Former Clinton speechwriter Eric Liu has an op-ed in the Politico today defending the nomination of Professor Goodwin Liu (no relation). Eric Liu is correct that some attacks on Professor Liu have been overwrought or exaggerated — and, in my view, reflect a degree of ideological scrutiny I do not believe the Senate should engage […]
Author Archive | Jonathan H. Adler
When Good News Isn’t Good News
Yesterday, the New York Times reported on a sharp global decline in maternal deaths. This is good news, right? Not to some. The Times also reported that some activists sought to pressure the Lancet into delaying or downplaying the findings. some advocates for women’s health tried to pressure The Lancet into delaying publication of the […]
“Garzon and the Trouble with International Law”
Onetime VC contributor Eric Posner has a WSJ op-ed on the indictment of Judge Baltasar Garzón in Spain and what this episode should teach us about the efforts to assert universal jurisdiction over alleged atrocities that occurred within the sovereignty of other nations. Here’s a taste: Universal jurisdiction arose centuries ago to give states a […]
Is a Shoebox Like a Suitcase?
This morning the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued an opinion in United States v. Taylor, affirming the district court’s suppression of evidence (a handgun and ammunition) found in a shoebox. Judge Gilman wrote the opinion for the court, joined by Judge Daughtrey. Judge Kethledge dissented. His dissenting opinion begins: The majority […]
Judge Baltazar Garzón Indicted
Spanish judge Baltazar Garzón rose to fame in 1998 when he issued an arrest warrant for former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet for the alleged murder and torture of Spanish citizens in Chile. Such use of universal jurisdiction was unprecedented — and it was only the beginning. Since then, Judge Garzón has investigated Bush Administration officials […]
Did Congress Understand the Health Bill It Passed?
Today’s New York Times presents evidence that it did not. It is often said that the new health care law will affect almost every American in some way. And, perhaps fittingly if unintentionally, no one may be more affected than members of Congress themselves.In a new report, the Congressional Research Service says the law may […]
Remembering Justice Stevens as a Boss
Today’s NYT presents reminiscences from six former clerks to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, Susan Estrich, Eduardo Penalver, Jeffrey Fisher, Cliff Sloan, Deborah Pearlstein, and Joseph Thai.
Sunday Song Lyric
Punk pioneer Malcolm McLaren died this week. McLaren managed both the New York Dolls and the Sex Pistols. While neither band lasted too long in its initial incarnation, both were quite influential. Under McLaren’s leadership, the Sex Pistols courted controversy and cemented their place in history. Their 1977 single, “God Save the Queen,” was almost […]
The Kennedy Court Comes of Age
As if Justice Kennedy did not wield enough influence on the Supreme Court’s decisions already, SCOTUSBlog’s Lyle Denniston explains why Justice Stevens’ retirement is likely to increase the swing justice’s effect on the Court. This is so for two reasons. First, Justice Stevens’ retirment means there are only two justices on the Court with seniority […]
Justice Stevens’ Retirement and the Next Justice
I’ve contributed to two online symposiua discussing Justice Stevens’ retirement and his potential successor. The first — “Topic A” on WashingtonPost.com — includes contributions from Senator Arlen Specter, UC Irvine Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, and Walter Dellinger, among others. The second, on National Review Online, includes contributions from many NRO regulars, as well as Notre Dame’s […]
Blogging Justice Stevens
The National Law Journal has launched a new group blog — Speaking of Stevens — to discuss Justice Stevens’ legacy and the future of the Supreme Court. The wide range of contributors includes our own John Elwood. The National Journal has also re-activated its Ninth Justice nomination blog.
The Timing of Justice Stevens’ Retirement
As Tuan Samahon notes, Justice Stevens has announced his retirement effective the end of the Supreme Court’s term — “effective the next day after the Court rises for the summer recess this year” — and not, as Justice O’Connor had done, effective upon the confirmation of a successor. This may not make any difference, as […]
Justice Stevens to Retire
It’s now official that Justice John Paul Stevens will retire this summer, the AP reports.
Goodwin Liu’s Incomplete Questionnaire
On Tuesday, two weeks after the Senate Judiciary Committee had origianlly planned to hold a confirmation hearing on his nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Professor Goodwin Liu submitted a supplement (his fourth) to his Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire, identifying several dozen lectures, talks, and other items he had failed […]
Scrambling Scrabble
Mattel, the maker of Scrabble, is changing the rules to permit the use of proper nouns for a new edition of the game. For traditionalists, Mattel will also continue to sell games with the old rules.