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Rising Temperatures, The Prison Litigation Reform Act, And The Heat Death Of Human Dignity In Texas Prisons, Brianne Wylie

Northwestern University Law Review

This Note seeks to shed light on the life-threatening danger of extreme heat in un-air-conditioned Texas prisons. The Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) starkly limits the relief available to those suffering and dying in these prisons. This Note proposes an amendment to the legislation that could create a path toward lasting relief for incarcerated people. After analyzing the effects of increasing heat on the particularly vulnerable prison population, this Note analyzes how the Supreme Court and the Fifth Circuit have handled claims alleging constitutionally violative prison conditions under the Eighth Amendment—in short, ineffectively, if at all. This Note then details …

The Seventh Amendment Right To Jury Trial In The Administrative State: Recognizing The Dangers Of The Constitutional Moment, Martin H. Redish, Samy Abdelsalam

Notre Dame Law Review

One prominent constitutional scholar has sought to legitimize this constitutional transformation through resort to a strange and controversial analytical model he describes as the “constitutional moment.” In this Article, we plan to establish two important points: (1) there exists no principled mode of analysis of the Seventh Amendment right to jury trial that justifies the Court’s categorical dichotomy between Article III and non–Article III forums for purposes of the right’s applicability, and (2) while the theory of the “constitutional moment” would in fact justify the Court’s insulation of the administrative state from Seventh Amendment applicability, reliance on such a theory …

Non–Article Iii Federal Tribunals: An Essay On The Relation Between Theory And Practice, Richard H. Fallon Jr.

Notre Dame Law Review

Since the 1980s, the Supreme Court’s decisions involving the permissible uses of non–Article III federal tribunals have repeatedly invoked two competing theories. A “historical-exceptions” or “formalist” model would insist that only Article III judges can exercise federal adjudicative power except in three categories of cases that history marks as exceptional. A rival approach, often labeled “functionalism,” would allow further deviations from the historical norm if they are supported by sound practical justifications and do not threaten the fundamental role of the Article III judiciary within the separation of powers. This Article explores the relationship between theory and practice in explaining …

The Public/Private Rights Critics, Ann Woolhandler, Michael G. Collins

Notre Dame Law Review

In Adjudication in the Political Branches, Professor Caleb Nelson provided an influential account of when federal adjudication might take place outside of the Article III courts. The ability of Congress to place adjudicative matters outside of Article III courts largely depended on whether the matter might be considered one of public or private rights. Nelson also traced changes over time that undermined the coherence of the traditional public/private right distinction, and recommended returning to the traditional model. Later writers have attempted either to qualify or refute the existence of the public/private-rights framework by studying particular areas of law that …

Thurgood Marshall Memorial Lecture: 80 Years After Korematsu V. U.S.: It's All About Us 10-29-2024, Roger Williams University School Of Law

School of Law Conferences, Lectures & Events

No abstract provided.

Despair For Democracy, Bennett L. Gershman

Pace Law Review

In the convoluted terrain of American democracy, the proliferation of lies, misinformation, conspiracy theories, and paranoid thinking has emerged as a pervasive force, undermining the foundational principles upon which the nation was built. This article embarks on a penetrating exploration of the multifaceted challenges posed by these phenomena, exacerbated by the divisive rhetoric and provocative incitements to violence perpetuated by the Trump administration. As the fabric of truth unravels, the rule of law stands as a critical linchpin in preserving the integrity of democracy, serving as a bulwark against the encroachment of authoritarianism and the unchecked spread of disinformation.

Against …

Free Exercise Challenges To Entheogen Prohibitions: Precedents, Principles, And Issues, Kevin Chamow

Pace Law Review

This paper examines the conditions for the possibility of future

challenges to prohibitions against the cultivation, distribution, and use of entheogens—substances which reliably induce religious experiences in their users—based on the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. Smith no longer applies to federal prohibitions against entheogens, because of Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Under the current Gonzalez framework, the Court is given the difficult task of evaluating the cost of the claimant’s exemption against the state’s interest in the general ban; including how the exemption would impact enforcement of the general ban. This is essentially predictive systems-theory and policymaking, …

Samuel Alito's Dobbs Opinion And The Resurrection Of Second-Class Citizenship, Sue Mcgrath

Pace Law Review

This article examines Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion in the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, analyzing its implications for women’s rights and reproductive freedom in the United States. By contextualizing Alito’s arguments within a historical framework, the piece argues that his decision represents a significant regression in civil rights, effectively resurrecting a form of second-class citizenship for women. The analysis delves into the legal reasoning employed, the socio-political ramifications of the ruling, and the broader implications for gender equality. Ultimately, the article calls for a critical reevaluation of judicial interpretations that prioritize certain rights over others, highlighting the …

Why Not More Seats? Increasing The House Of Representative's Size Using The Least Populous State Solution, Jennifer Kindred Mitchell

Pace Law Review

Representative democracy is for the people, by the people. But what happens when the connection between the people’s representative and their constituents erodes over time due to increased population and district size? The United States House of Representatives’ membership has been capped at 435 for almost 100 years leading to an increase in the average district size from 280,875 in 1930 to 761,169 in 2020. House membership and constituents represented by each member is out of balance, causing a decrease in representative democracy, large over and underrepresented district disparities, and feelings of disenfranchisement by citizens. Therefore, this paper premises that …

The Appeal Of The Apex Court In Botswana: The Case Of Carter Morupisi V. State, Muna B. Ndulo, Louis Koen, Samantha Smit

SAIPAR Case Review

This case note discusses the Botswana Court of Appeal's ruling in Carter Morupisi v State, which addressed the High Court's unprecedented attempt to review a decision of the Court of Appeal. The commentary highlights the fundamental principle of judicial hierarchy and the separation of powers in Botswana's constitutional framework. The Court of Appeal emphatically rejected the High Court's jurisdiction to review its judgments, reaffirming its position as the final arbiter (highest judicial authority). The authors emphasise that while the High Court may raise constitutional questions with regards to Apex courts decisions, it cannot adjudicate on them, reinforcing the concept of …

Reimagining Judicial Review Of Student Requests For Remote Instruction As An Ada Accommodation In Higher Education, Hannah E. Auten

Chicago-Kent Law Review

No abstract provided.

We Have Lost Our Minds: Bioethics After Dobbs, Teneille R. Brown

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the paradoxical treatment of autonomy in American healthcare law. While autonomy has become the dominant principle in medical ethics and neoliberal market philosophies, pregnant people have been systematically denied this same autonomy through increasingly restrictive abortion statutes. Using the rhetoric of “informed consent,” abortion-restrictive statutes ironically pervert the animating principles behind the doctrine—rendering it almost meaningless.  I argue that this contradiction stems from the dehumanization of pregnant people who seek abortions, particularly through the denial of their capacity to have individual, complex mental states and feelings. Drawing on moral psychology, the article demonstrates how pregnant people are …

Constitutional And Administrative Innovation Through State Labor Law, Kate Andrias

Faculty Scholarship

This Essay explores recent efforts by worker organizations to transform labor policy in states, as well as countermobilizations by business and conservative groups. It focuses on two particularly promising efforts: the development of worker standards boards and pro-labor changes to state constitutional law. It shows why, as a matter of political economy, such reforms have been achievable at the state and local levels, but not the federal level, and explores the potential of state reforms to build greater economic and political power for working people, notwithstanding limits imposed by federal preemption doctrine. Ultimately, this Essay argues that these recent innovations …

Adjudication Of Presidential Term Limits In Zambia: A Comment On Michelo Chizombe V. Edgar Chagwa Lungu And Others 2023/Ccz/0021, O'Brien Kaaba

SAIPAR Case Review

This piece examines the Zambian Constitutional Court's decision on former President Edgar Lungu's eligibility to contest future presidential elections. The Court ruled Lungu ineligible, based on the application of Article 35 of the Constitution of Zambia, which was in force during his first term. The authors highlight the national significance of this case, particularly its impact on the 2026 presidential elections and its potential to reshape opposition politics. The commentary further explores the power of an apex court to depart from its own precedents, affirming the Constitutional Court's inherent jurisdiction to do so under exceptional circumstances, aligning with practices in …

Genealogy In Constitutional Law, Charles W. Tyler

Vanderbilt Law Review

Genealogy is a form of argument that seeks to discredit social phenomena by exposing their pernicious ancestry. In recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has used genealogy to undermine key provisions of written law, doctrinal rules, longstanding practices, and private conduct in cases involving a wide range of constitutional issues.

After comprehensively documenting this development, this Article contends that genealogy can advance conclusions within several widely recognized modalities of constitutional interpretation. More specifically, genealogy can be used to undermine assertions of authority implicit in arguments from precedent, tradition, and ethos. And it can be used to reveal its object’s function …

A Republic Of Spending, Jonathan S. Gould

Michigan Law Review

Large-scale spending measures make up many of Congress’s most important recent contributions to national policymaking. Congress has appropriated trillions of dollars to respond to emergencies, fight climate change, expand social safety net programs, spur technological innovation, and strengthen national infrastructure. While the contemporary Congress’s failure to enact landmark regulatory statutes causes many to characterize it as dysfunctional, Congress in fact remains quite active—its policymaking energy is simply concentrated in the spending domain.

Congress’s use of spending rather than regulatory legislation as its primary way of shaping national policy marks a significant shift in American governance. This Article examines the causes …

Constitutional Federalism And The Nature Of The Union, Anthony J. Bellia Jr., Bradford R. Clark

William & Mary Law Review

Federalism is an essential feature of the Constitution’s design and structure, but the Constitution does not spell out every respective authority of the federal government and the States in precise detail. This omission has led some observers to embrace broad—if not unlimited—federal power and reject certain longstanding federalism doctrines—such as state sovereign immunity, the anti-commandeering doctrine, and the equal sovereignty of the States. The objection to such doctrines is that the Constitution does not affirmatively grant States these sovereign rights and powers. This charge overlooks long-forgotten background context essential to faithful interpretation of the Constitution. The former British Colonies in …

Balancing Freedom Of Expression And Equality On College Campuses In The Wake Of Intensified Antisemitism, Andrea Martin

Faculty Scholarship

The long-standing debate about free speech on college campuses was reignited by the latest attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Since then, anti-Israel advocacy at universities has drastically escalated. During demonstrations, protests, and rallies, students shout vile antisemitic slogans, call for the death of Jews and the destruction of Israel, promote violence against Jews, and harass and threaten fellow students because they are Jewish. Some university administrators have been publicly accused of floundering in their responses to intensifying antisemitic campus environments and failing to protect Jewish students from harassment. In defense of their inaction, a frequent retort …

Takings, Original Meaning, And Applying Property Law Principles To Fix Penn Central, John M. Groen

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Second Amendment: Incompatible Methodologies And The Bruen And Heller Opinions' Underlying Misalignment, Henry H. Robinson

Touro Law Review

In its 2022 Bruen opinion, the Supreme Court characterized the Heller opinion as having applied a “methodological approach” for interpretation of the Second Amendment. However, Bruen’s description and summary partially omitted, and was materially misaligned with, Heller’s actual reasoning. In Heller’s first step of constitutional interpretation, which addressed the first clause of the sentence comprising the Second Amendment, the opinion had selectively not applied the methodological approach described in Bruen; Heller’s first step had applied a different, incompatible methodological approach. Bruen’s description was aligned only with the second step of Heller’s constitutional reasoning, which had addressed the sentence’s second clause. …

School Choice & Religious Discrimination: A Story Of The Illusory "Wall Of Separation," Sour "Lemon Tests," And Overgrown "Baby Blaines", Keren Kendil

Touro Law Review

The significance of elementary school education in shaping a child's future, and the success of society, is immeasurable. The free public school system is built on the premise that every child deserves to have the equal opportunity to learn and succeed. However, this system overlooks the millions of children attending private schools due to their religious and moral convictions. This note delves into the imperative of ensuring universal access to quality elementary education for every child, irrespective of their family's religious affiliations or preferences for private schooling, highlighting the constitutional imperatives of ensuring that every child has the opportunity to …

Livin' On A Legislative Prayer: How Prayer At A School Board Meeting Survives Under An Exception To The Establishment Clause, Brian Muff

Touro Law Review

This Note discusses the circuit split between the Ninth Circuit and the Fifth Circuit on whether prayer should be permitted to open up a school board meeting. First introducing the topic and explaining the history of legislative prayer in America, the Note then discusses governing Supreme Court precedent concerning school prayer and legislative prayer. After analyzing the cases that are the subject of the circuit split, the Note concludes with a recommendation that the Supreme Court permit the recitation of prayer to begin a school board meeting, citing the commonalities between a school board and a legislature and making three …

Breaching The Walls Of The Inviolable Citadel: The Supreme Court's Treatment Of The Lemon Test And Its Progeny, Christopher C. Spinosa Jr.

Touro Law Review

The Supreme Court in Kennedy v. Bremerton finally laid the three-pronged Lemon test to rest. Instead of Lemon and its progeny, Establishment Clause cases are now to be decided based upon the historical practices and understandings of our Founding Fathers. Subsequently, the Eleventh Circuit instructed the Middle District of Florida to its analysis in Rojas v. City of Ocala. In Rojas, a prayer vigil occurred in the City's public square and featured uniformed police chaplains singing and engaging in Christian prayers. After this Note was written and submitted for publication, the district court issued its decision in Rojas …

The Punishment Of Cruel And Unusual Conditions: Extending The Purely Objective Standard Adopted In Kingsley V. Hendrickson To Claims Of Deliberate Indifference, Samantha M. Davis

Touro Law Review

In 2015, the Supreme Court in Kingsley v. Hendrickson held that a pretrial detainee claiming excessive force on the part of the state must only show that the force used was objectively unreasonable. Prior to the adoption of the purely objective standard, many courts around the country were analyzing such cases through a subjective standard to determine whether the officers subjectively knew that the force used against a pretrial detainee was unreasonable. The absence of this objective standard essentially allowed state officials to use excessive force against pretrial detainees without violating an individual’s Constitutional rights. The Supreme Court reasoned that …

The Power Of All: Tort In The Age Of Constitution, Cristina Carmody Tilley

Faculty Publications

Life in a multicultural nation can be fraught. The United States is a case in point, with hostile tension between members of competing identity groups playing out today on streets, in offices, and across the media. Modern Americans assume that bridging race, gender, and class inequity is the stuff of public—constitutional—law. This assumption follows the lead of modern American lawyers, who migrated to this body of law just as historians, sociologists, and economists began to insist that the private law of tort was exclusively concerned with the accidental physical harms inevitable in a modern economy. According to this econostory, tort …

Reconstructing Citizenship, Jenny E. Carroll, James Jeter

Faculty Scholarship

In our republican democracy, voting is a central right of citizenship. Yet millions of voters are routinely disenfranchised as a result of convictions or because their carceral status creates barriers to voting. In the past decade, academic scholarship has focused on the impact of disenfranchisement based on conviction. This work has mapped the legal and social implications of policies that deny voting rights to over five million otherwise eligible voters nationwide. Yet this work has some gaps. First, by focusing solely on conviction-based disenfranchisement, the existing scholarship has largely ignored fatal barriers to voting created (and at times perpetuated) by …

Affirmative Action’S Asian American Problem, Huyen Pham, Joseph Thai

Faculty Scholarship

Asian American opponents of affirmative action have received both credit and blame for their pivotal role in toppling racial preferences in university admissions in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (SFFA). Allied conservatives highlighted evidence of discrimination against Asian American applicants as a compelling reason to dismantle affirmative action; liberals either denied this discrimination existed or tolerated it as an acceptable cost of helping other minority applicants. But largely unacknowledged is the precipitating history of the Supreme Court’s marginalization of Asian American applicants and its decades of tacit approval of their exclusion from affirmative action programs. This unwritten …

Transcript: Structural Racism, The Healthcare System And Health Justice, Ruquaiijah Yearby

Journal of Law and Health

The following is a transcript from Racial Disparities and Outcomes presented at Cleveland State University College of Law by the Journal of Law and Health on Friday, February 9, 2024. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and to reflect updates in the relevant law since the time of transcription.

Transcript: Rethinking Federalism In Health Care, Allison Whelan

Journal of Law and Health

The following is a transcript from Racial Disparities and Outcomes presented at Cleveland State University College of Law by the Journal of Law and Health on Friday, February 9, 2024. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and to reflect updates in the relevant law since the time of transcription.

Florida’S Privacy Paradox, Emily Grady

University of Miami Law Review

For almost half a century, Floridians have enjoyed a right to privacy specially guaranteed to them by the Florida constitution. This broad right to privacy, pre-Dobbs, guaranteed several specific rights like the right to have an abortion, the right to be left alone in one’s own home, and the right to be able to direct the upbringing of one’s children, amongst other rights. Despite the fact that these specific rights were nestled in the same broad right to privacy, their treatment has been far from similar in recent years in Florida.

This Note examines the evolution of Florida’s …