Last November, during the Presidential election, was the time to express concern for the ideological makeup of the United States Supreme Court for this generation Not now. It is too late. When America voted for Donald Trump as President, they may or may not have
Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir by John Paul Stevens John Paul Stevens is one of the longest serving justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. His book, Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir, provides a broad sweep of the history of the country’s highest court from
Even after the November election Sen. Ted Cruz vowed to continue to block the appointment of a replacement Supreme Court justice. The Republican senator maintains that the country’s highest court does not need nine members to operate and may even be better off with fewer
John Marshall: The Chief Justice Who Saved the Nation, by Harlow Giles Unger; DaCapo Press (2014) John Marshall: Definer of a Nation, By Jean Edward Smith; Henry Holt & Co (1996) John Marshall, who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United
The Great Dissent: How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind—and Changed the History of Free Speech in America by Thomas Healy, published by Picador (September 9, 2014). Every so often you find a book that you never suspect will be one that you just can’t
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jim Dwyer’s latest book, False Conviction, provides a disturbing yet necessary look at the flaws of the U.S. criminal justice system. His book is a technological as well as a journalistic masterpiece and is only available as an iBook. False Conviction
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recently made headlines when he spoke during oral arguments. While this may not seem like news, it was the first time that the justice had spoken from the bench in nearly seven years. Even though the four words he
The German Mint’s 30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall took home the best Circulating Coin Award at the 2021 Coin of the Year Awards. The coin, dated 2019, commemorates the opening of the Berlin Wall, which took place on November 9, 1989.
Latvia’s Baltic Way five-Euro coin (KM161) was named the “Best Contemporary” coin in Krause’s Coin of the Year Awards for coins dated 2014. The coin commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Baltic Way demonstration that brought together citizens of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. As described
Canada took home the honors for the most historically significant coin in the Krause Coin of the Year Awards for coins dated 2015. The $20 silver Canada, In Flanders Field, KM#1860 coin commemorates the 100th anniversary of the poem “In Flanders Fields” by Lt. Col.
Marijuana legalization is a controversial topic on both the state and federal level. While there is no shortage of opinions on the topic, there aren’t a lot of facts. Thankfully, that could soon change with the introduction of the Marijuana Data Collection Act. The federal
Illinois is the latest state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. While this is certainly notable progress, it may not help the amendment become part of the U.S. Constitution. The Equal Rights Amendment, which was first presented to the states for ratification in 1972, contained
The U.S. Supreme Court returned to full strength in 2017 with the nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch. He was sworn in on April 10, 2017, despite a Democratic filibuster. As expected, Justice Gorsuch has voted very conservatively since joining the bench. The Trump Administration has
There are thousands of books about the U.S. Supreme Court, each trying to offer a different take on the country’s highest court. “Table for 9: Supreme Court Food Traditions & Recipes” is one of the few books that actually succeeds at doing so. In her
The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) recently approved designs for a Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor to the members of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The medal will be awarded “in recognition of their superior service and major contributions during World War II.”
Author and Hall of Fame basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the latest member of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC). While many Americans know him as an author or as an NBA legend, the coin collector community knows him as a collector of 1850 to
Krause publications added Michael Chou to the group of nominators for the Krause Coin of the Year Award for coins dated 2016. Michael joined Cliff Mishler, George Cuhaj and myself to supplement Krause’s knowledgeable staff of prominent numismatists when the group gathered in Iola, Wisconson
Gryphon Editions publishes nicely bound library editions of important legal classics. The publisher offers a subscription that entitles the buyer to obtain one volume a month. Some of the titles in the series are books that every lawyer must read. Unfortunately, finding a complete list
The U.S. Supreme Court always save the best for last, and this term is no exception. While the vacancy on the Court dominated the headlines, the justices still considered several important cases. Issues still left to be decided in the coming weeks include the extraterritorial
The placement of legal citations is one of the most controversial legal writing topics. On one side of the debate, traditionalists maintain that case citations should remain in the text. On the other side, a growing number of lawyers and judges think citations should be
The U.S. Constitution has taken center stage in several recent political battles and high-profile lawsuits, highlighting that it has become a symbol as well as the document upon which our Democratic Republic is based. For many Americans, the Constitution has deep personal meaning as well.
Tom Hayden, best known for his ardent social activism, recently passed away at the age of 76. Hayden, who helped found Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), spent his life advocating against war and injustice. The Nation magazine named Hayden one of the 50 greatest
While the inner workings of the U.S. Supreme Court are largely shrouded in mystery, Jeffrey Toobin pulls back the veil in his book, “The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court.” Published in 2007, “The Nine” spent four months on the New York
The New Jersey Supreme Court recently adopted admission to the Bar by motion. The state now joins 40 other states and Washington, D.C., in permitting out of state lawyers to practice without passing the New Jersey state bar exam. Although admission by motion is accepted
The U.S. Supreme Court recently entered its eleventh term with Chief Justice John Roberts at the helm at the Court’s seventeenth Chief Justice. During Robert’s tenure, the Court has been at the center of important and often controversial legal battles, from same sex marriage
Cameras aren’t allowed in the U.S. Supreme Court, which makes the work of court sketch artist Arthur Lien all the more valuable. His renderings of the justices, the lawyers, and the parties are often the only visual depictions of the high-profile proceedings that the American
Liberty’s First Crisis, by Charles Slack, Atlantic Monthly Press, 2015 “The greatest enemy of liberty is fear…When [people] feel threatened, their tolerance shrinks.” Liberty and freedom in America have been threatened many times since the United States Constitution was drafted in 1787. People around the
George Orwell’s 1984 depicted a spy society as a parody of communism gone global. Edward Snowden revealed the reality of George Orwell’s spy society in the most unlikely and unpredictable place– 21st Century America. The extent of the federal government’s spy network data surveillance activities
U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts is America’s top jurist, legal big dog, Number 1 custodian of the United States Constitution. Yet, earlier in April, he was simply known as American Citizen “Number 49.” Along with 50 other citizens of Montgomery County, Maryland, the Chief
It is not always the case that a high resolution 96kHz/24bit sounds better than a CD at 44mHz/16bit. More often than not, the remastering matters more than the bit rate. This is one of those times. The high resolution Blu-ray and, presumably, the digital download
What do the U.S. Supreme Court and the National Football League have in common? Surprisingly enough, both have generated “fantasy leagues” in which participants try to successfully pick the winners and losers. The work of the country’s highest court is serious business. After all, the
During the course of their tenures on the U.S. Supreme Court, Justices Antonin Scalia and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg have engaged in many heated debates. But do they make good theater? Budding lawyer and musician Derrick Wang thinks so. He recently composed an opera entitled
While the list of judges who blog is relatively short, those who do are making headlines. Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf made his blog must read material when he recently commented on the irrelevancy of the Supreme Court. His blog, Hercules and the Umpire,
While Facebook offers many new ways to communicate, it has its limitations. For instance, it cannot be used to serve legal papers. After rap superstar Flo Rida failed to appear for a performance at the 2011 Fat As Butter music festival in Newcastle, Australia, concert
A New York state Appeals court recently ruled that a $2,000 fine levied against an artist who uses “found objects” in his art was unconstitutional. The decision is being heralded as a victory for the “little guy” and basic common sense. Albert Prince removed discarded
Marcia Coyle’s new book, The Roberts Court: The Struggle for the Constitution, offers a unique look into the landmark decisions that have shaped the U.S. Supreme Court during the eight-year tenure of Chief Justice John Roberts. From controversial rulings on the healthcare law to campaign
The New Hampshire Robin Hooders have proven that parking tickets have more to do with justifying jobs than protecting the public. The residents of Keene, New Hampshire fought back by creating a band of merry men and women modeled after Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest
The U.S. Supreme Court may likely decide the legality of the long-standing practice of recess appointments. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently made headlines when it invalidated President Obama’s nominations to the National Labor Review Board. Under the U.S.
The U.S. Supreme Court will take up two same-sex marriage cases next month. While the oral arguments are expected to garner wide media attention, there will no television cameras inside the Supreme Court courtroom. Although cameras are now allowed in courtrooms across the country, the
In addition to losing a tough battle on the football field, the Fighting Irish did not fare very well in the courtroom either. The University of Notre Dame, a Catholic University, recently attempted to challenge part of the new federal healthcare reform on religious grounds.
The traditional law school model is arguably in dire need of a makeover. But the legal community can’t seem to agree what a modern legal education should look like. Most recently, a proposal to allow law school students to eliminate their third year and sit
Coin of the Year: Celebrating Three Decades of the Best in Coin Design and Craftsmanship If you are an avid collector of commemorative coins, or just enjoy the art of coin design, this is a great “coffee table worthy” book for you. This entertaining and
