Nov

30

Some Exam-Taking Advice from Professor Kircher

Posted by: | November 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment

[Editor's note:  In this post, Professor John J. Kircher provides the first installment in our new series, "What are your best exam-taking tips for law students?"] To begin with, always be careful to understand the “call” of the question. That is, what is the professor asking you to do? If he or she casts you [...]

Nov

29

Erwin Chemerinsky to Speak in Milwaukee December 8

Posted by: | November 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Erwin Chemerinsky — Dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law and a noted constitutional law scholar — will speak in Milwaukee on December 8 at the Pfister Hotel.  The event is sponsored by the Milwaukee Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society (ACS).  Doors open at 5 pm.  Dean Chemerinsky is expected to speak [...]

Nov

28

Advice on Appeals from Howard Eisenberg

Posted by: | November 28, 2010 | 2 Comments

Just like the prospect of being hanged in the morning, there’s nothing like having fourteen people over to Thanksgiving dinner to concentrate the mind.  In my case, it’s also the galvanizing principle to buckle down and clean house. This year, the task was truly daunting — the family room had become nearly impassible, swamped by [...]

Nov

27

Best of the Blogs: Grinch Edition

Posted by: | November 27, 2010 | 1 Comment

In honor of the holiday season, this week’s Best of the Blogs presents a special Grinch edition.  Click Here to watch the Grinch’s heart grow. A group of law students at the Suffolk University Law School have put together a guide to suing Santa Clause. As a former litigator, I don’t know whether to be proud or to [...]

Nov

27

Cleaning Up the ACCA Mess

Posted by: | November 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment

David Holman has a helpful new article exploring the mess that has become the Armed Career Criminal Act jurisprudence in the wake of Begay v. United States. (I’ve blogged about this unfolding jurisprudence several times, e.g., here and here.)  The ACCA, of course, imposes a fifteen-year mandatory minimum for felons in possession of a firearm who have three or [...]

Nov

26

Thank You

Posted by: | November 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment

The Thanksgiving Holiday brings about the annual reminder to take a moment to reflect and to say thank you. So, be sure to thank those around you! First, thank you to the MULS community because without all of you I would not be where I am today. To my professors, thank you for challenging me even [...]

Nov

25

The Mayflower Compact

Posted by: | November 25, 2010 | 1 Comment

About a year before the first Thanksgiving, in early November 1620, the Pilgrims landed in Cape Cod.  In Mayflower Nathaniel Philbrick recounts how before landing in Provincetown Harbor, the Pilgrims drafted and signed the Mayflower Compact.  The Mayflower Compact states in full:  Having undertaken, for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith [...]

Nov

24

Commissioner Selig Joins Sports Law Faculty

Posted by: | November 24, 2010 | 2 Comments

I am delighted that Commissioner Bud Selig now is a member of our sports law faculty. (See the University’s press release here.) His insightful lectures in our Pro Sports Law course enrich our students’ learning and offer an educational experience no other law school currently provides. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for having the unique [...]

Nov

23

The Dead End of Deterrence

Posted by: | November 23, 2010 | 3 Comments

The Sentencing Project has a new report out that summarizes research on the effectiveness of criminal punishment as a deterrent.  It’s nothing pathbreaking, but it does offer a nice, succinct statement of the evidence against robust deterrence effects.  Here’s the conclusion: Existing evidence does not support any significant public safety benefit of the practice of [...]

Nov

22

Video Feedback on Student Work

Posted by: | November 22, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Recently, for the first time, I used video and audio technology to provide feedback on student papers in my first-year legal writing class. From my perspective, it was a terrific success.  Giving live, oral feedback over video of each student’s paper allowed me to explain my questions, comments, and corrections more naturally and precisely, and [...]

Nov

22

Indigent Defense and the Private Bar Rate Debate

Posted by: | November 22, 2010 | 8 Comments

The Wisconsin State Public Defender (SPD) currently pays $40 per hour to private bar attorneys who represent indigent citizens accused of crimes.  This rate has been unchanged for decades, and lawyers are lobbying for an increase.  However, aside from horrible timing—this latest plea for more money coincides with Wisconsin’s $2.5 billion budget deficit—some of the [...]

Nov

21

Best of the Blogs: Inequality Edition

Posted by: | November 21, 2010 | 1 Comment

Hey, law students and profs, it’s time for you to fear the ‘fro.  Pistons center Ben Wallace reportedly plans to attend law school after he retires from the NBA.  At Above the Law, Elie Mystal comments on Wallace’s prospects as a law student, comparing his advantages and disadvantages relative to his classmates.  For instance: GRADES: Would [...]

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