Nov
28
International Law: Still Pretty Messy
November 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment
On October 30th, Professor Combs gave the 2008 Blackstone lecture. The topic of her lecture was “Factfinding in International Criminal Law: The Appearance, the Reality, and the Future”.
After a brief overview of the course modern international criminal law has taken from the Nuremburg trials to today, Professor Combs turned to the focus of her talk: [...]
Nov
28
Replacing Guantanamo: Where Do We Go From Here?
November 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Much of what Barack Obama intends to accomplish as president will have to abide by the rhythm of politics. Drafting new policies, gaining public and congressional support, and shepherding bills through the legislative process are the cost of doing business in Washington. However, there is one messy issue in particular that has the potential to [...]
Nov
21
What to Do with Detroit?
November 21, 2008 | 1 Comment
Automakers this week went before Congress to try to convince them that they needed a $25 billion bailout to avoid a massive disaster that would result in the loss of millions of American jobs. Congress remained unmoved. Congress gave the executives of these companies a little under two weeks to come up with a plan [...]
Nov
20
Religion in Hospital Rooms, Making the Call on Life Support and Death
November 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment
On Monday, a 12-year-old boy who had been kept alive on life support died in a D.C. hospital. Motl Brody had aggressive brain cancer and his family grabbed the media’s attention when they began working through the judicial system to keep him on life support. His doctors declared Motl legally dead two weeks ago when [...]
Nov
19
The Role of Gender in the 2008 Presidential Election
November 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment
On Monday, November 17th, the William and Mary chapter of the American Constitution Society hosted Dr. Karen Beckwith, a prominent political scientist from Case Western Reserve University, for a discussion of the role of gender in determining the outcome of the 2008 presidential election. Although data are only just becoming available, Dr. Beckwith presented nationwide [...]
Nov
19
Confrontation in a Scientific Age
November 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Fingerprints, DNA, CSI. These terms are ubiquitous after the turn of the century and they are undeniable tools that the State and defendants alike can use to argue in criminal cases. Behind the data lies a methodology and behind the numbers hides a face. A decidedly modern question burns before the Supreme Court in the [...]
Nov
18
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
November 18, 2008 | 1 Comment
On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court struck down a California voter referendum banning same-sex marriage. It was a historic decision, and made California the second state to legalize gay marriage, after Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage in 2004. The decision came after several gay couples filed a lawsuit claiming discrimination, and in [...]
Nov
18
Blocking of Coal Plant License Could Lead to Saving Our Coral Reefs
November 18, 2008 | 1 Comment
A recent decision by The Environmental Appeals Board blocked the EPA from issuing a license for a new coal plant addition in Vernal, Utah, near Salt Lake City. This one decision may seem insignificant on the surface, but it could be the first in a chain of events that could lead to more solar [...]
Nov
16
Madness in Prison
November 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The recent Innocence Project Symposium at William & Mary aimed to encourage greater public awareness of innocent prisoners, as these individuals are persistently ignored or overlooked. Similarly, another group of incarcerated individuals receives very little attention: the mentally ill. Unfortunately, the incarceration of people with mental illnesses is a growing problem in the United States, [...]
Nov
14
Nobody Plays with Barbie
November 14, 2008 | 2 Comments
Fellow CivPro geeks will remember this opening line from Judge McKeown’s opinion in Christian v. Mattell, Inc. (9th Cir. 2003), “It is difficult to imagine that the Barbie doll, so perfect in her sculpture and presentation, and so comfortable in every setting, from ‘California girl‘ to ‘Chief Executive Officer Barbie,’ could spawn such acrimonious litigation [...]
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