Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Posts for December 14, 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 (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:

A General Approach for Predicting the Behavior of the Supreme Court of the United States [, 12/13/16]: Building on developments in machine learning and prior work in the science of judicial prediction, we construct a model designed to predict the behavior of the Supreme Court of the United States in a generalized, out-of-sample context.

Supreme Court denies NFL head injury settlement appeals [Constitution Daily / National Law Review, 12/12/16]: Lyle Denniston, Constitution Daily’s Supreme Court correspondent, looks at several significant cases denied for consideration by the Supreme Court on Monday morning.

Big Banks Fight to Block Crisis-Era Lawsuits From Continuing [NY Times, 12/13/16]: Big banks are fighting tens of billions of dollars of potential legal costs linked to at least a dozen pending lawsuits arising from the financial crisis. Now they want the Supreme Court to weigh in, arguing that regulators took too long to file their claims.


Supreme Court justice argues for a world view from the bench [Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, 12/12/16]: When President-elect Donald Trump finally appoints a new justice to the U.S. Supreme Court, what will be Justice Stephen Breyer’s advice to the incoming member of that exclusive club?

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 would toss Ohio abortion bans, analysts say [Columbus Dispatch / AP, 12/11/16]: Even though President-elect Donald Trump will nominate a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia next year, five justices on the high court still would very likely invalidate the two new abortion bans awaiting Gov. John Kasich’s signature, legal analysts say.

Ohio’s Six-Week Abortion Ban Bill and the Future of Roe v. Wade [Justia, 12/13/16]: Professor Dorf explains why a group of legislators in Ohio recently voted to adopt a law that prohibits abortion of any fetus with a “detectable heartbeat”—around six weeks after conception—in clear violation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 holding in Roe v. Wade. Dorf describes what a “Trump Court” might do (and what it might not do) with respect to this Ohio law and others like it.

The American Presidency [TOPIC 15]

Legal scholars to Trump: Abide by Constitution [USA Today, 12/13/16]: Concerns include press freedom, treatment of Muslims, civil rights, abortion, hate groups.

Erwin Chemerinsky & Joan Biskupic on Donald Trump & the Supreme Court [UCI Law talks podcast, 12/13/16]: In the podcast they discuss the uncertainty surrounding the Supreme Court as Trump’s inauguration approaches, including potential replacements of Justice Scalia, Trump’s nomination of solicitor general and the future of abortion, affirmative action and marriage equality.


Trump dares GOP Senate to reject Tillerson [Politico, 12/13/16]: It could take only three Republicans to sink him, and Marco Rubio, John McCain and Lindsey Graham have all been critical.

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:

Trump seeks to intervene in Electoral College suit [Politico, 12/13/16]: In a filing with the U.S. District Court in Northern California, Trump's attorney urges Judge Edward Davila, a 2011 Barack Obama appointee, to allow him to intervene and become a party to the lawsuit, brought by California elector Vinz Koller. 

Federal appeals court upholds Va. voter ID law [Richmond Times-Dispatch / AP / Jurist / Trial Insider, 12/13/16]: The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday turned back a challenge to Virginia’s voter photo ID law upheld by a federal judge in Richmond this year.

Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)

Menendez asks Supreme Court to hear case [Politico, 12/13/16]: The Democratic senator facing bribery charges claims probe violated Constitution's 'speech or debate' immunity for legislators.

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:

N.J. judge orders newspaper to stop publishing articles [Hackensack (NJ) Record, 12/13/16]: A New Jersey judge has ordered the Trentonian newspaper to stop publishing articles about a child abuse case -- a ruling that First Amendment experts said could violate the U.S. Supreme Court's most important decisions guaranteeing the freedom of the press.

Spy Law Could Be Government Tool to Prosecute Press [Bloomberg, 12/13/16]: A century-old spy law could be used to prosecute reporters who possess leaked information, sources told Bloomberg BNA. No reporter has ever been prosecuted under the Espionage Act, but “there’s a danger that a sufficiently overzealous Justice Department could try to use the Espionage Act” in the future, Stephen I. Vladeck told Bloomberg BNA.


The Supreme Court Case That Could Bankrupt Religious Schools and Hospitals [The Atlantic, 12/13/16]: Advocate Health Care Network v. Stapleton pits financially strained organizations against their own workers, who fear their promised pensions may not be there when they retire.

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:

2 Southern California students backing Harvard in affirmative action case [KPCC, 12/13/16]: Two California students have joined the legal effort against an anti-affirmative action lawsuit that was filed against Harvard University two years ago and is making its way through the courts. 

CNN Must Face Job Discrimination Claim [Trial Insider, 12/13/16]: CNN, the Cable News Network, must face a claim of job discrimination by an 18-year veteran African-American producer who was denied a White House job in favor of a younger white candidate with less experience, a California state appeals court ruled Friday.

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

Obama Opts to Archive, not Declassify, Torture Report [CNS, 12/13/16]: A Senate report on torture and other harsh interrogation tactics that the CIA used in the war on terror will remain secret into the next administration, the White House revealed Monday.


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