Dan Farbman
@danfarbman.bsky.social
Law Professor at BC Law, Historian of social movements and local government. Writing a book about Abolitionist Lawyering.
post a banger that isn't in English
youtu.be/GO-JCDaZKNI
youtu.be/GO-JCDaZKNI
February 9, 2026 at 6:58 PM
post a banger that isn't in English
youtu.be/GO-JCDaZKNI
youtu.be/GO-JCDaZKNI
In the monstrous facts of Prigg v Pennsylvania (1842), Margaret Morgan’s husband was told that his wife and their children were safe for the night and sent home. When he returned to court the next day, they’d been kidnapped by Prigg and enslaved.
(SCOTUS ruled the kidnapping was legal…)
(SCOTUS ruled the kidnapping was legal…)
Metry and her husband of 4 years go to DHS to get their I-130 in motion. "Good news" a DHS employee told them, the form to start her naturalization was approved.
DHS employee asks the husband to follow him through a secure door. When it locks behind him, ICE detains his wife to deport her.
DHS employee asks the husband to follow him through a secure door. When it locks behind him, ICE detains his wife to deport her.
EXCLUSIVE: Terez Metry was 13 when her family fled to Tennessee from Egypt in 2011. Then, they left her behind. She only recently discovered she had an order of removal from 2011. But she was following the legal path to citizenship. On Monday, at a routine DHS meeting, Metry was detained.
February 7, 2026 at 9:31 AM
In the monstrous facts of Prigg v Pennsylvania (1842), Margaret Morgan’s husband was told that his wife and their children were safe for the night and sent home. When he returned to court the next day, they’d been kidnapped by Prigg and enslaved.
(SCOTUS ruled the kidnapping was legal…)
(SCOTUS ruled the kidnapping was legal…)
I regret to inform you that things are better in Madrid.
February 5, 2026 at 6:31 PM
I regret to inform you that things are better in Madrid.
In the 1850s, hardline supporters of slavery started developing affirmative theological defenses of enslaving other human beings. This was seen as outrageous and, in turn, supercharged theological opposition to slavery.
Speaking on behalf of a religion that actively sought to spread itself to every country in the world whether invited or not, Speaker Johnson would like to share with you the Biblical case for strong borders.
February 4, 2026 at 2:16 PM
In the 1850s, hardline supporters of slavery started developing affirmative theological defenses of enslaving other human beings. This was seen as outrageous and, in turn, supercharged theological opposition to slavery.
Reposted by Dan Farbman
Someone sent this link around a while back:
Resistance Lawyering by Daniel Farbman :: SSRN papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Resistance Lawyering by Daniel Farbman :: SSRN papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
February 1, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Someone sent this link around a while back:
Resistance Lawyering by Daniel Farbman :: SSRN papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Resistance Lawyering by Daniel Farbman :: SSRN papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 established a new office of Federal Commissioner to assist in the process of reenslaving people across the north. In some places opinion was so against the law that it was impossible to recruit commissioners to fill the positions.
Same vibes.
Same vibes.
DM me? We used to get hundreds of highly qualified applicants for a single job posting. Good prosecutors are increasingly hesitant to work for this DOJ.
February 1, 2026 at 1:34 AM
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 established a new office of Federal Commissioner to assist in the process of reenslaving people across the north. In some places opinion was so against the law that it was impossible to recruit commissioners to fill the positions.
Same vibes.
Same vibes.
MAKE FITZHUGH GREAT AGAIN!!
Translated "it's fine if they're slaves or indentured servants"
January 31, 2026 at 11:07 PM
MAKE FITZHUGH GREAT AGAIN!!
I'm learning a lot more about Robin Leach than I ever wanted to know.
January 30, 2026 at 8:19 PM
I'm learning a lot more about Robin Leach than I ever wanted to know.
If you have kids between 8-18 and are looking for an excuse to get rid - er...give them the gift of an amazing experience in the mountains of Western Massachusetts for some part of this summer, consider sending them to Rowe. It's a place that changed my life.
rowecenter.org/youth-camps/
rowecenter.org/youth-camps/
Youth Camps - The Rowe Center
Discover the power of connection and personal growth at Rowe Center's Adult Camps and Communities, where your journey to self-discovery and healing begins.
rowecenter.org
January 25, 2026 at 5:42 PM
If you have kids between 8-18 and are looking for an excuse to get rid - er...give them the gift of an amazing experience in the mountains of Western Massachusetts for some part of this summer, consider sending them to Rowe. It's a place that changed my life.
rowecenter.org/youth-camps/
rowecenter.org/youth-camps/
My luke-warmest take is that radicalization is a slow process and that it is good in whatever form it takes and whenever it takes.
We can't do the work of building a democracy worthy of ourselves by ourselves.
We can't do the work of building a democracy worthy of ourselves by ourselves.
January 25, 2026 at 5:37 PM
My luke-warmest take is that radicalization is a slow process and that it is good in whatever form it takes and whenever it takes.
We can't do the work of building a democracy worthy of ourselves by ourselves.
We can't do the work of building a democracy worthy of ourselves by ourselves.
Reposted by Dan Farbman
For years, @ksabeelrahman.bsky.social & I have been frustrated with what we call the Part IV Problem in legal scholarship, the expectation of neat & feasible prescriptions to end pieces. Our frustrations are heightened in this moment of authoritarianism, as we wrote today at @lpeblog.bsky.social:
Today, @jocelynsimonson.bsky.social and @ksabeelrahman.bsky.social challenge the idea that law review articles should conclude with a set of actionable prescriptions.
This convention, they argue, constrains ambition, sidelines critique, and conflates near-term feasibility with rigor.
This convention, they argue, constrains ambition, sidelines critique, and conflates near-term feasibility with rigor.
Beyond Feasibility in Legal Scholarship
Law review articles are expected to conclude with a short section, often “Part IV,” that translates analysis into actionable prescriptions. Though well-intentioned, this convention constrains ambition...
lpeproject.org
January 21, 2026 at 5:02 PM
For years, @ksabeelrahman.bsky.social & I have been frustrated with what we call the Part IV Problem in legal scholarship, the expectation of neat & feasible prescriptions to end pieces. Our frustrations are heightened in this moment of authoritarianism, as we wrote today at @lpeblog.bsky.social:
Today, like nearly every day for the past year, is a good day to read Thoreau’s “Slavery in Massachusetts.”
“It is not an era of repose. We have used up all our inherited freedom. If we would save our lives, we must fight for them.”
“It is not an era of repose. We have used up all our inherited freedom. If we would save our lives, we must fight for them.”
January 14, 2026 at 1:41 AM
Today, like nearly every day for the past year, is a good day to read Thoreau’s “Slavery in Massachusetts.”
“It is not an era of repose. We have used up all our inherited freedom. If we would save our lives, we must fight for them.”
“It is not an era of repose. We have used up all our inherited freedom. If we would save our lives, we must fight for them.”
MAKE FEDERALISM GREAT AGAIN!!!
Trump: "Starting February 1, we're not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities"
January 13, 2026 at 8:30 PM
MAKE FEDERALISM GREAT AGAIN!!!
Since the death of Renee Good, I've been thinking a lot about the way that the pro-slavery press covered the murder of abolitionist printer Elijah Lovejoy in 1838. In short, he was blamed for "disturbing the peace" and "provoking violence" by agitating for abolition. History/tragedy/farce, etc.
January 12, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Since the death of Renee Good, I've been thinking a lot about the way that the pro-slavery press covered the murder of abolitionist printer Elijah Lovejoy in 1838. In short, he was blamed for "disturbing the peace" and "provoking violence" by agitating for abolition. History/tragedy/farce, etc.
Local government law at the heart of everything.
"The question that you're basically asking is, can our cops arrest them? From a legal perspective, yes. From a practical perspective...they have bigger guns than we do." That's where we're at.
Look out for @mayorjacobfrey.bsky.social on today's Bulwark Podcast with @timmiller.bsky.social!
Look out for @mayorjacobfrey.bsky.social on today's Bulwark Podcast with @timmiller.bsky.social!
January 10, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Local government law at the heart of everything.
Periodic reminder that the confederacy hoped to conquer South America and create a hemispheric slave empire.
Alexander Stephens’ ghost’s hands at the wheel of our politics.
Alexander Stephens’ ghost’s hands at the wheel of our politics.
January 4, 2026 at 3:58 AM
Periodic reminder that the confederacy hoped to conquer South America and create a hemispheric slave empire.
Alexander Stephens’ ghost’s hands at the wheel of our politics.
Alexander Stephens’ ghost’s hands at the wheel of our politics.
The One Little Thing SCOTUS Explicitly Said Was Still Lawful is Not Lawful Say the "Very Best" Lawyers Who Definitely Care About Legality Above All.
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/12/m...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/12/m...
White House flags DEI-themed college essays as potentially unlawful - The Boston Globe
Navigating the college admissions landscape has never been easy, but for the class of 2030 it’s particularly fraught.
www.bostonglobe.com
December 18, 2025 at 7:15 PM
The One Little Thing SCOTUS Explicitly Said Was Still Lawful is Not Lawful Say the "Very Best" Lawyers Who Definitely Care About Legality Above All.
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/12/m...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/12/m...
Tell me the best stuff you've read recently about legal realism and its application to all the stuff we're living with. Asking for a person updating a syllabus...
December 11, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Tell me the best stuff you've read recently about legal realism and its application to all the stuff we're living with. Asking for a person updating a syllabus...
If we’re just gonna make the constitution mean whatever we want, can we start making up “legitimate questions” about the Senate and the electoral college?
Get in folks! We’re gonna make this old parchment live a little.
Get in folks! We’re gonna make this old parchment live a little.
December 8, 2025 at 2:47 PM
If we’re just gonna make the constitution mean whatever we want, can we start making up “legitimate questions” about the Senate and the electoral college?
Get in folks! We’re gonna make this old parchment live a little.
Get in folks! We’re gonna make this old parchment live a little.
Reposted by Dan Farbman
Look, I know this weaponization of male academic interest is the oldest story in the book, but it’s just so, so pernicious. It’s awful to the women directly involved, but it’s also awful to *all* women in the academy, who have to live in its shadow all the time.
November 17, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Look, I know this weaponization of male academic interest is the oldest story in the book, but it’s just so, so pernicious. It’s awful to the women directly involved, but it’s also awful to *all* women in the academy, who have to live in its shadow all the time.
Please stop making the worst parts of American history “great” again.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
November 16, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Please stop making the worst parts of American history “great” again.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
In the stupidest timeline, all this is leading to FIFA staging a global coup and promulgating its worstness into every corner of our lives.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino on Donald Trump.
November 6, 2025 at 10:52 AM
In the stupidest timeline, all this is leading to FIFA staging a global coup and promulgating its worstness into every corner of our lives.
Despite a very vocal push against progressives here in Cambridge, we shored up a progressive majority on the city council and elected an amazing slate of progressive and teacher-backed candidates to the school committee. Good news around every local corner.
Keeping an eye on local elections around Boston, where NIMBYs are pushing back against moves to liberalize zoning to create more housing in Cambridge, Somerville, and where I live in Medford. Almost no coverage in local press but similar issues, including objections to bike paths.
Cambridge City Council Election Guide 2025 - Cambridge Day
Guide to the City of Cambridge's 2025 election for city council.
www.cambridgeday.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Despite a very vocal push against progressives here in Cambridge, we shored up a progressive majority on the city council and elected an amazing slate of progressive and teacher-backed candidates to the school committee. Good news around every local corner.
This account is undefeated.
Abduction of Proserpina, by Giambologna, 1579 (from the @NortonSimon Museum in Pasadena), 📸 by @nturchiarophoto
November 3, 2025 at 3:40 PM
This account is undefeated.