Law
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Ten years after new law, fewer state convictions ruled unconstitutional; Vanderbilt study finds fewer convictions and sentences overturned
A new study led by Nancy King, Lee S. and Charles A. Speir Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University, finds that fewer state convictions and sentences are being ruled unconstitutional by federal courts. Read MoreAug 21, 2007
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TIPSHEET: NASDAQ launches major change with a private stock market; Vanderbilt expert can talk about new Portal Market (click this headline to watch video)
A new private stock market created by NASDAQ for mega-rich investors may be considered one of most significant developments on Wall Street in decades, but it's not such a great idea, according to Vanderbilt international trade and investment expert Chris Brummer. Read MoreAug 15, 2007
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Op-ed: Disorder in the court
Another Supreme Court term has come to a close, and, while many things changed in the law, one thing stayed the same: The justices spent much of their time reversing the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Read MoreJul 24, 2007
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TIPSHEET: Vanderbilt law professor fights to keep police from releasing arrest records
In a court of law, a person is innocent until proven guilty. But when a person's photograph and arrest information are posted on television newscasts, newspapers, radio reports and Web sites, he or she is essentially being painted as a criminal before being tried by a judge or jury. That's the opinion of University Professor of Constitutional Law & Health Law & Policy James Blumstein. Blumstein is going to U.S. District Court on July 11 to convince a judge to enforce a 33-year-old court order that bans Nashville Metro Police from giving out raw arrest information. Read MoreJul 6, 2007
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Op-ed: Integration ruling shows where clout is on Supreme Court
The recent school desegregation decisions handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court drive home three important lessons. Read MoreJul 3, 2007
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Op-ed: How do you promote racial diversity without using race?
An Op-ed by Claire Smrekar, associate professor of education and public policy, on the recent U. S. Supreme Court ruling regarding race-based assignment plans for the school districts of Louisville, Ky. and Seattle, Wash. Read MoreJul 2, 2007
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Supreme Court ruling on negative ads to affect presidential race: Vanderbilt expert
Today's U.S. Supreme Court ruling to allow issues ads funded by corporations and labor unions to air close to an election has major implications for the 2008 presidential campaign, according to Vanderbilt University political scientist John Geer. Read MoreJun 27, 2007
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TIPSHEET: Vanderbilt professors are ready to talk about upcoming Supreme Court decisions
The United States Supreme Court is set to make decisions on a number of hotly debated cases and a diverse group of Vanderbilt University experts is ready to talk about those cases. Read MoreJun 26, 2007
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TIPSHEET: Immigration overhaul debate: Vanderbilt University experts available for comment
America's past immigrant experience should be studied by those wanting to overhaul current immigration laws, says historian Gary Gerstle. Read MoreJun 21, 2007
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Legal scholar Ted Smedley dies; Vanderbilt professor created ‘professional responsibility’ focus at Law School
Emeritus Vanderbilt Law Professor Theodore (Ted) Smedley, who helped define law education at Vanderbilt and who thrust the law school onto the national scene, died of a heart attack June 15. He was 94. Read MoreJun 19, 2007
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TIPSHEET: Vanderbilt expert can talk about developments in the war crimes case surrounding a young Guantanamo detainee
A military judge Monday threw out a war crimes case against Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr. He is accused of the 2002 grenade killing of a U.S. Army soldier in Afghanistan. Khadr was 15 at the time of the alleged attack. Judge Peter Brownback found that the charge sheet did not meet a two-step process defined in the Military Commissions Act. Read MoreJun 4, 2007
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TIPSHEET: Vanderbilt expert can talk about the war crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor
Former Liberian president Charles Taylor will face 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity on June 4, accused of arming and supporting a rebel group responsible for horrendous atrocities including the murder, rape, mutilation and forced child labor of tens of thousands of people during the Sierra Leone civil war. Read MoreJun 1, 2007
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Op-ed: Illegal immigration’s harmful effects
An op-ed by Carol M. Swain, Vanderbilt professor of political science and law, on the impact of illegal immigration on African Americans. Read MoreMay 29, 2007
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TIPSHEET: Vanderbilt economist helps sway Supreme Court to overturn telecom antitrust lawsuit
The Supreme Court followed the advice of a Vanderbilt University professor and 25 other top antitrust economists and overturned the decision made by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals on the telecom antitrust lawsuit Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly. Read MoreMay 22, 2007
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Shut up and work! Vanderbilt professor examines the erosion of free expression in the workplace
An employee is fired for having a political bumper sticker on his car. Another is let go for complaining about co-workers on a MySpace page. A third person didn't receive a call-back on a prospective job because of the sermon he gave on his church's podcast. Are these violations of free speech? Are private companies breaking the law by firing or not hiring these people? Read MoreMay 17, 2007
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U.S. troops do their duty
In this op-ed, Michael Newton, special adviser to the Iraqi Tribunal and acting associate professor of law at Vanderbilt University, argues for Congressional action to provide funding for the U.S. troops stationed in Iraq. The op-ed orignially ran in the Washington Post on May 3, 2007. Read MoreMay 8, 2007
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Erosion of free speech in American workplace alarming trend, says Vanderbilt professor
"The Erosion of Free Expression in the American Workplace," a new book by Bruce Barry, professor of management and sociology, examines the growing decline of freedom of speech for many employees, and the lack of due-process rights and just-cause protections for these workers. Read MoreApr 27, 2007
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The brain’s role in violence; Vanderbilt researcher examines how brain science could affect legal responsibility
A man with no prior history of sexual misconduct was caught trying to molest a child. A brain scan found that he had a large tumor pressing on his right frontal cortex. When the tumor was removed, he no longer wanted to molest children. A suicidal man tried to kill himself with a crossbow. When the arrow went into his skull, the damage done to his prefrontal cortex reversed his anti-social tendencies. Read MoreApr 19, 2007
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TIPSHEEET: Vanderbilt expert can talk about the Supreme Court’s decision on late-term abortions
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to uphold a ban on a type of late-term abortion. The court found that the national Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, passed in 2003, does not violate a woman's constitutional right to an abortion. Read MoreApr 18, 2007
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Copyright laws: what’s changing and what’s being done to protect; Head of the U.S. Copyright Office leads discussion at Vanderbilt
Copyrights play an integral role for writers and artists. And in this day of Web sites and Internet downloading, copyright rules are evolving. The United States Register of Copyrights, Marybeth Peters, will lead a day-long discussion on the state of copyright law on Friday, April 20 at the Vanderbilt University First Amendment Center. Read MoreApr 12, 2007