Constitutional Law

/Constitutional Law
3 Apr, 2018

All About Original Actions

2019-03-18T18:47:13-05:00April 3rd, 2018|Tags: , , |

The Supreme Court receives many types of documents each day for its review. Appeals to the Supreme Court alone encompass a lot of different types of briefs, including petitions, briefs in opposition, amicus curiae briefs, and reply and supplemental briefs, to name a few. Less frequently, but equally important, are original actions, which are governed [...]

1 Feb, 2018

How to File a Stay in the Supreme Court

2020-05-12T16:12:38-05:00February 1st, 2018|Tags: , , |

The Supreme Court receives thousands of filings. These include various types of briefs, motions, and applications. The motions and applications the Court receives may include issues such as motions to file amicus curiae briefs, motions or applications for filing date extensions, and applications for stays of orders from the lower courts. Stay applications are frequently [...]

7 Dec, 2017

Let Them Eat Cake? Masterpiece Cakeshop and the First Amendment

2019-03-18T18:47:13-05:00December 7th, 2017|Tags: , , , , |

No. 16-111; Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd., et al. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, et al. The Facts: In 2012, Respondents Charlie Craig and David Mullins visited Petitioner Masterpiece Cakeshop, a Colorado bakery, to request that its owner, Jack Phillips, create a cake for their same-sex wedding.  Phillips, a practicing Christian, declined their request, explaining that he would [...]

15 Nov, 2017

Anthony Haynes Revisited – Back to the Supreme Court?

2019-03-18T18:47:14-05:00November 15th, 2017|Tags: , , |

  Melissa Phillip/ Houston Chronicle The most viewed blogs in the history of our website told the story of Anthony Haynes, a Texas citizen convicted for the 1998 killing an off-duty police officer in front of the officer’s wife.  Read part I and part II of our original series, “Staying Execution: Death Row [...]

12 Sep, 2017

Seventh Circuit Judge Richard Posner Retires

2019-03-18T18:47:15-05:00September 12th, 2017|Tags: , |

The legal world was shocked when the infamous Judge Richard Posner of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit announced his retirement last week, effective immediately. Judge Posner is well-known in the legal community for being witty and outspoken, sometimes courting controversy with his statements. Though his retirement is seen as abrupt, [...]

11 Aug, 2017

Social Media and the First Amendment

2019-03-18T18:47:15-05:00August 11th, 2017|Tags: , , |

With great power comes great responsibility. Millions of people, including politicians, now use various social media platforms as a way to communicate with their followers easily and quickly. Along with the ability to instantly communicate a message to thousands of people comes the ability to “mute” or block those whose comments the user chooses not [...]

20 Jun, 2017

Rule 23: A Guide to Stays

2017-06-20T21:00:29-05:00June 20th, 2017|Tags: , |

The Supreme Court receives thousands of briefs each term. In addition to the typical petitions, briefs in opposition, amicus briefs, and various other briefs, the Justices also receive applications for stays. These applications are typically requesting a stay of execution, but may request a stay on other types of orders as well. Applications for stays [...]

15 May, 2017

Biography of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

2019-03-18T18:47:16-05:00May 15th, 2017|Tags: , , |

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (or “Notorious RBG” as she is affectionately known as in the law blogging world) was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 15, 1933. Although Ginsburg has a lengthy list of accomplishments earning her the “notorious” moniker, one of her most notable accomplishments includes being only the second female United States Supreme [...]

21 Mar, 2017

Wiretapping, Trump, and the Court

2019-03-18T18:47:17-05:00March 21st, 2017|

Another day, another thought-provoking tweet from President Trump. Recently, he claimed that former President Obama authorized illegal wiretaps in Trump Tower during the 2016 presidential campaign.  A number of people have stated that this is blatantly false, including former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, FBI Director James Comey, and of course, Barack Obama himself. [...]

21 Feb, 2017

A Look Back at Korematsu

2019-03-18T18:47:18-05:00February 21st, 2017|Tags: , , |

President Trump’s recent executive order on immigration is already facing several legal challenges, despite the policy being only a few weeks old. At the time of this writing, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals has declined to grant a stay on a temporary restraining order suspending the order, and the Trump administration is preparing to [...]