Law Students

It's Been Fun

Posted on January 04, 2008
I know that I've got a sizable collection of posts that start "I know I've been gone for a while," but I thought that I could squeeze one more into the pack. I know I've been gone for a while, but forces much stronger than Blogger.com are to blame. The past month and a half has been eaten up mostly by what I will just call professional developments...

A Little More Complicated...

Posted on December 06, 2007
I had a chance to listen to the audio from the Boumediene v Bush case last night. I previously guessed that this would be a clear 5-4, Kennedy joins the liberals case. After the argument, I'm not so sure anymore. Kennedy was oddly quiet. The questions that he did ask seemed to hint that he sided with the government...

Clinton on the Supreme Court

Posted on December 06, 2007
Scary title, isn't it? I'm using the word "on" in place of "talking about," so hopefully that should calm some fears. But wait. Don't relax just yet. Here's Senator Hillary Clinton talking about who she would appoint to the Supreme Court and her views on the Roberts Court...

Same Day GITMO Audio

Posted on November 27, 2007
It looks like the Court will be giving us same day audio of the oral arguments in Boumediene v Bush...The Supreme Court will hear arguments next week about the rights of prisoners who have been detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and will immediately release audio tapes of the proceeding...

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Female Dog Catcher for Supreme Court

Posted on November 15, 2007
Best Democratic Presidential debate yet.

Not Impressed

Posted on November 12, 2007
I spent a little time this weekend watching coverage of the presidential race (something that I've been avoiding like the plague). It made me remember this...Rehnquist was not impressed with Bill Clinton and his wife. When told that the newly elected president was thinking of nominating Hillary as attorney general, the chief justice quipped, "They say Caligula appointed his horse counsel of Rome...

The Right to Be Rude

Posted on November 10, 2007
I love being able to make update posts. Remember this story from a while back? Here are the facts of the situation, for those of you with an aversion to clicking links...The Volokh Conspiracy has been blowing up today with posts about a controversy at San Francisco State University...

Four out of Nine

Posted on November 01, 2007
The UK's Telegraph has published a list of the 100 most influential conservatives and the 100 most influential liberals. The lists are pretty decent and worth a look if you have a few minutes to kill. The lists did include four current Supreme Court Justices too...

Harsanyi on the News

Posted on November 01, 2007
I haven't been able to update lately. I've been pretty busy, so I haven't even had a chance to do much scouring for legal topics. I will have another Nanny State post soon, though. For those of you who can't wait, check out the NBC Nightly News tonight...

Fodder for Ethics Class

Posted on October 25, 2007
From Volokh...Does "engaging in a three-way sexual encounter with [a current client] and [the client's] girlfriend" count as having sex "with a current client" (a practice forbidden by state bar rules)?From Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Inglimo, decided last week by the Wisconsin Supreme Court (paragraph break added): ¶57 The relevant language of SCR 20:1...

Beer Review: Bell's Octoberfest

Posted on October 25, 2007
I've been dragging my feet on the reviews lately, which is bad for two reasons. First, people seem to like reading them. It's never a good idea to hack off your readers. Second, we're at the tail end of Octoberfest season. This is probably my favorite time of the beer year...

Beer Review: Central Waters Happy Heron Pale Ale

Posted on October 24, 2007
Yes, the beer reviews are back. I had a brief stint a while back writing reviews for a local newspaper. Shockingly, people actually want to read this crap. It's been a while, so here goes nothing. Tonight's selection is the Happy Heron Pale Ale from Amherst, Wisconsin's own Central Waters Brewing Company...

Nanny State: One for the Road

Posted on October 22, 2007
I'm loving the book Nanny State so far. I'm loving it so much that I'm going to keep my series of posts about the book alive. After a chapter on food, author David Harsanyi moves on to its partner in crime, drink. I'm something of a beer aficionado, so this chapter hits very close to home...

When is Rape Not Rape?

Posted on October 21, 2007
Well, in Philadephia...A DEFENDANT accused of forcing a prostitute at gunpoint to have sex with him and three other men got lucky, so to speak, last week.A Philadelphia judge dropped all sex and assault charges at his preliminary hearing.Municipal Judge Teresa Carr Deni instead held the defendant on the bizarre charge of armed robbery for - get this - "theft of services...

The Fairness Doctrine

Posted on October 21, 2007
While cruising my way through Friday's Investors Business Daily, I came across this interesting editorial about the Fairness Doctrine. The editors rip the Democrats for trying to revive the Doctrine, calling it an act of jealousy and frustration. While I agree that the Fairness Doctrine is horrible, I can't help but feel sorry for the Democrats in this situation...

Nanny State: Twinkie Fascists

Posted on October 21, 2007
A few days ago, I mentioned that I was reading Nanny State: How Food Fascists, Teetotaling Do-Gooders, Priggish Moralists, and other Boneheaded Bureaucrats are Turning America into a Nation of Children by David Harsanyi. I toyed with the idea of doing a review after I finished the book, but I decided against it...

Another Thomas Interview

Posted on October 19, 2007
This is yet another post in my continuing Thomas-palooza series. Here is a four part interview of Justice Clarence Thomas by radio host Mark Levin.Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4I haven't made it through the whole thing, so I can't offer much of a substantive critique...

Kevin Merida on Thomas and Marshall

Posted on October 19, 2007
Journalist Kevin Merida, co-author of a recent book on Justice Clarence Thomas, stopped by Marquette Law School this semester to talk with Mike Gousha. Gousha, formerly of WTMJ, is the Distinguished Fellow of Law and Public Policy at Marquette. He's been bringing in a wide variety of community leaders, politicians, lawyers, and authors for discussion sessions...

When Chuck Schumer Hides Under His Bed

Posted on October 16, 2007
It's almost that time of the year again. The 2007 National Lawyers Convention of the Federalist Society is almost upon us. From November 15 to 17, the nation's conservative and libertarian lawyers will hang out in DC, talk shop, attend discussion panels, and have a good time...

Originalism, The Court, and Beyond

Posted on October 15, 2007
I know that many people have already seen this (it's a bit old), but I thought I'd comment on this op-ed by Professor Steven Calabresi. Calabresi is a co-founder of that shadowy cabal, the Federalist Society. The essay discusses originalism, a theory of Constitutional interpretation, as well as other aspects of the Supreme Court...

Nanny State

Posted on October 14, 2007
I've been away for a few days, but I should have some things to talk about in the near future. I recently picked up the book Nanny State: How Food Fascists, Teetotaling Do-Gooders, Priggish Moralists, and other Boneheaded Bureaucrats are Turning America into a Nation of Children by David Harsanyi...

A Breyer Vid

Posted on October 11, 2007
Justice Stephen Breyer on judicial activism and short-sleeved shirts...Okay, he didn't really discuss the shirt, but it's the first time I've seen Casual Breyer and wanted to make note of it.

Now There Are Three

Posted on October 05, 2007
Well, it looks like we're going to have a primary election for the Wisconsin State Supreme Court after all. Burnett County Circuit Judge Michael Gableman threw his hat into the ring to take on Justice Louis Butler next year. Sun Prairie attorney Charlie Schutze jumped into the race in early September, so now we have three names on the ballot...

The South (and Vermont) Will Rise Again

Posted on October 04, 2007
I spotted a link to this story on Drudge last night. Two secessionist groups, the Vermont-based (AKA liberal as hell) Middlebury Institute and the League of the South (possibly, slightly right wing?), met in Tennessee to break bread and smack talk the Union...

Shut Up!

Posted on October 04, 2007
Is it just me or is everyone currently hellbent on shutting everyone else up?First General Wesley Clark wants to get Rush Limbaugh pulled from Armed Forces Radio over the "phony soldiers" imbroglio. Check out the video in the link. He thinks it's a good idea for Congress to step in, make judgment calls about the "propriety" of discourse on public broadcasts, and yank Rush...