Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog

To Iqbal or Not to Iqbal?

Post author:Richard M. Esenberg
Post published:March 12, 2010
Post category:Civil Procedure

One of the recent challenges for Civil Procedure profs has been to explain the Twombly/Iqbal event to students already struggling to understand what often seems to be an arcane and highly contrived subject.

I begin by lowering expectations, showing a slide of a local federal judge with a caption depicting his reaction to Twombly – expressed on a panel discussing the case at a CLE seminar. “When I read this case,” he recalled, “I said ‘what the hell?'” I remember following the good judge’s remarks and saying that he had succinctly summarized Twombly and all that would follow would be mere elaboration. After Iqbal, I am afraid I still can’t do much better.

Except maybe I can.

Both Marquette Teams Win Their First Round of Oral Argument at the Boston Regional

Post author:Jessica E. Slavin
Post published:March 11, 2010
Post category:Legal Education Marquette Law School

I am currently in Boston serving as coach to two teams of Marquette law students who are competing in the National Appellate Advocacy Competition’s Boston Regional Competition. The teams are Alyssa Dowse, Rachel Helmers, and Nicholas Harken (this month’s student blogger); and Jesica Ballenger, Lindsey Johnson, and Allison Ziegler. This evening at 5:30 p.m. both teams argued off brief in their first round. I am delighted to report that both teams won!

The next round happens tomorrow evening. Both teams will be arguing on brief, so I am feeling very optimistic about their chances. Wish the teams luck! I will keep you posted.

(Note: The Liberty Hotel, pictured above, which is hosting most of the out-of-town competitors, is in Beacon Hill on the site of the historic Charles Street Jail.)

Scott Walker: Break Up MPS

Post author:Alan J. Borsuk
Post published:March 11, 2010
Post category:Milwaukee Milwaukee Public Schools Speakers at Marquette

The Milwaukee Public Schools system should be replaced with ten to twelve smaller school districts, Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker said Thursday in an “On the Issues” session at Marquette Law School.

Asked by host Mike Gousha, the Law School’s Distinguished Fellow in Law and Public Policy, what he would do about problems facing MPS, Walker said, “I’d legally eliminate it and start all over. . . . Wipe it out, start over again, legally redefine the school district.”

Walker, Milwaukee County Executive since 2002, said his two children attend schools in Wauwatosa and a district of that size or smaller is better managed, can better focus on students, and can benefit from more of a sense of community supporting it. The existing MPS structure is too big, and it is too difficult to make effective improvements, he said.