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Full-Text Articles in Law
Animus And Its Alternatives: Constitutional Principle And Judicial Prudence, Daniel O. Conkle
Animus And Its Alternatives: Constitutional Principle And Judicial Prudence, Daniel O. Conkle
Articles by Maurer Faculty
In a series of cases addressing sexual orientation and other issues, the Supreme Court has ruled that animus-based lawmaking is constitutionally impermissible. The Court treats animus as an independent and sufficient basis for invalidation. Moreover, it appears to regard animus as a doctrine of first resort, to be utilized even when an alternative constitutional rationale, such as declaring a challenged classification suspect or quasi-suspect, would readily justify the same result. Responding especially to Professor William D. Araiza’s elaboration and defense of the Court’s animus doctrine, I agree that this doctrine is sound, indeed compelling, as a matter of constitutional principle. …
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 …
What's A President To Do? Interpreting The Constitution In The Wake Of Bush Administration Abuses, Dawn E. Johnsen
What's A President To Do? Interpreting The Constitution In The Wake Of Bush Administration Abuses, Dawn E. Johnsen
Articles by Maurer Faculty
President George W. Bush and his executive branch lawyers have earned widespread criticism for extreme positions and practices regarding the scope of presidential authority. The war on terror that followed the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks provided the context for their most controversial claims of unilateral authority: to override legal prohibitions on the use of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; to hold "enemy combatants" indefinitely without access to counsel or any opportunity to challenge their detention; and to engage in domestic electronic surveillance without a court order. Our nation's welfare and integrity depend upon continued evaluation, response, and, …
Lessons From The Right: Progressive Constitutionalism For The Twenty-First Century, Dawn E. Johnsen
Lessons From The Right: Progressive Constitutionalism For The Twenty-First Century, Dawn E. Johnsen
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Functional Departmentalism And Nonjudicial Interpretation: Who Determines Constitutional Meaning?, Dawn E. Johnsen
Functional Departmentalism And Nonjudicial Interpretation: Who Determines Constitutional Meaning?, Dawn E. Johnsen
Articles by Maurer Faculty
Published as part of a Duke Law School symposium on Conservative and Progressive Legal Orders, this article considers the appropriate role of the political branches - Congress and the President - in the development of constitutional meaning, including the extent of presidential and congressional authority to act on constitutional views at odds with judicial doctrine. The article discusses deficiencies in strong forms of both judicial supremacy (such as that behind the Rehnquist Court's recent limits on Congress's section 5 authority) and what is described in the academic literature as departmentalism (which emphasizes near-plenary authority for each branch to act on …
Interstate Dialogue In State Constitutional Law, Patrick L. Baude
Interstate Dialogue In State Constitutional Law, Patrick L. Baude
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Comments On Commercial Speech, Constitutionalism, Collective Choice, Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt
Comments On Commercial Speech, Constitutionalism, Collective Choice, Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Congressional Silence: A Tool Of Judicial Supremacy, Frank Edward Horack Jr.
Congressional Silence: A Tool Of Judicial Supremacy, Frank Edward Horack Jr.
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.