JASON J. CZARNEZKI

…asks The American Prospect. See here:
http://prospect.org/article/online-llms-new-way-rob-peter-pay-paul

A poignant short video from PBS about my hometown of Milwaukee and the struggles facing American families. This is what happens with an increase in income inequality and the loss of social services in the United States. My grandfather, who died three years ago, and spent the post-war era improving Milwaukee’s park and bus systems, working for labor unions, and supporting New Deal social services would be deeply disappointed and saddened. The Stanleys, and the rest of the country, deserve better. We need a Better Deal for everyone–education, health care, elder care, employment, retirement–yet it now seems many who have benefited from and continue to benefit from America’s public social welfare programs now fight them as private companies take away these benefits or simply close shop. Claude and Jackie Stanley should be able to comfortably retire. My students and friends should not have burdensome student loans. My family and friends should have the health care they require and should be able to grow old respectably in their own homes.

A very interesting article by Vic Fleischer.

This article in The Atlantic and this video posted on The Guardian ask and illustrate these questions. I encourage you to read the article (and welcome comments from those more knowledgable about international law regarding force feeding), but I also warn you that many may find the video linked to in the article extremely disturbing.

Today is my first official day as the Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law at Pace Law School. At my formal installation on September 25th I’ll deliver the 14th Annual Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture. I’m am deeply honored to be the successor in holding this Chair from my friend and colleague Nick Robinson.

Pace Law School established the Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law to expand the School’s programs of research, education, professional and scholarly activity and publications in environmental law. The Kerlin endowment funds also a named professorship at Pace in Environmental Law. Professor Nicholas A. Robinson, founder of Pace Law School’s environmental programs, was named the Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor in Environmental Law in 1999. The first Kerlin Lecture titled, "Selling the Common Heritage? Commerce, Property, and the Protection of the Environment" was given by Professor Carol Rose in 2000. Mr. Kerlin was a distinguished lawyer and was of counsel to Shearman & Sterling in New York City. He was a founder and chairman of the Riverdale Community Planning Association, an organization that spearheaded the rezoning of the entire West Bronx to preserve the greenbelt area of that section of the City of New York. Also, he was a leader in protecting the natural environment of the Hudson River and its greenbelt area. Mr. Kerlin was the founding chairman of Wave Hill, the outstanding public garden and cultural institution in Riverdale, New York. Mrs. Kerlin, a long-time trustee of the Bank Street College of Education, was responsible for creating and supporting environmental and educational programs at Wave Hill for teachers and public school students. Mr. Gilbert Kerlin passed away at the age of 94 in 2004; his wife of 60 years, Sarah, died in 2001. The Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture and Chair of Environmental Law continue in their honor.

See full article here.

"The Agriculture Department has approved a label for meat and liquid egg products that includes a claim about the absence of genetically engineered products. It is the first time that the department, which regulates meat and poultry processing, has approved a non-G.M.O. label claim, which attests that meat certified by the Non-GMO Project came from animals that never ate feed containing genetically engineered ingredients like corn, soy and alfalfa."

Eric Posner is on fire. He writes a must-read Supreme Court Year in Review in slate.com and states:

"The conservative justices really are very, very conservative. I had up until now pooh-poohed liberal constitutional law professors and journalists who argued that the court had gone off the rails. Mea culpa."

H/T: Dan Markel

SCOTUSblog Opinions Recap: Giant Step for Gay Marriage

Dave Owen (Maine) has an interesting blog post entitled "A few initial thoughts on Windsor (and Massachusetts v. EPA)" which discusses the role of federalism and state legislatures in constitutional interpretation. Following reading his post, check out the posts entitled "DOMA and Federalism" and "Windsor and the states’ power to define federal constitutional rights: Does Kennedy revive Justice Harlan’s Theory of Rights?" posted today on PrawfsBlawg.

Progressives are not happy with the US Supreme Court today. The court declared parts of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, and Congress likely won’t fix it. Eric Posner calls the decision "lame." In another case, real estate developers won big. More cases (DOMA, gay marriage) are on the horizon.

Well here’s an article that merits some commentary from Bill Henderson (Indiana). From the NYTimes article, Big Law’s Troubling Trajectory:

"It comes down to this: firm leaders know that regardless of how they treat young lawyers, numerous replacements wait for their turns in the increasingly fragile big-law barrel. Meanwhile, the profession’s existential crisis continues as intergenerational antagonisms fester. Except for the relatively few partners at the top, this can’t end well."