactly a political one, Justice Stephen Breyer said Thursday. Rather, he said, it’s more the way the justices take the consequences of their rulings into account.

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2016/01/07/justice-breyer-on-term-limits-looking-beyond-u-s-shores-and-differences-with-justice-scalia/

What's at Stake in This Supreme Court Term? [Center for Am. Progress, YouTube, 1/7/16]: As the Supreme Court term heads toward the halfway mark, a large number of high-stakes cases will produce long-lasting consequences for how “equal justice under law” is defined and achieved. Each case alone threatens big changes in the lives of everyday Americans. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYMR2f3DhfA

What is the Best Constitution in the World? [Concurring Opinions, 1/8/16]: Consider this a poll.

http://concurringopinions.com/archives/2016/01/what-is-the-best-constitution-in-the-world.html

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:

How Gay Marriage's Triumph Could Protect Abortion Rights [David H. Gans in The New Republic, 1/7/16]: The Supreme Court's interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment may play a role in its biggest abortion case in decades. The case will be argued March 2.

https://newrepublic.com/article/127098/gay-marriages-triumph-protect-abortion-rights

Keep up to date regarding Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole:

http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/whole-womans-health-v-cole/

http://www.scotusblog.com/2015/11/justices-enter-the-fray-with-grants-in-texas-abortion-case-in-plain-english/

The Supreme Court and a Life Barely Lived [Linda Greenhouse in the NY Times, 1/7/16]: Ms. Greenhouse reflects on the DeShaney v. Winnebago County (1976) case upon the death of Joshua Braam. The case is covered in the student textbook at Problem 13.14.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/07/opinion/the-supreme-court-and-a-life-barely-lived.html?_r=0

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:

Calbuzz: How the Right Has Exploited Immigration for 80 Years [CalBuzz, 1/7/16]: “They keep coming,” the advertisement’s narrator intoned, while the screen showed footage of undocumented immigrants scurrying across a highway. The year was 1994, and the ad was the centerpiece of California Republican Governor Pete Wilson’s re-election campaign.

http://www.calbuzz.com/2016/01/26841/

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:

First Five ]Newseum, 1/8/16]: A strange year for First Amdendment freedoms, solidarity and the hijab, France’s diminished liberties, and ISIS on Facebook. Scouring the web for First Amendment news is our job. Enjoy First Five, your regular dose of First Amendment news. Sign up to the newsletter!

http://www.newseuminstitute.org/2016/01/08/first-five-a-strange-year-for-first-amdendment-freedoms-solidarity-and-the-hijab-frances-diminished-liberties-and-isis-on-facebook/

Act One of “The Dark Side” [Justia, 1/8/16]: John W. Dean comments on the Al Jazeera sports doping exposé and the two defamation actions filed this week by Ryan Howard and Ryan Zimmerman. Dean anticipates that these lawsuits might develop into a lengthy legal battle that puts American defamation law to the test.

https://verdict.justia.com/2016/01/08/act-one-of-the-dark-side

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:

Kerry Washington: Anita Hill role terrifying responsibility [AP, 1/7/16]: Kerry Washington says she was acutely aware of the challenge of playing Anita Hill in a miniseries dramatizing Clarence Thomas' Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TV_HBO_CLARENCE_THOMAS

Friedrichs: In Supreme Court labor case, echoes of gay marriage fight [Reuters, 1/8/16]: A U.S. Supreme Court case set for argument Monday challenging powerful public-sector unions echoes a very different dispute: The recent battle over gay marriage.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-unions-idUSKBN0UM1CI20160108