Ipse Dixit

In this episode, Peter Adamson , Professor of Late Ancient and Islamic Philosophy at the LMU in Munich , discusses his essay "Taqlid: Authority and the Intellectual Elite in the Islamic World," which will be part of a lecture series at Notre Dame. Adamson begins by explaining the difference between the Islamic law concepts of "taqlid," which roughly means "rule-following" or "precedent" and "ijtih...

In this episode,  Kate Sablosky Elengold , Assistant Professor and director of the Consumer Financial Transactions Clinic at UNC School of Law, discusses her scholarship on the Investment Imperative, a term she coined. Kate identifies the investment imperative "as the widely-held belief that higher education is necessary to increase one's financial prosperity and social standing in America."...

In this episode, Chaz Arnett , Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, discusses his article " From Decarceration to E-carceration ," which will be published in the Cardozo Law Review. Arnett begins by describing what "e-carceration" is and what the experience of being subject to constant electronic surveillance is actually like. He explains how the decarceration...

In this episode, Anthony Michael Kreis , Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law, discusses his article " Dead Hand Vogue ," which will be published in the University of Richmond Law Review. Kreis begins by explaining how courts have construed Title VII's prohibition on employment discrimination differently in relation to LGBTQ individuals than other social groups. Speci...

In this episode, Caprice L. Roberts , Visiting Professor of Law at the George Washington University Law School, discusses her article " Disgorging Emoluments ," which will be published in the Marquette Law Review. Roberts begins by explaining what "emoluments" are and briefly describing the current controversy over improper emoluments allegedly received by President Trump. She observed that many c...

In this episode, Maybell Romero , Assistant Professor of Law at the Northern Illinois University College of Law discusses her draft article " Prosecutors and Police: An Unholy Union ." Romero begins by observing that prosecutors are beginning to unionize and join with police unions, which promises to create issues for accountability and criminal justice reform. She describes the history of police...

In this episode, Andrew Jensen Kerr , Lecturer of Legal English and Assistant Director for the Language Center at Georgetown University Law Center, discusses his article " The Perfect Opinion ," which will be published in the Washington University Jurisprudence Review. Kerr begins by describing the literature evaluating the quality of judicial opinions. He explains how his methodology differs from...

In this episode, Patrick Kabat, a media and entertainment lawyer and Director of the First Amendment, Media & Entertainment Law Practicum at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, discusses his article "The Fossilized Right of Publicity: Fiction, the First Amendment, and the Freedom of Imagination." Kabat begins by describing the origin of the right of publicity and what it protects. He explains w...

In this episode, Carrie A. Goldberg , the owner of C. A. Goldberg, PLLC , discusses her new book, " Nobody's Victim: Fighting Psychos, Stalkers, Pervs, and Trolls ," which is published by Plume, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Goldberg begins by describing the kind of horrific abuse her clients suffer, often at the hands of strangers. She explains why her clients need help and some of the stra...

This is the beginning of a 1941 interview with George Johnson, a formerly enslaved man who belonged to Joseph Davis, the owner of the Hurricane plantation in Warren County, Mississippi. Joseph Davis was the brother of Jefferson Davis, the President of Confederate States of America. Johnson discusses Benjamin Montgomery, another slave who belonged to Joseph Davis, who managed Hurricane. But Montgom...

In this episode, Athul K. Acharya , an impact litigation associate at BraunHagey & Borden LLP, discusses his article " Abstraction in Software Patents (and How to Fix It) " which is published in the John Marshall Review of Intellectual Property Law. Acharya begins by explaining what the "abstract-ideas" doctrine is and the role it plays in patent eligibility. He describes what software patents...

In this episode, D. Wendy Greene , Professor of Law at Drexel University Kline School of Law and Francis Lewis Scholar in Residence at Washington and Lee University School of Law, discusses her article " Splitting Hairs: The 11th Circuit's Take on Workplace Bans Against Black Women's Natural Hair in EEOC v. Catastrophe Management Solutions ," which was published in the University of Miami Law Revi...

In this episode, Dr. Matthew Reid Krell , an instructor in the University of Alabama Department of Political Science, discusses his article " The Power of Jury Instructions: Evidence From EEOC Cases ." Krell begins by explaining what jury instructions are and the role they play in civil litigation. He briefly discusses existing scholarship on how jury instructions affect juries and why his project...

In this episode, Dr. Leslie C. Griffin , William S. Boyd Professor of Law at the University of Nevada Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law, describes her path to law and, eventually, the legal academy. First, she explains her background in religious studies, and how her desire for social change spurred her interest in law school. Later she discusses how she built relationships with faculty acro...

In this episode, Daniel Brook , a journalist and author whose writing has been published in Harper's, The New York Times Magazine, and the Nation, discusses his new book, " The Accident of Color: A Story of Race and Reconstruction ," which is published by W.W. Norton & Company. Brook begins by describing the unique socio-political circumstances surrounding race in antebellum New Orleans and Ch...

In this episode, Justin Simard , a Visiting Assistant Professor at Willamette University College of Law, discusses his article "Citing Slavery," which will be published in the Stanford Law Review. Simard begins by observing that courts often cite cases involving slaves as precedent, often without even acknowledging it. He argues that this is a problem, not only because those cases are often bad la...

In this episode, Ari Glogower , Assistant Professor of Law at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, discusses his article " A Constitutional Wealth Tax ," which will be published in the Michigan Law Review. Glogower begins by explaining what a "wealth tax" is, and how it differs from an income tax. He explains why the constitutional requirement to apportion "direct" taxes among the stat...

In this episode, Robert L. Tsai , Professor of Law at the American University Washington College of Law and Clifford Scott Green Chair and Visiting Professor of Law at Temple University Beasley School of Law, discusses his book " Practical Equality ," which is published by W.W. Norton and Company. Tsai begins be explaining what he means by "practical equality" and how it works to shape the law. He...

In this episode, Blake Hudson , Professor of Law and A.L. O'Quinn Chair in Environmental Studies at the University of Houston Law Center, discusses his article " Denying Disaster: A Modest Proposal for Transitioning from Climate Change Denial Culture in the Southeastern United States ," which he co-authored with Evan Spencer, and published in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review. H...

In this episode, Nikolas Bowie , Assistant Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, discusses his article " Why the Constitution Was Written Down ," which was published in the Stanford Law Review. Bowie begins by explaining why the concept of a written constitution was important and its conventional origin story. He describes the charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company and how colonists came to co...

Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (1910-1934) and Clyde Chestnut Barrow (1909-1934) were American criminals, who robbed several banks and countless small stores between 1931 and May 23, 1934, when they were killed in an ambush by a posse of law enforcement officers. Bonnie and Clyde murdered 9 law enforcement officers, as well as many civilians. The sensational press coverage of their crime spree made them...

In this episode, Andrew Carter , Clinical Professor of Law at the Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, discusses his article " The Case for Plagiarism ," which was published in the UC Irvine Law Review. Carter begins by explaining how plagiarism is defined and how courts have imposed plagiarism norms on practicing lawyers. He observes that judges typically fail to identify...

Willard Theadore Cantelon (1916-1999) was a Canadian preacher and writer. He was quite popular in the 1960s and 70s, writing several books and recording several LPs on religious subjects, typically addressing the financial system. Many of his ideas have become popular conspiracy theories. In 1969, he wrote a book titled "The New World Money System." He also recorded an LP on that theme, which was...

In this episode, Jeffrey Bellin , University Professor for Teaching Excellence and Robert and Elizabeth Scott Research Professor of Law at William & Mary Law School, discusses his path into and through the legal academy. He begins by explaining how his career began, how practice informed his scholarship, and how his scholarship changed over time. Later he reflects on how scholarship evolves an...

In this episode, Bennett Capers , Stanley A. August Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, discusses his article " Afrofuturism, Critical Race Theory, and Policing in the Year 2044 ," which was published in the New York University Law Review. Capers begins by explaining the concept of "Afrofuturism" and the role it has played in African-American thought. He describes the creation and development...