Author Archive | Todd Zywicki

Michael Barone has a nifty post on his new blog on the historical background to the minimum age requirements in the Constitution.

Much to my surprise, although the bankruptcy reform legislation was enacted in April, West does not have a current Bankruptcy statutory supplement (with the 2005 amendments) available for classroom use this Fall. For the past several years, I have used West’s “Law School Edition” of the statutory supplement, primarily because it has Legislative History as […]

Alabama yesterday became the first state to limit Kelo-style takings, unanimously passing legislation in a special session. My favorite quote is from one of the sponsors in the Alabama Senate: “We don’t like anybody messing with our dogs, our guns, our hunting rights or trying to take property from us,” says state Sen. Jack Biddle, […]

Congratulations to my friend and former FTC colleague Bill Kovacic (and Orin’s current colleague) for being nominated as a Commissioner to the FTC to replace Orson Swindle, who completes his period of distinguished service to the Commission. Bill was General Counsel of the FTC during my time as Director of the Office of Policy Planning. […]

A reporter doing a story on the new bankruptcy judgeships asked me if I happened to know how many current Article III judges were previously Bankruptcy Judges. I can think of only two: Conrad Cyr of the 1st Circuit and the previously-mentionted Alice Batchelder of the 6th Circuit. Does anyone know of any others? Thanks […]

In case you missed it in the NY Times, eye-opening article on US News Law School Rankings methodology.

From Law.com’s article on the AmLaw 200 (firms 101-200): Membership in a megafirm isn’t the only ticket to living high on the hog. The partners in The Am Law 200’s Second Hundred — firms number 101 to 200 on our list of the nation’s highest-grossing firms — are doing just fine, despite the fact that […]

I’ve wondered this too.

By Brett Talley.

Jonathan Adler reconsiders the lessons of The Lorax.

This, from Christine Hurt at Conglomerate, is hilarious. Be sure to read the comments. And my poor wife–I’m guilty on both counts.

Professor Bruce Mann has taken issue with my characterization of the original understanding of the Bankruptcy Clause of the Constitution. Having re-read my post, and read his comment, I’m not sure that I understand what he says in his comment that is different from what I said in my post. Perhaps there is a difference […]

I watched the third and final installment of Guns, Germs, and Steel on tv, about Africa. I found the section on the spread of African societies out of western Africa and the selection of where to establish tribes and villages to be very interesting. So far so good. But, it seems to me that his […]

The question that seems least answerable to me by Roberts in a confirmation hearing is the one in which most people are concerned–whether he would overrule Roe v. Wade. Not because of the issue of whether Roe was rightly or wrong decided in the first place, but rather because there is a separate and independent […]

Having just endured another flight through America’s airports, I swallowed the bitter irony of reading this article on plane, “How one airport keeps its security lines short.” The answer seems to be that San Francisco’s airport security has remained in private hands, which has generated more workforce flexibility and technology innovations: San Francisco is one […]