Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond The Hero Judge: Institutional Reform Litigation As Litigation, Margo Schlanger

Margo Schlanger

No abstract provided.

Mirabile Dictum! The Case For "Unnecessary" Constitutional Rulings In Civil Rights Damages Actions, John M. Greabe

John M Greabe

This article contends that, for purposes of settling the law, courts entertaining civil rights lawsuits doomed to fail on grounds of qualified immunity should presumably address the question whether the complaint pleads a viable claim that the defendant caused a violation of the plaintiff's federal rights. The article also contends that such "unnecessary" threshold rulings are not dicta.

All The Way Down The Slippery Slope: Gun Prohibition In England And Some Lessons For Civil Liberties In America, David B. Kopel, Joseph Olson

David B Kopel

Whenever civil liberties issues are contested, proponents of greater restrictions often chide civil liberties defenders for being unwilling to offer moderate concessions. Frequently, persons advocating restrictions on civil liberties claim that the "moderate" restriction will not infringe the core civil liberty. When rights advocates raise the "slippery slope" argument, they are criticized for being excessively fearful. The goal of the article is to refine our understanding of "slippery slopes" by examining a case in which a civil liberty really did slide all the way down the slippery slope.

The right to arms in Great Britain was entirely unrestricted at the …