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Law
Restructuring competition: The Biden executive order and beyond
Restructuring competition: The Biden executive order and beyond
Antitrust experts from Penn reflect on the significance and likely consequences of the Biden Administration’s approach to competition policy.
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor: 40th anniversary of a historic first
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor: 40th anniversary of a historic first
July 7 marked 40 years since O’Connor was nominated to the Supreme Court. Scholar Marci A. Hamilton shares her thoughts on O’Connor’s legacy
Supreme Court decision rules Arizona’s laws constitutional
Supreme Court decision rules Arizona’s laws constitutional
In Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, the Supreme Court ruled that Arizona’s election laws—pertaining to out of precinct ballots and whether or not third parties can pick up and deliver absentee ballots—do not violate the Voting Rights Act.
Amani Carter develops a new study on unmasking coded bias
Amani Carter develops a new study on unmasking coded bias
The Class of 2022 law student works to identify biases and ‘stereotype threat’ in AI and help provide context for the conversation around mitigating those biases.
Project reveals ongoing unreported violations of rights with medical deportations
Project reveals ongoing unreported violations of rights with medical deportations
Researchers in the Legislative Clinic at Penn Law and Free Migration Project have released a new report on the use of medical deportations in the U.S.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and mass incarceration
Penn Law student Raymond Magsaysay has an article forthcoming in the Michigan Journal of Race & Law about the absence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the conversation about criminal justice reform.
A high school cheerleader’s free speech and the First Amendment
A high school cheerleader’s free speech and the First Amendment
A Pennsylvania high school cheerleader’s profanity-laced rant is now the foundation of a U.S. Supreme Court decision on free speech. Sigal Ben-Porath shares her arguments in her amicus brief to the court, and her predictions on the court’s decision.
The SCOTUS decision that keeps the Affordable Care Act intact
The SCOTUS decision that keeps the Affordable Care Act intact
Penn Law professor Allison Hoffman, an expert on health care law and policy, explains the ruling on California v. Texas, the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act.
Book launch reestablishes economic legacy of Sadie T.M. Alexander
Book launch reestablishes economic legacy of Sadie T.M. Alexander
A new book spotlights the speeches and writings of Sadie T.M. Alexander, the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in economics from Penn and in the U.S.
Report looks at referendums on Irish unification
Report looks at referendums on Irish unification
A dozen experts, including Penn’s Brendan O’Leary, lay a framework for how any future unification vote can be fair and feasible.
In the News
CNN
Arrest of a Trump friend sends key message
Claire Finkelstein of the Law School co-authored an opinion piece about the prosecution of Tom Barrack, chair of Donald J. Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee. Barrack has been charged with several crimes, including conspiracy to act as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. “The prosecution is a welcome first step to rein in both foreign lobbying generally and the corruption seemingly surrounding the former president specifically, but much more is needed on both counts,” they wrote.
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USA Today
System failure: How federal laws shield sexual predators like Dr. Larry Nassar
Marci Hamilton of the School of Arts & Sciences wrote an opinion piece calling for President Biden to establish a national commission on child sex abuse in order to address the problem’s systemic factors.
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The Washington Post
Mask mandates violate religious liberty by hiding faces made in God’s image, Catholic school says
Sarah Barringer Gordon of the Law School spoke about fluctuations in how the U.S. legal system has been interpreting “religious freedom” with regard to mask mandates. “The law seems to be changing, even as we speak,” she said. “And there are very serious challenges to the standard of review that has been in place for the past 30 years.”
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The Washington Post
Cosby DA: Chief judge's TV interview 'fuels' misinformation
David Rudovsky of the Law School said the unique circumstances surrounding the reversal of Bill Cosby’s conviction make it “one in a million” and that the U.S. Supreme Court would likely decline to review it if asked.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Freeing Cosby on narrow grounds disappoints lawyers seeking clarity on testimony by abuse victims
David Rudovsky of the Law School said the reversal of Bill Cosby’s conviction may not set a new legal precedent due to the particular circumstances, as the overturn focused on a DA’s promise that Cosby wouldn’t be charged. “This may be a one-off case. It’s hard to envision facts like this happening again in the future,” he said. “If it does, it tells the DA: ‘Be careful. Don’t promise more than you’re willing to give.’”
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The Washington Post
Biden’s false claim that the 2nd Amendment bans cannon ownership
Kermit Roosevelt of the Law School spoke about President Biden’s inaccurate statement regarding the Second Amendment. “I think what he’s saying here is that the Second Amendment was never understood to guarantee everyone the right to own all types of weapons, which I believe is true,” said Roosevelt. “As phrased, it sounds like the Second Amendment itself limited ownership, which is not true.”
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