Category Archives: Law and justice
Is a River Alive?
In this fabulously written book, Robert Macfarlane journeys to rivers in three very different landscapes — the cloud-forests of Ecuador, the city of Chennai, India, and the wilderness of northern Quebec — seeking answers to the question are rivers alive and what would it mean if they were? Continue reading
Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change
There was a small glimmer of good news on climate change last week: The International Court of Justice ruled that nation states have legal obligations under climate treaties and customary international law to protect “the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.” Continue reading
Trump v. United States: SCOTUS Rewards Trump, Betrays America
The US Supreme Court’s opinion in Trump v. United States, the Trump immunity case, is a betrayal of bedrock principles on which this country was founded. It elevates the President above the law, giving him broad immunity from criminal prosecution. It has terrifying implications for the future of American democracy. Continue reading
The Rights of Nature
In 2017, New Zealand’s Parliament passed a law granting legal personhood to the Whanganui River. Granting legal rights and personhood to nature might seem crazy at first. But David Boyd explains in this book that extending rights to non-humans isn’t so strange after all, and could help save the planet. Continue reading
Held v. Montana: A Landmark Climate Victory
This is worth celebrating. Yesterday in a Montana district court, 16 youths, aged 5 – 22, won a lawsuit against the State of Montana for violating their right to a “clean and healthful environment” under the state constitution. This trial … Continue reading
Biden v. Nebraska: Black-Robed Oligarchs
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Biden Administration announced a plan to cancel up to $10,000 of student loan debt for about 43 million borrowers. Six States sued the federal government claiming that the loan cancellation plan was not … Continue reading
Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College: Colorblind or Just Blind?
From the very beginning, affirmative action – using race as a factor in university admissions – has been controversial. Some say it’s unfair, that it amounts to reverse discrimination. Some have argued that it violates the Equal Protection Clause of … Continue reading
Moore v. Harper: A Win for Sanity and Democracy
Holy crap! A sensible decision from the United States Supreme Court on election law. On June 27, in a case from North Carolina known as Moore v. Harper, the Supreme Court ruled that state legislatures do not have unlimited power … Continue reading
Allow Me to Retort
Elie Mystal thinks the US Constitution is trash. In Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution he makes a solid case. Mystal is justice correspondent for The Nation and a graduate of Harvard Law School. Allow … Continue reading
How Rights Went Wrong
How did you feel on June 24, 2022, when the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and struck down the constitutionally protected right to abortion? Did you feel victorious? Elated? Vindicated? Did you feel that a terrible injustice had … Continue reading
Unsolicited Feedback 