LightNews LightNews
banner
travisatchley.bsky.social
@travisatchley.bsky.social
85 followers 110 following 1 posts
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted
stevevladeck.bsky.social
Sotomayor: "Given its conduct in these proceedings, the Government’s posture resembles that of the arsonist who calls 911 to report firefighters for violating a local noise ordinance."
June 23, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Reposted
acyn.bsky.social
Walz: If you say you love freedom but you don't believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love is not freedom, it is privilege.
April 24, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Reposted
joshuajfriedman.com
"This should be shocking not only to judges, but to the intuitive sense of liberty that Americans far removed from courthouses still hold dear."
It is difficult in some cases to get to the very heart of the matter. But in this case, it is not hard at all. The government is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order. Further, it claims in essence that because it has rid itself of custody that there is nothing that can be done. This should be shocking not only to judges, but to the intuitive sense of liberty that Americans far removed from courthouses still hold dear.
April 17, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Reposted
leahlitman.bsky.social
Thanks to @umichlaw.bsky.social for doing an author Q&A on my recent article "The New Substantive Due Process!"

Q&A here: michigan.law.umich.edu/news/5qs-lea...

Full (Texas Law Review) article here: texaslawreview.org/the-new-subs....
5Qs: Leah Litman on SCOTUS and the Rise of the “New Substantive Due Process” | University of Michigan Law School
The US Supreme Court has upended the traditional understanding of substantive due process in recent rulings, Professor Leah Litman, ’10, argues in a new paper.
michigan.law.umich.edu
March 7, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Reposted
evanbernick.bsky.social
It does not always take a theory to beat a theory. Not in the “hard” sciences, not in the “soft” sciences, nowhere. We can and should live with a bit of messiness rather than adopt elegant but systematically wrong accounts of phenomena just because they seem more complete.
March 1, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Reposted
jdmortenson.bsky.social
I regret to report that Ilan Wurman has filed a brief telling our SCt that there's "abundant historical support" for nondelegation doctrine in the 18c materials.

I confess to having have some follow-up Qs. But for calibration, I'd like to start w/evidence cited in the brief. 1/
February 20, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Reposted
stevevladeck.bsky.social
Führerprinzip.
February 15, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Reposted
joycewhitevance.bsky.social
“No American can be proud of a govt that carries out change in this way. Neither can these actions be rationalized by discussion of past grievances or appeals to efficiency. Everything can be more efficient, but adherence to the rule of law is paramount” www.americanbar.org/news/abanews...
The ABA supports the rule of law
It has been three weeks since Inauguration Day. Most Americans recognize that newly elected leaders bring change. That is expected. But most Americans also expect that changes will take place in accor...
www.americanbar.org
February 11, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Reposted
umichlaw.bsky.social
New from Professor @leahlitman.bsky.social:

The New Substantive Due Process

Out now in Texas Law Review: bit.ly/Litman_NSDP
February 5, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Reposted
leahlitman.bsky.social
(1/2) My article "The New Substantive Due Process" is out in Texas Law Review!
It argues SCOTUS has generated a freewheeling jurisprudence centered around poorly defined, contestable notions of liberty- which it's using to refashion institutions of the admin state texaslawreview.org/wp-content/u...
February 4, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Reposted
profmmurray.bsky.social
Former Secretary of Transportation--who was not on The Real World or Road Rules--weighs in on the President's efforts to blame the fatal air traffic accident on DEI.
January 30, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Reposted
stevevladeck.bsky.social
To play this out, there will be literally dozens of lawsuits challenging what OMB is doing on the ground that it violates the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Trump’s DOJ will argue that the Act is unconstitutional. And this will quickly get to #SCOTUS, where it will be the biggest case of the term.
January 28, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Reposted
marisakabas.bsky.social
NEW — OMB temporarily pauses all agency grants and loans programs.

Per copy of memo: "The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve."
SUBJECT: Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs 'The American people elected Donald J. Trump to be President of the United States and gave him a mandate to increase the impact of every federal taxpayer dollar. In Fiscal Year 2024. of the nearly $10 trillion that the Federal Government spent, more than $3 trillion was Federal financial assistance, such as grants and loans. Career and political appointees in the Executive Branch have a duty to align Federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through Presidential priorities. Financial assistance should be dedicated to advancing Administration priorities, focusing taxpayer dollars to advance a stronger and safer America, eliminating the financial burden of inflation for citizens, unleashing American energy and manufacturing, ending wokeness" and the weaponization of government, promoting efficiency in government, and Making America Healthy Again. The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve. This memorandum requires Federal agencies to identify and review all Federal financial assistance programs and supporting activities consistent with the President's policies and requirements. For example, during the initial days of his Administration, President Donald J Trump issued a series of executive orders to protect the American people and safeguard valuable taxpayer resources, including Protecting the American People Against Invasion (Jan. 20, 2025). Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid (Jan 20, 2025), Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements (Jan. 20, 2025). Unleashing American Energy (Jan. 20. 2025). Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing (Jan. 20. ent these orders, each agency must complete a comprehensive analysis of all jal assistance programs to identify programs, projects, and activities that any of the President's executive orders. In the interian, to the extent applicable law, Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency nay be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial surice tot foreign nongovernmental organizations, DEL woke gender ideology, and the pause will provide the Administration time to review agency programs of the funding for those programs consistent with the law and the he temporary pause will become effective on January 28, 2025, at 5:00 rehensive analysis. Federal agencies must immediately deadlines for assistance programs arising while the les must report this information to OMB along with an directs Federal agencies to pause all activities associated conducting merit review panels No later than Febrar - 10. 2025, agencies shail submit to OMB detailed information on any programs projects or activities subject to this pause. Each agency must pause. (i) issuance of disbursement of Federal funds under all open awards, and (il) other relevant has reviewed provided guidance to your agency with respect to the information act recordin grant and ptions allowing Federal agencies to issue new awards or take other case basis. To the extent required by law, Federal agencies may continue nistrative actions. such as closeout of Federal awards (2 CFR 200.344), or expressly required by law
January 27, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Reposted
dieworkwear.bsky.social
Photo of Vivek Ramaswamy at one of the galas surrounding the inauguration. He's in a black tie rig and black overcoat. Close up of his shirt. There are four black dress studs and one mother of pearl button at the bottom. The white button is circled in red. Next to the circle, it says "DEI button."
January 20, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Reposted
stevevladeck.bsky.social
For the first time in American history, servicemembers today can be court-martialed for certain offenses *without* a right to be tried by a panel.

We're asking #SCOTUS to decide whether the "short-martial" Congress debuted in 2019 violates the Due Process Clause:

georgetown.box.com/v/WheelerPet...
December 20, 2024 at 1:14 PM
Reposted
rmfifthcircuit.bsky.social
I’ve never seen or heard of this before. The en banc CA5 affirms after it finds itself unable to issue an opinion.

www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub...
December 11, 2024 at 6:27 PM
Reposted
stevevladeck.bsky.social
Hot off the e-presses:

The December 2024 issue of the Harvard Law Review, including me on "A Court of First View"—which studies how and why #SCOTUS has been reaching the merits of more cases at ever-earlier stages of litigation, and why that's not a good thing:

harvardlawreview.org/wp-content/u...
December 12, 2024 at 2:44 AM
Reposted
elliemargolis.bsky.social
“There are no rules” is key to my #LegalWriting philosophy. There are choices and consequences and it is important to understand them.
gabino.bsky.social Gabino Iglesias @gabino.bsky.social · Dec 10
Time to make people angry again!

- It’s okay if you don’t write every day
- First drafts don’t have to be crap
- You don’t have to outline
- You don’t have to use beta readers
- Sometimes telling instead of showing is fine

Fuck all the writing “rules” they tell you about. There are no rules.
December 10, 2024 at 1:35 AM
Reposted
tribelaw.bsky.social

Bravo for @harrylitman.bsky.social’s selfless decision to resign the LA Times in protest. “The existential stakes for our democracy that Trump’s second term poses” make Soon-Shiong’s “currying favor with the President-elect . . . repugnant and dangerous.”
harrylitman.substack.com/p/why-i-just...
Why I Just Resigned From The Los Angeles Times
By Harry Litman
harrylitman.substack.com
December 5, 2024 at 5:55 PM
Reposted
pjaicomo.bsky.social
While we’re at it, read about this exciting @ij.org case challenge #QualifiedImmunity. Early next year, the Supreme Court will decide whether to hear the case, which presents a clear circuit split on #WrongHouseRaids. Via @reason.com:

reason.com/2024/03/21/t...
Texas SWAT team held innocent family at gunpoint after raiding the wrong home
The officers are avoiding accountability after getting qualified immunity.
reason.com
December 4, 2024 at 12:45 AM