Ipse Dixit

On September 18, 1964, Associate Justice William O. Douglas of the United States Supreme Court delivered an address titled "A Nonconformist in Our Society" at City College in New York City. Douglas's talk was the first in a series dedicated to the philosopher and legal scholar Morris Raphael Cohen . Among other things, Douglas discussed the extent to which conformity permeates American society, an...

Bruno Richard Hauptmann (1899-1936) was convicted of the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh Jr., the infant son of Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, which was known as "The Crime of the Century." Hauptmann was born in Germany, fought in WWI, and emigrated to the United States in 1923. On the evening of March 1, 1932, someone kidnapped 20-month-old Charles Lindbergh, Jr. from his...

In this episode, Tom Simmons , Professor of Law at the University of South Dakota School of Law, discusses his paper, " Conflict-of-Interest-Infected Virtual Representatives and a Cure ," published in the South Dakota Law Review. Simmons begins by providing a broad outline of trusts and the role of both representatives and “virtual representatives” in providing adequate notice to trust beneficiari...

In this episode, Eric Goldman , Professor of Law and Co-Director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University School of Law , discusses his article " Emojis and the Law ," which was published in the Washington Law Review, as well as his recent work on content moderation. Goldman begins by explaining what emojis are, who created them, and how they work. He describes how people use emoji...

On March 20, 1968, after an introduction delivered by Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall, Associate Justice Abraham "Abe" Fortas (1910-1982) delivered an address at the American University Washington College of Law Convocation on the 75th Anniversary of American University. Among other things, Fortas discussed the concept of precedent and stare decisis in relation to the Supreme Court's cons...

In this episode, Wendy Netter Epstein , Professor of Law at DePaul University College of Law and Faculty Director of the Mary and Michael Jaharis Health Law Institute, discusses her article " Private Law Alternatives to the Individual Mandate ," which will be published in the Minnesota Law Review. Epstein begins by briefly describing what the Affordable Care Act is and how it works, and the role t...

Hugo Lafayette Black (1886-1971) was a politician and judge from Ashland, Alabama. He graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1906 and practiced law in Birmingham. In the early 1920s, he joined the Ku Klux Klan, but resigned in 1925. In 1926, he was elected to the United States Senate as a Democrat. He was an ardent supporter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. H...

On August 10, 1970, Chief Justice Warren E. Burger (1907-1995) of the Supreme Court of the United States delivered a "State of the Judiciary" speech, which was broadcast on CBS. Burger and others hoped that Congress would resolve to ask the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to make an annual State of the Judiciary address before both houses of Congress, but Congress was unenthusiastic. This ...

On March 20, 1968, Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall (1908-93) introduced Associate Justice Abraham "Abe" Fortas (1910-1982) at the American University Washington College of Law Convocation on the 75th Anniversary of American University. This is a recording of Marshall's introduction. This recording is from the Michigan State University G. Robert Vincent Voice Library collection. Hosted on Acast...

In this episode, Leah Chan Grinvald , Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School, and Ofer Tur-Sinai , Associate Professor of Law at Ono Academic College in Israel, discuss their article " Intellectual Property Law and the Right to Repair ," which will be published in the Fordham Law Review. Grinvald and Tur-Sinai begin by explaining what the "right t...

Asa F. Martin (1900-1979) was an old-time singer and guitarist from Winchester, Kentucky. Dock Philipine "Fiddlin' Doc" Roberts (1897-1978) was an old-time fiddler from Madison County, Kentucky. Martin and Roberts met at a music convention in Winchester, and soon began performing together. They made their recording debut as a duo on Gennett records in 1928, and quickly became popular. Martin and R...

MAD Magazine is a humor magazine founded in 1952 by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines. It was extremely popular and influential in the mid-20th century, especially under editor Al Feldstein (1956-84), peaking in circulation at 2 million in 1974. It has published 550 regular issues, as well as hundreds of special editions. On July 2, 2019, MAD announced that it would stop publishi...

President Richard M. Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, and President Gerald R. Ford, Jr. was sworn in the following day. Soon afterward, Histronix, a record label located at 6367 Selma Avenue, Hollywood, California 90028 released an acetate LP. Side 1 is labeled, "President Nixon's Resignation Speech, August 9, 1974." Side 2 is labeled, "President Ford's Swearing In and First Speech to America, Au...

In this episode, Daniel B. Rice , an Associate at Georgetown University Law Center Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, discusses his article " Nonenforcement by Accretion: The Logan Act and the Take Care Clause ," which was published in the Harvard Journal on Legislation. Rice begins by explaining what the Logan Act is, how it was enacted, and its 220 year history of non-enforcem...

In this episode, Jonah B. Gelbach , Professor of Law at University of California Berkeley School of Law, discusses his draft article "Estimation Evidence," which will be published in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. Gelbach begins by explaining what "statistical estimation evidence" is and the different ways in which it can be evaluated. He explains how courts currently review the statis...

In this episode, Lisa P. Ramsey , Professor of Law at University of San Diego School of Law, discusses her article " Free Speech Challenges to Trademark Law After Matal v. Tam ," and her work on "nontraditional marks." Ramsey begins by describing what trademarks are, what trademark law can protect, and how the trademark registration process works. She explains how the Trademark Office used to refu...

In this episode, Akram Faizer , Professor of Law at the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, discusses his paper, " Seven Steps to Truly Reform the Tax Code and Engender Socio-Economic Mobility and Revitalize American Democracy ," published in the Albany Law Review. Faizer begins with a brief history of the U.S. tax code, beginning with the Reagan administration to the Trump administr...

In this episode, Jacqueline Lainez Flanagan , Visiting Associate Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law's Janet R. Spragens Federal Tax Clinic ( Associate Professor of Law, University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law ), discusses her article " Holding U.S. Corporations Accountable: Toward a Convergence of U.S. International Tax Policy and Interna...

In this episode, Jay Soled , Professor and Director of Master of Accountancy in Taxation at Rutgers University, discusses his paper, " Reimagining the Estate Tax in the Automation Era ," published in the UC Irvine Law Review. Soled begins by talking about the history of the estate tax in the United States, and its relation to the income tax in the United States. He claims that the decline of...

In 1968, Bobby Seale was one of the "Chicago Eight" defendants charged with conspiracy and inciting a riot at Democratic National Convention in Chicago. During the trial, Seale protested his treatment, and Judge Julius Hoffman ordered him bound and gagged. On November 5, 1969, Hoffman sentenced Seale to four years in prison for contempt of court. In 1970, the Certron Corporation of Nashville, Tenn...

In this episode, Jess Miers , a law student at Santa Clara University School of Law, discusses her work on Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act, intermediary liability, and content moderation. Miers begins by explaining how Section 230 works and why it was enacted. She reflects on how she became interested in Section 230 and technology policy. She describes the debate around Section 230 an...

In this episode, Melanie Reid , Associate Dean of Faculty and Professor of Law at Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, discusses her paper " A CSI Story: The Past, Present, and Future of Crime Scene Collection and What Litigators Need to Know " which was published in the Wake Forest Journal of Law & Policy. Reid begins by discussing the role of crime scene investigators, and how c...

In this episode, Andy Wright , Senior Fellow & Founding Editor of Just Security and Partner at K&L Gates, discusses his paper " Executive Privilege and Inspectors General ." Wright begins by talking about the unique role of inspectors general as part of the executive branch organizational structure while simultaneously beholden to Congress as a creation of statute, placing them in directly...

In this episode, Christian Burset , Associate Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School, discusses his article, " Why Didn't the Common Law Follow the Flag? ,” which was published in the Virginia Law Review. Burset is on Twitter at @cburset . Here is the abstract: This Article considers a puzzle about how different kinds of law came to be distributed around the world. The legal systems of some Eur...

In this episode M. Eve Hanan , Associate Professor of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law, discusses her draft article,  A Qualitative Turn In Sentencing . Hanan explains how little the policymakers setting prison sentences know about the lived experience of persons in prison. Hanan's scholarship is available on SSRN and she is on Twitter at @eve_hana...