Posts for April 10, 2017

These are the posts that are accumulated in our weekly newsletter which goes out throughout the school year. The posts are organized by the major units in our Constitutional Law (5^th ed.) student textbook.

An English Teacher Corrects Shakespeare [Justia, 4/10/17]: Professor Rotunda critiques an English professor at Northern Arizona University for insisting that a student use the word “humankind” rather than “mankind.” Rotunda points out that the origin of the English word “man” encompasses both sexes and that for English professors (or any instructor) to force students to use certain words and shun others is an abuse of the power of words.

https://verdict.justia.com/2017/04/10/english-teacher-corrects-shakespeare

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:

Supreme Court Regains Conservative Tilt With Neil Gorsuch's Senate Confirmation [WSJ, 4/9/17]: High court enters busy final stretch, while possible cases on immigration, guns and voting rights loom.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/divisive-issues-await-neil-gorsuch-on-supreme-court-1491590588?mod=e2twp

Welcome to the Supreme Court, rookie [CNN / USA Today, 4/10/17]: Now, after a lifetime of preparation and several grueling weeks as a nominee, he starts his tenure as the junior-most justice. The new guy. The rookie. The junior-most justice starts off at the bottom of the heap, sits on a far wing of the bench and speaks last at conference. Indeed, the conference -- the regular closed-door meeting where the justices discuss cases -- has an unusual tradition. Only justices are allowed to attend. No clerks, no assistants, just the nine.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/10/politics/gorsuch-supreme-court/index.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/10/neil-gorsuch-being-sworn-113th-supreme-court-justice/100277966/

Justice Gorsuch Pledges to be ‘Servant’ of the Constitution [CNS, 4/10/17]: Justice Neil Gorsuch thanked his former law clerks, family and friends on Monday as he was sworn into the Supreme Court during a White House ceremony.

http://www.courthousenews.com/gorsuch-pledges-servant-constitution/

The Supreme Court After the Nuclear Option [Slate, 4/8/17]: Will the quality of the justices go down now that the filibuster is gone?

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2017/04/how_the_supreme_court_will_change_after_the_nuclear_option.html

The Conservative Pipeline to the Supreme Court [Jeffrey Toobin in The New Yorker, 4/17/17]: With the Federalist Society, Leonard Leo has reared a generation of originalist elites; The selection of Neil Gorsuch is just his latest achievement.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/17/the-conservative-pipeline-to-the-supreme-court

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:

The American Presidency [TOPIC 15]

How Merrick Garland could torment Trump [Politico, 4/10/17]: The spurned Supreme Court nominee has had a lot to say about deregulatory initiatives like the one the president's pushing.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/merrick-garland-donald-trump-regulations-237052

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:

Alabama Governor Faces Impeachment [CNS, 4/10/17]: The Alabama Supreme Court issued an emergency ruling on Saturday that will allow impeachment hearings against Gov. Robert Bentley to begin on Monday.

http://www.courthousenews.com/alabama-governor-must-face-impeachment-test/

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:

Mexican Journalist Killed for Doing Noble Work [Newseum, 4/10/17]: Reports by the Los Angeles Times, NPR, the Committee to Protect Journalists and others said the murder of Breach, of the national newspaper La Jornada, was the third time in just a few weeks that a journalist was killed in Mexico in retaliation for their work.

http://www.newseuminstitute.org/2017/04/10/mexican-journalist-killed-for-doing-noble-work/

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:

Due Process: Applying A More Protective Fourth Amendment Standard To School Restraint Claims ]EdLawProfs blog. 4/1`0/17]: Amanda McGinn makes a case for courts to establish a clear constitutional standard for excessive-force claims against school resource officers in her recent article, School Discipline Practices That Will Shock You, Literally: A Reevaluation of the Legal Standard for Excessive Force Against Students.

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/education_law/2017/04/article-applying-a-more-protective-fourth-amendment-standard-to-school-restraint-claims.html

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

US ambassador: Regime change in Syria is a priority for Trump administration [Jurist, 4/9/17]: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told CNN in an interview set to air Sunday that removing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria is one of the top priorities of Donald Trump's administration. 

http://www.jurist.org/paperchase/2017/04/us-ambassador-regime-change-in-syria-is-a-priority-for-trump-administration.php