Law Commons^™

Why Equal Protection Trumps Federalism In The Same-Sex Marriage Cases, Erin Ryan

Erin Ryan

Federalism is once again at the forefront of the Supreme Court’s most contentious cases this Term. The cases attracting most attention are the two same-sex marriage cases that were argued in March. Facing intense public sentiment on both sides of the issue and the difficult questions they raise about the boundary between state and federal authority, some justices openly questioned whether to just defer to the political process. And while this is often a wise prudential approach in review of contested federalism-sensitive policymaking, it’s exactly the wrong course of action when the matter under review is an individual right. This …

A Collective Right To Public Education, Antonette Barilla

Antonette Barilla

This article explores the role of public education and the present ability of the government to provide quality education in light of recent legal, legislative, and social trends, spotlighting the protection of individual rights in public schools. Rapidly mutating societal norms diminish the clarity of expectations for appropriate decorum, and this phenomenon manifests itself in the classroom as well. The growing number of disciplinary issues in public schools across the United States has given rise to questions of the effectiveness of public education. Can the government support this nation’s devotion and reverence for individual rights while still providing an education …

The Fiduciary Theory Of Governmental Legitimacy And The Natural Charter Of The Judiciary, Luke A. Wake

Luke A. Wake

In legal academia, there are various claims as to the proper role of the courts and the standard of review to be employed in evaluating claims of right. These competing judicial philosophies have been the subject of great debate in recent years. Yet underlying these debates is the question of rights and whether men are entitled, in justice, to assurances of personal autonomy, or whether the concept of rights is a mere legal fiction.

In a recent article in the Journal of Law and Philosophy, Evan Fox-Decent argues that individuals are entitled, at a minimum, to certain guarantees of bodily …

The True Cost Of Economic Rights Jurisprudence, Max Mccann

Max McCann

This Article discusses the distinction between economic and individual rights in contemporary political and legal discourse. As discussed herein, the phrase economic rights typically invokes notions of the ability to spend, save, and transfer wealth freely, as well as other related issues, such as the deregulation of industry and tax reform. In contrast, individual rights conjures ideas of being free in one’s person, including reproductive rights, free speech, and freedom of assembly.

With both historic and recent examples, this Article argues that the distinction between economic and individual rights is problematic at best. Rights spring forth from human interests, and …

Reviving A Natural Right: The Freedom Of Autonomy, Michael Anthony Lawrence

Michael Anthony Lawrence

This article explores the historical foundations of the individual rights of equality and free choice on matters of natural private concern (collectively, “freedom of autonomy”) in America, looks at several present-day applications, and concludes that meaningful steps must be taken – by encouraging greater awareness among lawmakers and courts of original meanings of the constitutional terms “liberty,” “property,” “privileges,” and “immunities,” and perhaps even through constitutional amendment – to revive this most basic right from an overbearing government.