Where Are We?...  Why Are We Here?... What Have We Done?
(dedicated to Admiral James Stockdale)

updated 4 December 2009


Soundclip from the 1992
Vice Presidential Debate 
(thanks to Michael Harms for technical assistance)

Periodically, I will briefly review where we are in the course and the readings, the major points we've covered, and what the next week will bring.  I will also post whatever idiosyncratic class information that pops up here.

--------------------------

4 December:  Sure I stayed late on a Friday night to finish up the "Study Questions for the Final Examination" and get them posted for you.  This is what I do... serve and bring joy to eager and energetic young minds.

Feast on these, units.  Makes me wish I was back in college, taking exams again.  Then again, when I was in college professors didn't distribute essay questions before exams.  We took them cold.  That was back when college was, well, college.  The world is going to hell.  Enjoy.

Review session: Thursday, 10 December, 1-2 PM CST, Tower Boardroom

--------------------------

10 November: Okay, in my zeal to get us over to the "Career Panel" on Friday, I skipped over U.S. v. Morrison.  Tomorrow we will start there and proceed into the next section of the course: "Discrimination Against Men."  Be through Mississippi University for Women v. Hogan (1980).  For Friday, 13 November, finish up the cases in the "Discrimination Against Men" section and read LaFleur and Gedulig.  We will finish up the "Pregnancy" cases during our make-up class next Monday, 16 November.  Remember, there will be no class Friday, 20 November.

--------------------------

5 November: Again, two things.  The second first: by a substantial majority, the make up class for the 20 November cancelation will be held on Monday, 16 November, from 2-3:20.  Now the first, second: for tomorrow, finish the cases under discrimination against women, and read Kahn, Schlesinger, and Weinberger for class tomorrow.

--------------------------

2 November:  Nota Bene two things:

1) Career Panel and Mixer, Friday, 6 November.  (See Blackboard Announcement page for details)

2) Readings for Wednesday, 4 November:  be through -- in the order listed in the syllabus -- Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins (1989).

Also, I'm going to have to cancel (and reschedule) class on Friday, 20 November as I will be speaking to the Appellate Judges Education Institute's Annual "Summit."  Here's the question: do you want to reschedule the class on Monday, 16 November or Monday 23 November.  Your call.  We'll have a quick vote at the beginning of class on Wednesday.

--------------------------

29 October:  For class tomorrow, be through -- in the order listed in the syllabus -- Taylor v. Louisiana (1974).

--------------------------

26 October:  Mid-semester exams will be back at the beginning of the hour on Wednesday, and then we will turn to the next section of the class: "When Women Were Women: The 'Delicate Flower."  Be through the Adkins case.  We will roll into "Discrimination Against Women" on Friday.  We are a bit ahead of schedule, but worry not... we'll make good use of the time.

--------------------------

10 October:  I trust you are enjoying your break.  It's not much of a break for us, because our schedule remains the same.

As noted in class on Friday, we are on schedule for the mid-semester examination on Friday, 23 October.  With that in mind, note the following reading schedule.  Be advised that the exam will cover all the cases/material, whether we treat them in class or not. 

Wednesday, 14 October:  Furman, Batson; Palmer.  Dowell, Freeman, Fordice, Parents Involved; Presley, Shaw.

Friday, 16 October:  Northwestern Austin Municipal Authority v. Holder; Croson, Metro Broadcasting, Adarand, Gratz, Grutter, Ricci.

Wednesday, 21 October:  Ward's Cove, Patterson, Spallone; McCleskey, Powers, Snyder.

--------------------------

5 October:  Happy First Monday in October.  Wednesday, 7 October, we will finish the school desegregation cases,  handle the electoral discrimination cases and the employment discrimination cases, and start on affirmative action.  Be through United Steelworkers v. Weber (1979).

--------------------------

30 September:  Did you feel that breeze today?  It wasn't just the blowers... it was us picking up steam.  We are moving full steam ahead now.  For Friday, be sure to be through the Burger Court cases assigned for today (pp. 274-291), the electoral cases (Mobile v. Bolden, Thornburg v. Gingles, UJO v. Carey), and the state action case, Moose Lodge (1972). 

We will not be reading Warth, Havens, Moore, Memphis, or NAACP v. Claiborne.

--------------------------

26 September:  Wednesday, 30 September, we will the Warren Court cases and move onto the Burger Court.  Make sure you have read and prepared the "education" cases through Bob Jones (1983) ... pp. 274-304. 

--------------------------

19 September:  Wednesday and Friday will be our heavy immersion into the Warren Court.  First, let me note some cases I've decided to cut from the readings: Garner, Hamm, Edwards, Cox I, and Cox II (pp. 181-190).  While they are interesting, we can (and will) pick up the fundamental tensions they treat in Adderley v. Florida (1966) (which I'm adding to the reading) and Walker v. Birmingham (1967).  So, to help you orient your reading schedule:

Wednesday, 23 September: Brown I, Bolling, Brown II, Griffin v. Prince Edward County, Green; NAACP v. Alabama, Gomillion, Katzenbach; Boyton, Burton; Adderley, Walker.
Friday, 25 September: Heart of Atlanta, Jones v. Alfred Mayer, Hunter; Guest, Adkickes, Griffin v. Brekenridge; Hernandez, Swain; Evans, Loving.

--------------------------

16 September:  For the pre-first Symposium Mixer (5 PM, Barley House) class of the semester, we will finish the Chapter Two cases (Mitchell, Morgan, and Beauharnais) and surge into Chapter Three through South Carolina v. Katzenbach (1966).

--------------------------

10 September:  Okay, we are a tweak, but only a tweak behind.  for tomorrow, do the cases from Chapter Two noted below and also the criminal justice cases: Powell, Screws, Resweber, and Korematsu.  ALSO, take a look at Carolene Products, footnote 4 on page 76.

On next Wednesday, we will finish the cases in Chapter Two.  Friday we will turn to the Warren Court cases.

FINALLY, the first student brief -- Powell v. AL, 287 US 45 (1932) -- is posted under the "student brief" link.  As noted in the syllabus and on the sign-presentation page, "Every student should email me (or bring by my office on a disk) a copy of their brief at least one class day before s/he presents her/his case to the class. Late briefs will be penalized as indicated in the syllabus."  I'm a "strict constructionist," so "one class day" means 24 hours before you are scheduled to present the case.

--------------------------

3 September:  Remember... no class on Friday, 4 September.  To ease the crushing disappointment that no doubt occasioned, we will have class on Wednesday 9 September to make up the missed class.  For that day, please have the following cases (in addition to those held over from this week) in hand: Nixon v. Herndon, Grovey v. Townsend, Smith v. Allwright, Buchanan v. Warley, and Shelley v. Kramer.

--------------------------

29 August (revised):  Okay, the foundation has been laid and the framing put in place.  Now we are in building mode.  For Wednesday's class, be through the cases in Chapter 1.  There will be no class on Friday, 4 September.  On Wednesday, 9 September -- the make-up class for the missed Friday class (for those who don't have legitimate class conflicts) -- we will start the cases in Chapter 2.  More specific information as to which cases will be posted Wednesday, after class.

Also, be sure to sign up for a case presentation if you have not done so already.

--------------------------

26 August:  It isn't much, but it is something.  You have survived the first day of class.  Remember the decisions we made today: 1) no class on Friday, 4 September, 2) class on Wednesday, 9 September (those with other class demands -- and it is easy for me to verify these -- are excused from attendance), and 3) the wannabe laptoppers are going to present me with their plan to monitor and forestall laptop misuse in class by Friday, 28 August.

For class on Friday, be through Strauder v. West Virginia (1880).  If you didn't print, read, sign, and turn in your "student contract" today, please do so by Friday.  After that it will be considered late.

--------------------------

24 August:  Welcome back to school.  For our first class session on Wednesday, 26 August, please be sure to have read and digested Federalist Ten and Federalist 78.  If you don't have a copy of the Papers, the specific papers are linked here.  Further, please go to the class's Blackboard page and familiarize yourself with its content.  In particular, note the following:

Once the semester begins, I will post here information of relevance to the content and conduct of our class. 

--------------------------

(back to class homepage)