Posts for August 11, 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 (5th ed.) student textbook.
Law Day 2018 Theme
Announced [ANA, 8/11/17]: The American Bar Association is pleased to
announce the theme for Law Day 2018, which is
"Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom. For more details, go to:
"Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom. For more details, go to:
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:
Texas lawmakers approve bill restricting insurance
coverage for abortions [Jurist, 8/10/17]: The
Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill that would prohibit
health insurance plans from providing coverage for elective abortions. An
elective abortion is defined as one in which the mother is not in danger of
death or serious injury if the abortion is not performed.
Trump, Pro-Gun Groups Headed for SCOTUS Duel? [Bloomberg, 8/10/17]: Can cops in states that allow concealed
carry search you just because they think you’re armed? The “extremely
important” question—sparked by Shaquille Robinson’s federal gun prosecution in
West Virginia—pits a multi-time felon, five Republican state attorneys general,
and a coalition of 10 conservative and gun rights groups against the Republican
and vocally pro-gun-rights Trump administration. Keep an eye on this case: U.S.
v. Robinson.
You can read the 4th Circuit opinion at:
The
American Presidency [TOPIC 15]
Trump's judge picks snub Democrats [Politico, 8/11/17]: Democratic senators accuse the
administration of not consulting them on lifetime appointments to the bench
Trump administration
defends travel ban at Supreme Court [USA Today / Reuters, 8/10/17]: The Trump administration urged the Supreme Court
Thursday to end the six-month legal battle over its immigrant and refugee
travel ban by ruling that it's all about national security, not religion.
Behind the Trump-McConnell feud [Politico,
8/10/17]: The rupture between President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell originated where so many of the president’s dramas do: with
something he saw on TV.
Trump thanks Putin for expelling U.S. diplomats,
infuriating State Department [Politico, 8/11/17]: President Donald
Trump on Thursday thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for expelling
American diplomats from Russia on the grounds that “we’re going to save a lot
of money,” prompting dismay among many of the rank-and-file at the State
Department.
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:
Legislation and the Legislative
Process (TOPIC 20)
Rebellious California lawmakers get banished to ‘The Dog
House,’ a tiny office [SJ Merc, 8/11/17]: Welcome to “The Dog House,”
Melissa Melendez. That’s the nickname for the 391-square-foot State Capitol
office to which Melendez, a Republican assemblywoman from Lake Elsinore, was
assigned this week. There’s even a plaque listing and praising former occupants
for “Standing up for your Principles.”
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
What’s the Punishment
for Theft? Depends On What State You’re In [The Marshall Project, 8/10/17]:
You can go to prison in Florida for a $300
crime, but it’s $2,500 in Wisconsin.
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:
Nebraska funeral picketing
law upheld in appellate court [Lincoln Journal-Star, 8/11/17]: Nebraska's funeral picketing law, which creates a
city-block buffer around funerals, survived a challenge by a Kansas church
known for anti-gay protests outside soldiers' funerals.
Lawsuit Claims Free Speech Violations After San Diego
Trump Rally [KPBS, 8/10/17]: A federal lawsuit filed on Thursday
claims the San Diego Police and Sheriff's Departments violated free speech
rights in their response to protests outside a Donald Trump campaign rally last
year.
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:
Ole Miss Edges Out of Its
Confederate Shadow, Gingerly [NY Times, 8/10/17]: Other than William Faulkner and the father and son quarterbacks Archie
and Eli Manning, few figures in this town's history are better known locally
than Lucius Q. C. Lamar. A professor at Ole Miss before and after the Civil
War, he served in both chambers of Congress and as a Supreme Court justice.
Why One Can Support
Affirmative Action but Oppose Favoring Whites Over Asians When Administering It
[Justia, 8/11/17]: Professor Amar comments on the recent indications that the
Trump Justice Department will investigate and possibly sue colleges and
universities that make use of race-based affirmative action. Without expressing
views as to the merits of pending lawsuits, Amar explains how one can
simultaneously support race-based affirmative action and oppose the so-called
“Asian penalty”—that is, systematically requiring Asian American applicants to
have higher scores than white applicants.
The Uncomfortable Truth
About Affirmative Action and Asian-Americans [New Yorker, 8/10/17]: In a federal
lawsuit filed in Massachusetts in 2014, a group representing Asian-Americans is
claiming that Harvard University’s undergraduate-admissions practices
unlawfully discriminate against Asians. The lawsuit alleges that Harvard effectively employs quotas
on the number of Asians admitted and holds them to a higher standard than
whites.
International Law, Citizenship
and Immigration [TOPIC 40-42]
What it means when a school district declares itself a
'safe haven' or 'sanctuary': a quick guide [EdSource, 8/10/17]: An FAQ
regarding school protections for undocumented students and their families.
California’s Attempt At “Massive Resistance”[“Fox
& Hounds” blog, 8/19/17]:- California’s decision to become a “Sanctuary
State” and defy the federal government on immigration, likely to become law
later this month, places California in the company of state’s rights extremists
that once tried to stop public school integration by much the same means.
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