Category Archives: Posts

A Historical Site with an Agenda. How Refreshing.

Posted on 17 March 2012 by

Recently I (finally) took the tour at Eastern State Penitentiary, the now-closed prison near the Philadelphia Museum of Art that was built in 1829. When it opened, it pioneered the concept of solitary confinement, not as punishment, but as an … Continue reading →

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Eighth Circuit Judge Signals Disagreement with “Social Visibility” and “Particularity” Requirements in Social Group Asylum Claims

Posted on 9 March 2012 by

Eighth Circuit Judge Kermit Bye recently criticized a revised definition used in some asylum cases, highlighting a circuit split and stating plainly that he thinks the revised definition is arbitrary and capricious. But to understand all of that, first some … Continue reading →

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Controversy over Border Patrol Arrests on Amtrak near the U.S.-Canada border

Posted on 2 March 2012 by

James McCommons, in his book, Waiting on a Train: The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service, spends a year (parts of 2008 and early 2009) riding most of the different corridor and long-distance Amtrak routes in the U.S., talking with … Continue reading →

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Not All Free Law is Created Equal

Posted on 21 February 2012 by

Following is a tale that, at the end, contains an embarrassingly basic lesson, but one worth remembering. I’m taking an employment law course this final semester of law school. In class recently we were discussing some of the changes that … Continue reading →

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What I’m Reading — Jan. 8

Posted on 8 January 2012 by

More of a “what I’ve been reading” list, as this is a selection of what I’ve been reading while I was free from law school finals (and actually, the new semester starts tomorrow). Why Obama Can’t Close Guantanamo — This essay … Continue reading →

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Gingrich comes out for solution that already (kind of) exists: cancellation of removal

Posted on 23 November 2011 by

At last night’s CNN Republican presidential debate focusing on national security, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said the following while answering a question about immigration: I believe ultimately you have to find some system — once you’ve put every piece … Continue reading →

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New ICE Guidance on Prosecutorial Discretion in Immigration Proceedings

Posted on 22 November 2011 by

Last week, the chief legal office in Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, released new guidance on the implementation of the Morton memo on prosecutorial discretion, which was issued in June 2011. The guidance consists … Continue reading →

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The Wire and Criminal Procedure

Posted on 4 November 2011 by

Earlier today, a friend sent me this article, by Erwin Chemerinsky, looking at the issues in the upcoming search and seizure case, United States v. Jones, that will be heard by the Supreme Court next week. Chemerinsky writes that the … Continue reading →

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Initial Thoughts on the Lexis Advance User Experience

Posted on 2 November 2011 by

I’ve been tinkering some with Lexis Advance, the updated version of the Lexis legal database, once it was released to law students, and thought I’d offer some initial thoughts on the user experience. Two things I should state upfront: When … Continue reading →

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Administration appeals Alabama immigration law decision

Posted on 12 October 2011 by

The Justice Department on Friday appealed the decision of a federal district court judge in Alabama, Sharon Lovelace Blackburn, who enjoined several sections of Alabama’s new state immigration law after the Justice Department had sued the State of Alabama, challenging … Continue reading →

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