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Articles 31 - 60 of 240
Full-Text Articles in Law
Religious Truth, Pluralism, And Secularization: The Shaking Foundations Of American Religious Liberty, Daniel O. Conkle
Religious Truth, Pluralism, And Secularization: The Shaking Foundations Of American Religious Liberty, Daniel O. Conkle
Articles by Maurer Faculty
In this Essay, I recount John Locke’s 1689 Letter Concerning Toleration and explain how religious liberty continues to rest on Lockean and related justifications. These various justifications depend in part on religious-moral reasoning (both Christian and non-Christian) and in part on political-pragmatic considerations. I then discuss recent and ongoing developments in the American religious landscape, including a radical increase in religious diversity, the modernization of traditional faiths, the individualization or "spiritualization" of religion, and the increasing secularization of individual belief structures. I suggest that these developments, over time, may seriously threaten the underlying religious-moral and political-pragmatic foundations of religious liberty …
Judicial Activism And The Interpretation Of The Voting Rights Act, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Judicial Activism And The Interpretation Of The Voting Rights Act, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Articles by Maurer Faculty
From the moment the U.S. Supreme Court first confronted the difficult constitutional questions at the heart of the Voting Rights Act, its posture has been one of deference. This posture has continued to this day. In contrast, the Court has interpreted the language of the Act dynamically, often in total disregard to the text of the law or the intent of Congress. But as this Article explains, the Roberts Court appears poised to unsettle this longstanding narrative. The Act is in serious constitutional danger. One way to explain this move on the part of the Court is by invoking the …
Looking For A Few Good Philosopher Kings: Political Gerrymandering As A Question Of Institutional Competence, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Looking For A Few Good Philosopher Kings: Political Gerrymandering As A Question Of Institutional Competence, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Articles by Maurer Faculty
The redistricting season is about to begin in full swing, and with it will come renewed calls for the federal courts, and particularly the U. S. Supreme Court, to aggressively review the work of the political branches. This is an intriguing puzzle. Since the early 1960’s, the federal courts have regulated questions of politics aggressively. They have done this even in the face of difficult questions of political representation. The courts have taken sides, to be sure, but these can only be described as acts of volition and will, not constitutional law. The leading case is Reynolds v. Sims. This …
Religion, Science And The Secular State: Creationism In American Public Schools, Gene Shreve
Religion, Science And The Secular State: Creationism In American Public Schools, Gene Shreve
Articles by Maurer Faculty
This Article examines the current debate whether creationism may be taught in American schools given the constraints of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The author considers some of the social and political consequences of the U.S. Supreme Court's leading cases. The article concludes by questioning whether the Supreme Court has succeeded in justifying its restrictive decisions in this controversial area.
The Future Of Section 2 Of The Voting Rights Act In The Hands Of A Conservative Court, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
The Future Of Section 2 Of The Voting Rights Act In The Hands Of A Conservative Court, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Articles by Maurer Faculty
This Essay argues that the future of the majority-minority district is in peril, as a conservative majority on the Court stands poised to strike down section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. When the Court takes up the constitutionality of Section 2, binding precedent will play a secondary role at best. Instead, the Justices’ policy goals and ideological preferences - namely, their personal disdain for the use of race in public life - will guide the Court’s conclusion. In this vein, Justice Kennedy holds the fate of the Act in his hands. To be clear, this Essay is not trying …
The Argument For Same-Sex Marriage (Debate), Deborah A. Widiss, Nelson Tebbe, Shannon Gilreath
The Argument For Same-Sex Marriage (Debate), Deborah A. Widiss, Nelson Tebbe, Shannon Gilreath
Articles by Maurer Faculty
Perry v. Schwarzenegger, in which a federal district court held California's ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional, is set for expedited review in the Ninth Circuit; many argue that the case will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court. The arguments for and against the constitutionality of such statutes are thus at a fever pitch. In an article published earlier this year, Professors Nelson Tebbe and Deborah Widiss argued that marriage rights are best conceived of as an issue of equal access, rather than one of equal protection or substantive due process. Nelson Tebbe & Deborah A. Widiss, Equal Access and …
Equal Access And The Right To Marry, Deborah Widiss, Nelson Tebbe
Equal Access And The Right To Marry, Deborah Widiss, Nelson Tebbe
Articles by Maurer Faculty
How should courts think about the right to marry? This is a question of principle, of course, but it has also become a matter of litigation strategy for advocates challenging different-sex marriage requirements across the country. We contend that courts and commentators have largely overlooked the strongest argument in support of a constitutional right to marry. In our view, the right to marry is best conceptualized as a matter of equal access to government support and recognition and the doctrinal vehicle that most closely matches the structure of the right can be found in the fundamental interest branch of equal …
Is The Pcaob A "Heavily Controlled Component" Of The Sec?: An Essential Question In The Constitutional Controversy, Donna M. Nagy
Is The Pcaob A "Heavily Controlled Component" Of The Sec?: An Essential Question In The Constitutional Controversy, Donna M. Nagy
Articles by Maurer Faculty
The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, described by D.C. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh as “the most important separation-of-powers case regarding the President’s appointment and removal powers to reach the courts in the last 20 years.” Established by Congress as the cornerstone of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the PCAOB was structured as a strong, independent board in the private sector, to oversee the conduct of auditors of public companies.
This Article challenges the D.C. Circuit’s depiction of the PCAOB as “a heavily controlled component” of the SEC, and …
The Hangman's Noose And The Lynch Mob: Hate Speech And The Jena Six, Jeannine Bell
The Hangman's Noose And The Lynch Mob: Hate Speech And The Jena Six, Jeannine Bell
Articles by Maurer Faculty
Taking the hangman's noose hanging in Jena, Louisiana in 2006 as a starting point, this Article begins by placing the hanging of a noose in historical context. The Article then proceeds to explore contemporary manifestations of noose hanging in the workplace, in schools and other settings. The Article examines noose hangings that occurred around the country since the display in Jena to explore the social meaning of a noose. Also examined are media constructions of noose hanging and the perception that some Blacks targeted by noose hanging have had of these incidents. The article concludes with a victim based reasonable …
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. …
A Constitution Without Constitutionalism: Reflections On Iraq's Failed Constitutional Process, Feisal Amin Istrabadi
A Constitution Without Constitutionalism: Reflections On Iraq's Failed Constitutional Process, Feisal Amin Istrabadi
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Constitutionalism Before Constitutions: Burma's Struggle To Build A New Order, David C. Williams
Constitutionalism Before Constitutions: Burma's Struggle To Build A New Order, David C. Williams
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
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 …
Book Review. Religious Liberty In America: The First Amendment In Historical And Contemporary Perspective, Daniel O. Conkle
Book Review. Religious Liberty In America: The First Amendment In Historical And Contemporary Perspective, Daniel O. Conkle
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
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, …
All The President's Lawyers: How To Avoid Another "Torture Opinion" Debacle, Dawn E. Johnsen
All The President's Lawyers: How To Avoid Another "Torture Opinion" Debacle, Dawn E. Johnsen
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
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.
Reflections On Justice Kennedy's Opinion In Parents Involved: Why Fifty Years Of Experience Shows Kennedy Is Right, Kevin D. Brown
Reflections On Justice Kennedy's Opinion In Parents Involved: Why Fifty Years Of Experience Shows Kennedy Is Right, Kevin D. Brown
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
Lessons Learned From Comparing The Application Of Constitutional Law And Anti-Discrimination Law To African Americans In The U.S. And Dalits In India In The Context Of Higher Education, Kevin D. Brown, Vinay Sitapati
Lessons Learned From Comparing The Application Of Constitutional Law And Anti-Discrimination Law To African Americans In The U.S. And Dalits In India In The Context Of Higher Education, Kevin D. Brown, Vinay Sitapati
Articles by Maurer Faculty
In this Article the authors will compare the development of constitutional law and federal anti-discrimination law in the context of higher education of African-Americans in the U.S. and Dalits in India. Both groups suffer from oppression and discrimination based upon a hereditary trait and related to their integration into mainstream society; neither group is completely isolated from the majority population responsible for the discrimination; and African-Americans and Dalits approximate similar percentages of their country's population. Based upon the 2000 census, African-Americans constitute 12.7% of the American populations, and, according to the 1991 Census Report of India, Dalits make up 16.5% …
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.
Government Data Mining: The Need For A Legal Framework, Fred H. Cate
Government Data Mining: The Need For A Legal Framework, Fred H. Cate
Articles by Maurer Faculty
The article examines the government's growing appetite for collecting personal data. Often justified on the basis of protecting national security, government data mining programs sweep up data collected through hundreds of regulatory and administrative programs, and combine them with huge datasets obtained from industry. The result is an aggregation of personal data - the "digital footprints" of individual lives - never before seen. These data warehouses are then used to determine who can work and participate in Social Security programs, who can board airplanes and enter government buildings, and who is likely to pose a threat in the future, even …
Storm In A Teacup: The U.S. Supreme Court’S Use Of Foreign Law, Austen L. Parrish
Storm In A Teacup: The U.S. Supreme Court’S Use Of Foreign Law, Austen L. Parrish
Articles by Maurer Faculty
In this Article, Professor Parrish explores the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court's use of foreign law in constitutional adjudication. In recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has used foreign law as persuasive authority in a number of highly contentious cases. The backlash has been spirited, with calls for foreign law to be categorically barred from constitutional adjudication, and even for Justices to be impeached if they cite to foreign sources. Last year, the condemnation of comparative constitutionalism reached a high note, as a barrage of scholarship decried the practice as illegitimate and a threat to our national sovereignty. The …
The Establishment Clause And Religious Expression In Governmental Settings: Four Variables In Search Of A Standard, Daniel O. Conkle
The Establishment Clause And Religious Expression In Governmental Settings: Four Variables In Search Of A Standard, Daniel O. Conkle
Articles by Maurer Faculty
In his controversial but controlling opinion in Van Orden v. Perry, Justice Breyer rejected an Establishment Clause challenge to a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Texas State Capital. Breyer argued that existing Establishment Clause formulations, including the Lemon and endorsement tests, were inadequate to resolve the case, so he relied instead on legal judgment, an approach informed by doctrinal and policy considerations but not controlled by any formal test. In this Essay, I suggest that Justice Breyer may have been right in Van Orden-if not in his result, then at least in approaching the question as he …
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.
The Politics Of Preclearance, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer, Guy-Uriel E. Charles
The Politics Of Preclearance, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer, Guy-Uriel E. Charles
Articles by Maurer Faculty
This Essay examines recent charges of political motivation against the Department of Justice and its enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. These accusations appear well-deserved, on the strength of the Department’s recent handling of the Texas redistricting submission and Georgia’s voting identification requirement. This Essay reaches two conclusions. First, it is clear that Congress wished to secure its understanding of the Act into the future through its preclearances requirement. Many critics of the voting rights bill worried about the degree of discretion that the legislation accorded the Attorney General. Supporters worried as well, for this degree of discretion might lead …
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 Progressive Political Power Of Balkin's "Original Meaning", Dawn E. Johnsen
The Progressive Political Power Of Balkin's "Original Meaning", Dawn E. Johnsen
Articles by Maurer Faculty
No abstract provided.
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%, …
Domestic Surveillance And The Decline Of Legal Oversight, Fred H. Cate
Domestic Surveillance And The Decline Of Legal Oversight, Fred H. Cate
Articles by Maurer Faculty
JURIST Guest Columnist Fred Cate of Indiana University School of Law Bloomington says that a series of dramatic moves over the past five years - most recently the passage of the Protect America Act - has weakened statutory and judicial oversight of domestic surveillance to the point that one wonders whether, by the time the Bush Administration and Congress are finished, there is going to be any legal oversight of domestic surveillance at all.