My Washington College of Law colleague Robert Tsai points me to an interesting Huffington Post article by Anis Shivani on new directions for university presses. I have a somewhat more critical take on this, in the sense of an interest in the economic and business models driving the presses as they move in different directions. […]
Archive | 2010
Outdoor Burning of Korans Unlawful, Given the City Fire Code
By Eugene Volokh on August 28, 2010 12:32 pm in "Hate Speech", Freedom of Speech, Religion and the Law
The Gainesville Sun site reports: The city of Gainesville has denied Dove World Outreach Center’s application for a burn permit to set fire to copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, but the church says it plans to burn the holy books anyway. Gene Prince, interim chief of Gainesville Fire Rescue, said Wednesday that under […]
Wonderful Profile of GMU Econ Prof Pete Boettke in today’s WSJ
The business section of today’s Wall Street Journal features a lengthy profile of GMU economics professor Peter Boettke. It also describes the resurgent interest in Austrian economics. Entitled Spreading Hayek, Spurning Keynes–Professor Leads an Austrian Revival, it begins this way: Peter J. Boettke, shuffling around in a maroon velour track suit or faux-leather rubber shoes […]
Got the Messuage?
That’s the word of the day, which I just ran across for the first time: messuage.
Living in Sin and Judicial Activism
From today’s In re the Petition of Theresa Goudeau to Adopt a Minor Child (Ga. Ct. App.), 2010 WL 3369363 (some paragraph breaks added) (opinion not yet on any free online site, to my knowledge). I should say that the trial court’s decision to take a child away from foster parents because they’re an unmarried […]
Very Cool Technology Policy Job Opening on Capitol Hill
I don’t often do job postings here, but this is a particularly cool position for readers with experience working on the Hill: Active Silicon Valley Democrat seeks senior technology advisor for fast-paced legislative office. Candidates should possess expertise in technology policy, telecommunications policy, or intellectual property. Portfolio also includes, taxes, financial services, and small business. […]
Vaccine-Autism Link Rejected (Again)
Today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Special Master’s finding that plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate any link between childhood vaccines and autism or autism spectrum disorders. More from BLT here. I’ve previously blogged on the efforts to link autism and vaccines here, here, here, and here.
Writ of Mandamus Sought in Comer v. Murphy Oil
It’s a big week for climate change litigation. In addition to the SG filing I noted below, the plaintiffs in Comer v. Murphy Oil, a public nuisance suit against multiple energy companies, have filed a petition for a writ of mandamus with the Supreme Court in an effort to revive their litigation. It’s an interesting […]
“Area Man Passionate Defender Of What He Imagines Constitution To Be”
This is a few months old, but still pretty funny: from The Onion. Thanks to reader John Ellis for the link.
The SG’s Brief in American Electric Power v. Connecticut
The environmental law community is buzzing over a brief filed by the Solicitor General’s Office this week on behalf of the Tennessee Valley Authority in American Electric Power v. Connecticut. As reported by the Washington Post, the WSJ‘s Washington Wire, and Greenwire, environmentalist groups are shocked and dismayed by the SG’s decision to enter the […]
C-SPAN Discussion of the Fourth Amendment and GPS Surveillance
I was on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal program this morning discussing GPS surveillance and the Fourth Amendment. You can watch the program here.
More Punishment for Ethnically Offensive Speech in Europe
Expatica reports: A Dutch appeals court on Thursday fined an Arab organisation in the Netherlands 2,500 euros [with 1,500 euros suspended] for causing “unnecessary offence” in publishing a Holocaust-denying cartoon[, which depicts the Nazi Holocaust as a figment of Jewish imagination]…. “The suggestion that [the Holocaust] may have been contrived or exaggerated by victims is […]
Oxford Introduction to U.S. Law: Contracts
Given that law school classes have or are about to start for many readers, I thought I would post a quick link to a new book of mine on contract law. It is written to provide an overview or “big picture” of contracts that discusses as many of the classic cases you are likely to […]
Reminder About “The Legal Workshop”
We discussed the site The Legal Workshop when it opened in April 2009, and I thought folks might appreciate a reminder. The site features short summaries of new law review articles published in participating journals.
Does Dressing Up as a Cop, Staging Fake Traffic Stops, Looking for Drugs, and then Keeping the Drugs Violate the Fourth Amendment?
Here’s one from the “now I’ve seen everything” department. In United States v. Torres-Sobrado, — F.Supp.2d –, 2010 WL 3290958 (D. Puerto Rico 2010), handed down last week, twelve defendants allegedly dressed up as police officers and pulled over motorists for traffic violations. One of the twelve was an actual police officer, but apparently the […]