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Articles 1 - 30 of 41
Full-Text Articles in Constitutional Law
Understanding The Paradoxical Case Of The Voting Rights Act, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Understanding The Paradoxical Case Of The Voting Rights Act, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Articles by Maurer Faculty
This is an article about the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its curious handling by the U.S. Supreme Court. When the Court examines the constitutionality of the Act, for example, it blindly defers to the work of Congress, unwilling to subject the statute to any meaningful scrutiny. In contrast, this posture of deference for questions of constitutional law differs greatly from the Court’s posture when interpreting the language of the statute. This is an area where the Court defers to no one, even when the text of the statute or the clear intent of Congress demands a different outcome. …
Shadow Precedents And The Separation Of Powers: Statutory Interpretation Of Congressional Overrides, Deborah Widiss
Shadow Precedents And The Separation Of Powers: Statutory Interpretation Of Congressional Overrides, Deborah Widiss
Articles by Maurer Faculty
In both judicial decisions and critical commentary on statutory interpretation, the possibility of congressional override is generally considered a significant balance to the countermajoritarian reality that courts, through statutory interpretation, make policy. This Article demonstrates that the "check" on judicial power provided by overrides is not as robust as is typically assumed. One might assume that overridden precedents are functionally erased or reversed. But because Congress technically cannot overrule a prior decision, courts must determine whether the enactment of an override fully supersedes the prior judicial interpretation. Overrides thus raise unique, and previously largely ignored, questions of statutory interpretation. Using …
Judicial Activism And Fourteenth Amendment Privacy Claims: The Allure Of Originalism And The Unappreciated Promise Of Constrained Nonoriginalism, Daniel O. Conkle
Judicial Activism And Fourteenth Amendment Privacy Claims: The Allure Of Originalism And The Unappreciated Promise Of Constrained Nonoriginalism, Daniel O. Conkle
Articles by Maurer Faculty
Among other meanings, "judicial activism" can be defined as judicial decisionmaking that frustrates majoritarian self-government and that is unconstrained by law. So understood, judicial activism is presumptively problematic, because it frustrates customary democratic and judicial norms.
In this essay, I address originalist and nonoriginalist responses to the presumptive problem of judicial activism in the context of Fourteenth Amendment privacy claims, including claims relating to abortion, sexual conduct, and same-sex marriage. I argue that originalism is an overrated solution, largely because current understandings of originalism, despite claims to the contrary, do not provide standards of decision that are sufficiently clear to …
Death To Tyrants: District Of Columbia V. Heller And The Uses Of Guns, David C. Williams
Death To Tyrants: District Of Columbia V. Heller And The Uses Of Guns, David C. Williams
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
The Supreme Court And Indiana's Voter Id Law, David Williams
The Supreme Court And Indiana's Voter Id Law, David Williams
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Challenging The Assumption Of Equality: The Due Process Rights Of Foreign Litigants In U.S. Courts (Panel), Austen L. Parrish, Paul R. Dubinsky
Challenging The Assumption Of Equality: The Due Process Rights Of Foreign Litigants In U.S. Courts (Panel), Austen L. Parrish, Paul R. Dubinsky
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Are Senior Judges Unconstitutional?, Ryan W. Scott, David R. Stras
Are Senior Judges Unconstitutional?, Ryan W. Scott, David R. Stras
Articles by Maurer Faculty
With burgeoning caseloads and persistent vacancies in many federal courts, senior judges play a vital role in the continued well-being of our federal judiciary. Despite the importance of their participation in the judicial process, however, senior judges raise a host of constitutional concerns that have escaped the notice of scholars and courts. Many of the problems originate with recent changes to the statute authorizing federal judges to elect senior status, including a 1989 law that permits senior judges to fulfill their statutory responsibilities by performing entirely nonjudicial work. Others arise from the ambiguity of the statutory scheme itself, which seems …
The Aggregate Harmony Metric And A Statistical And Visual Contextualization Of The Rehnquist Court: 50 Years Of Data, Peter A. Hook
The Aggregate Harmony Metric And A Statistical And Visual Contextualization Of The Rehnquist Court: 50 Years Of Data, Peter A. Hook
Articles by Maurer Faculty
This article contains aggregated data from fifty years of the annual matrixes of justice inter-agreement for particular Supreme Court terms published by the Harvard Law Review (1956 to 2005 terms). Aggregating how often any two justices sided together on cases for a particular term relative to the amount of cases the two justices heard together allows one to derive a measure of the particular term that reflects the relative amount of agreement or disagreement for the term. This new metric, called the Aggregate Harmony Metric, allows for comparative benchmarks. For instance, the 2005 term, with an aggregate agreement of 70%, …
Of Platonic Guardians, Trust, And Equality: A Comment On Hasen's Minimalist Approach To The Law Of Elections, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Of Platonic Guardians, Trust, And Equality: A Comment On Hasen's Minimalist Approach To The Law Of Elections, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
An Essay On The Spirit Of Liberty In The Fog Of War, Patrick L. Baude
An Essay On The Spirit Of Liberty In The Fog Of War, Patrick L. Baude
Articles by Maurer Faculty
This article previews the Supreme Court's decision in the Guantánamo prisoners' cases, arguing they should be dismissed for failure of jurisdiction. The worst possible outcome for civil liberties in wartime would be a decision to adjudicate the rights of the prisoners under an anemic view of individual rights and judicial jurisdiction. It is evident that the Court will not apply a robust conception of due process to these cases, in light of the inevitable pressures of national security in wartime. But faint-hearted judicial review, the likely result, will foster the political illusion that business as normal for our constitutional system …
In Defense Of Deference, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer, Guy-Uriel E. Charles
In Defense Of Deference, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer, Guy-Uriel E. Charles
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
The Dynamic Judicial Opinion, William D. Popkin
The Dynamic Judicial Opinion, William D. Popkin
Articles by Maurer Faculty
Eskridge's article on Dynamic Statutory Interpretation advances an aggressively pragmatic theory of interpretation but has had more influence among academics than judges because of a failure to attend to the problems of writing a candid, pragmatic and dynamic judicial opinion. This article argues that, although not free from doubt, a candid judicial opinion is preferable, and discusses how to write such an opinion - suggesting that judges rely on the "intent of the statute," not legislative intent; and adopt a personal/exploratory style in presenting their views.
Baker's Promise, Equal Protection, And The Modern Redistricting Revolution: A Plea For Rationality, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Baker's Promise, Equal Protection, And The Modern Redistricting Revolution: A Plea For Rationality, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Articles by Maurer Faculty
The conventional wisdom contends that Baker v. Carr did not set down a standard for lower courts to follow. This Article responds to this position. It reaches three conclusions. First, it argues the implicit promise of Baker v. Carr pointed toward a loose, flexible rationality standard for deciding redistricting controversies. Under this approach, states were given much room to enact redistricting plans in accordance to their states' particular needs. Second, the lower courts applied precisely this standard in litigation in the wake of Baker, and did so quite capably. This conclusion responds to those who exhort the imposition of a …
Challenges To Racial Redistricting In The New Millennium: Hunt V. Cromartie As A Case Study, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer, Guy-Uriel E. Charles
Challenges To Racial Redistricting In The New Millennium: Hunt V. Cromartie As A Case Study, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer, Guy-Uriel E. Charles
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Book Review. American Constitutionalism: From Theory To Politics, Daniel O. Conkle
Book Review. American Constitutionalism: From Theory To Politics, Daniel O. Conkle
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Book Review. The Supreme Court And Constitutional Theory: 1953-1993, Donald H. Gjerdingen
Book Review. The Supreme Court And Constitutional Theory: 1953-1993, Donald H. Gjerdingen
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Retroactivity And The Great Writ: How Congress Should Respond To Teague V. Lane, Joseph L. Hoffmann
Retroactivity And The Great Writ: How Congress Should Respond To Teague V. Lane, Joseph L. Hoffmann
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Book Review. Behind Bakke: Affirmative Action And The Supreme Court By Bernard Schwartz, Daniel O. Conkle
Book Review. Behind Bakke: Affirmative Action And The Supreme Court By Bernard Schwartz, Daniel O. Conkle
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Are State Courts Enforcing The Fourth Amendment? A Preliminary Study, Craig M. Bradley
Are State Courts Enforcing The Fourth Amendment? A Preliminary Study, Craig M. Bradley
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Symposium: Bowsher V. Synar: Introduction, Alfred C. Aman
Symposium: Bowsher V. Synar: Introduction, Alfred C. Aman
Articles by Maurer Faculty
The papers in this symposium examine constitutionally significant separation-of-powers themes that were particularly controversial in Franklin Roosevelt's administrations and once again command our attention. The Supreme Court's decision in cases such as Immigration & Naturalization Services v. Chadha I and Bowsher v. Synar2 have helped to resurrect questions that have been ignored, if not resolved, since the 1930s. This symposium focuses on the contemporary debate that these issues have generated, and it provides us with an array of approaches to and perspectives on that debate. As this Introduction emphasizes, that these issues have arisen before is significant, both legally and …
Interest Analysis As Constitutional Law, Gene R. Shreve
Interest Analysis As Constitutional Law, Gene R. Shreve
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
The Uncertainty Principle In The Supreme Court, Craig M. Bradley
The Uncertainty Principle In The Supreme Court, Craig M. Bradley
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Two Models Of The Fourth Amendment, Craig M. Bradley
Two Models Of The Fourth Amendment, Craig M. Bradley
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
The Legitimacy Of Judicial Review In Individual Rights Cases: Michael Perry's Constitutional Theory And Beyond, Daniel O. Conkle
The Legitimacy Of Judicial Review In Individual Rights Cases: Michael Perry's Constitutional Theory And Beyond, Daniel O. Conkle
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Nonoriginalist Constitutional Rights And The Problem Of Judicial Finality, Daniel O. Conkle
Nonoriginalist Constitutional Rights And The Problem Of Judicial Finality, Daniel O. Conkle
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Griffin V. California: Still Viable After All These Years, Craig M. Bradley
Griffin V. California: Still Viable After All These Years, Craig M. Bradley
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Comparative Negligence Versus The Constitutional Guarantee Of Equal Protection: A Hypothetical Judicial Decision, Daniel O. Conkle, Claude R. Sowle
Comparative Negligence Versus The Constitutional Guarantee Of Equal Protection: A Hypothetical Judicial Decision, Daniel O. Conkle, Claude R. Sowle
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Easy Cases, Bad Law, And Burdens Of Proof, Roger B. Dworkin
Easy Cases, Bad Law, And Burdens Of Proof, Roger B. Dworkin
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Advisory Opinions In The Federal Judiciary -- A Comparative Study, Wencelas J. Wagner
Advisory Opinions In The Federal Judiciary -- A Comparative Study, Wencelas J. Wagner
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
The Original And Exclusive Jurisdiction Of The United States Supreme Court, Wencelas J. Wagner
The Original And Exclusive Jurisdiction Of The United States Supreme Court, Wencelas J. Wagner
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.