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Full-Text Articles in Law

Ideology "All The Way Down"? An Empirical Study Of Establishment Clause Decisions In The Federal Courts, Gregory C. Sisk, Michael Heise May 2012

Ideology "All The Way Down"? An Empirical Study Of Establishment Clause Decisions In The Federal Courts, Gregory C. Sisk, Michael Heise

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Ideology 'All The Way Down'? An Empirical Study Of Establishment Clause Decisions In The Federal Courts, Gregory C. Sisk, Michael Heise May 2012

Ideology 'All The Way Down'? An Empirical Study Of Establishment Clause Decisions In The Federal Courts, Gregory C. Sisk, Michael Heise

Michigan Law Review

As part of our ongoing empirical examination of religious liberty decisions in the lower federal courts, we studied Establishment Clause rulings by federal court of appeals and district court judges from 1996 through 2005. The powerful role of political factors in Establishment Clause decisions appears undeniable and substantial, whether celebrated as the proper integration of political and moral reasoning into constitutional judging, shrugged off as mere realism about judges being motivated to promote their political attitudes, or deprecated as a troubling departure from the aspirational ideal of neutral and impartial judging. In the context of Church and State cases in …


Towards A Balanced Approach For The Protection Of Native American Sacred Sites, Alex Tallchief Skibine Apr 2012

Towards A Balanced Approach For The Protection Of Native American Sacred Sites, Alex Tallchief Skibine

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

Protection of "sacred sites" is very important to Native American religious practitioners because it is intrinsically tied to the survival of their cultures, and therefore to their survival as distinct peoples. The Supreme Court in Oregon v. Smith held that rational basis review, and not strict scrutiny, was the appropriate level of judicial review when evaluating the constitutionality of neutral laws of general applicability even when these laws impacted one's ability to practice a religion. Reacting to the decision, Congress enacted the Relgious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which reinstated the strict scrutiny test for challenges to neutral laws of general …


Religious Monopolies And The Commodification Of Religion, Shima Baradaran-Robison, Brett G. Scharffs, Elizabeth A. Sewell Mar 2012

Religious Monopolies And The Commodification Of Religion, Shima Baradaran-Robison, Brett G. Scharffs, Elizabeth A. Sewell

Pepperdine Law Review

In recent years, the number of countries in which a dominant church receives state aid and other forms of preferential treatment has increased. Dominant religions and their supporters in the former Soviet bloc and elsewhere often argue that special benefits and protection are warranted based upon the unique history and contribution of the dominant church to the identity, history, and culture of the country, and the interests of the state and its citizens. Because of the distinctive status of religion and its importance to national and cultural identity, special protection, especially against foreign and other outside influence, is deemed necessary. …


The Story Behind Vidal V. Girard's Executors: Joseph Story, The Philadelphia Bible Riots, And Religious Liberty, Jay Alan Sekulow, Jeremy Tedesco Mar 2012

The Story Behind Vidal V. Girard's Executors: Joseph Story, The Philadelphia Bible Riots, And Religious Liberty, Jay Alan Sekulow, Jeremy Tedesco

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


Civil Rights, Erwin Chemerinsky Mar 2012

Civil Rights, Erwin Chemerinsky

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


Confronting The Shadow: Is Forcing A Muslim Witness To Unveil In A Criminal Trial A Constitutional Right, Or An Unreasonable Intrusion?, Steven R. Houchin Feb 2012

Confronting The Shadow: Is Forcing A Muslim Witness To Unveil In A Criminal Trial A Constitutional Right, Or An Unreasonable Intrusion?, Steven R. Houchin

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.