By: Zachary Tooman Lamenting Richard Nixon’s nomination of William Rehnquist for Associate Justice in December 1971, Dr. Hunter Thompson labeled Rehnquist a “vengeful geek” who would, along with fellow nominee Lewis Powell, “reduce the U.S. Supreme Court to the level of a piss-poor bowling team in Memphis,” and create a “disastrous, nazi-bent shift of the …
By: Prakash Kadiri Is giving nutritional advice protected by the First Amendment? Absolutely. Now, what if you’re not licensed by the state but compensated for that advice—is your speech still protected by the First Amendment? A Florida District Court recently said no. In deciding cases like this, courts try to distinguish whether the licensing laws— …
By: Elliotte Kiel Applicant Surveillance to Prevent Fraud In March 2019, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced it is looking into social media surveillance of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) applicants. The agency justified this as part of their “responsibility to detect and prevent fraud.” SSDI pays monthly benefits to people who cannot regularly work …
By: Lindsay Byers October is a busy month for institutions that are subject to the Clery Act, as they begin releasing their safety reports. While many institutions, like UNC Chapel Hill, might be focused on the shocking uptick of reported sexual assaults on campus, Syracuse University is facing an additional issue. Syracuse students have voiced …
By: Clarke Martin You’d be hard-pressed to find an attorney who would characterize their client’s membership in a gang (street, motorcycle, prison, or otherwise) as a “good fact.” But what is a gang and why is being part of one such a bad omen for charges and prosecutions to come? Social scientists note that gangs …
Last week, Julian Assange was indicted on 17 violations of the Espionage Act, a federal law that prohibits interference with United States military operations and support for enemies in times of war. In 2010, Assange published secret government documents on his website, Wikileaks, and now faces federal prosecution. Scholars have noted that the Espionage Act …
By: Olivia Perry Vice President Pence’s wife, Karen, recently made the news for accepting a part-time teaching position at a Christian private school with a controversial anti-LGBT stance. The school makes its stance very clear. Specifically, it requires prospective employees to disavow gay marriage and the trans community in a pledge: “I understand that the …
Check out staff member Alexander’s blog post on Citizen’s United!
By: Christopher Eddy Introduction The Supreme Court’s recent decision in National Institute of Family & Life Advocates v. Becerra (“NIFLA”) dealt with “professional speech.” Specifically, the Court decided if professional speech constituted a separate class of speech and was entitled to less protection under the First Amendment. The law at issue was California’s FACT Act …
Check out staff member, Alyssa Leader’s blog post on the Me Too movement!
