There were a bunch of things I was thinking about blogging today, but I’ve been sidetracked by the trade of Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins. For a die-hard Philly sports fan, this is a lot to digest on a Monday morning.
Author Archive | Jonathan H. Adler
Legal Clinics Under Siege
The New York Times reports that law school legal clinics continue to spark controversy and political backlash, particularly (though not exclusively) at state-supported schools. The story keys on efforts by some Maryland legislators to defund the clinic at the University of Maryland law school unless the clinic turns over information about its clients and its […]
Conversations with Justice Stevens
This morning there are interesting articles based on interviews with Justice John Paul Stevens in both the New York Times and Washington Post. In each he talks about his time on the Court and his contemplation of retirement.
Is Stimulus Funding Political?
Has the distribution of simulus funds been influenced by political factors? A study by Veronique de Rugy suggested a partisan tilt in the disbursement of stimulus funds; she found a strong correlation, but no definitive evidence of causation. This prompted a response from Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight. de Rugy replied here, prompting a surreply from […]
Sunday Song Lyric
Is the Easter Bunny a white rabbit? I’ve always assumed so. The Easter Bunny may be a white rabbit but he or she still does not have much to do with Grace Slick’s “White Rabbit,” the classic song she immortalized with Jefferson Airplane in 1967. The rabbit of which Slick sang was the nervously late […]
Interesting SCOTUS Line-Up
Today the Supreme Court released its opinion in Shady Grove Orthopedic v. Allstate Insurance. The case concerns whether state law can preclude a federal court from considering a class-action when the federal court is exercising diversity jurisdiction over a case that primarily raises state law claims. I’m sure others will have plenty to say on […]
Sixth Circuit 0-3 in Habeas Cases This Term
This morning, the Supreme Court unanimously reversed the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Berghuis v. Smith. The Court held, in an opinion by Justice Ginsburg, that the Sixth Circuit had erroneously concluded that the Michigan Supreme Court’s rejection of criminal defendant Diapolis Smith’s Sixth Amendment claim involved an unreasonable application of […]
Was the Individual Mandate a “Republican Idea”?
Many commentators have noted that the individual mandate is an idea that some Republican politicians and right-of-center thinkers used to support. Over the weekend the Associated Press reported that many on the right once championed an individual mandate as part of a broader health care overhaul. Not only does the Massachusetts health care reform championed […]
Did Chief Justice Roberts Prompt President Obama’s Recess Appointments?
There has been some speculation that the President’s willingness to make recess appointments, as he did last week, may have been prompted by the Chief Justice’s suggestion that such appointments could be used to fill seats on the National Labor Relations Board. Last Tuesday, in New Process Steel v. NLRB, the Court heard arguments questioning […]
Sunday Song Lyric
What’s the best political song of all time? The folks at the New Statesmen believe it’s “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie. Here are the later lyrics, which are probably less well known than the opening. As I went walking I saw a sign there And on the sign it said “No Trespassing.” […]
President Makes Fifteen Recess Appointments
President Obama made fifteen recess appointments today, including two to the National Labor Relations Board and four to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Embattled Justice Department nominee Dawn Johnsen was not on the list. These were the President’s first recess appointments of his term, and if not confirmed by the Senate, they will be eligible […]
24 No More
Fox has announced that it is canceling the series “24” after eight seasons. I have not watched the show in years — I stopped at some point in season 3. I suppose there were only so many ways one man can save the nation in 24 hours.
The Wave of Corporate Writedowns
In the past several days, several major corporations have announced substantial writedowns in response to the new health care law. These include Deere & Co. ($150 million), Caterpillar ($100 million), AK Steel Holding ($31 million), and 3M ($85-90 million). Yesterday, AT&T joined the list, announcing it would take a $1 billion charge against future earnings. […]
Is the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement Unconstitutional?
By Jonathan H. Adler on March 26, 2010 2:39 pm in Copyright, Executive Branch, International Law, Internet
Harvard’s Jack Goldsmith and Lawrence Lessig have an interesting op-ed in today’s Washington Post arguing that it woudl be constitutionally dubious for President Obama to adopt the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) as an executive agreement. Here’s a taste: The president has no independent constitutional authority over intellectual property or communications policy, and there is no […]
Age Discrmination Against Child Prodigy?
Here’s an interesting story about an age discrimination complaint filed by a 13-year-old college student against the University of Connecticut. Colin [Carlson] is a sophomore at the University of Connecticut, seeking a bachelor’s degree in ecology and evolutionary biology and another in environmental studies. But he’s been knocked off course by the university’s rejection of […]