Federal Government

Lawyer May Be Next President

The next president of the United States is likely to have a law degree, judging from the abundance of candidates with legal backgrounds. The three leading candidates in both major parties all have law degrees, USA Today reports. On the Democratic side, they are Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and…

Sep 6, 2007 4:11 PM CDT

Law Prof Battled Bush at the White House

What many contend was an excessive use of executive power by President George W. Bush is suddenly the topic of the month. An insider who happens to be a law professor has written something of a tell-all book on the subject, and major publications are vying to offer the most…

Sep 6, 2007 12:29 AM CDT

But Is It War?

Conservatives debate the limits of executive power post-9/11

Sep 1, 2007 7:30 AM CDT

The Architects

The Bush administration lawyers who created the blueprint for the legal war on terror

Sep 1, 2007 7:15 AM CDT

Renowned Hands-On Legal Scholar Dies

Benjamin Aaron, a UCLA professor known both for his legal scholarship and his ability to settle a labor dispute, has died. He was 91. Appointed by five U.S. presidents to various national boards and commissions, Aaron played a pivotal role in resolving aircraft company labor disputes after World War II,…

Aug 31, 2007 7:17 PM CDT

New Bush Policies Help Homeowners

Updated: Several federal agencies will make major changes in housing-related rules, offering significant help to homeowners struggling with subprime mortgages, President Bush has promised. News reports say his announcement today–and adoption of programs that Democrats say they suggested–signals an expected Congressional reform of Federal Housing Administration programs and perhaps other…

Aug 31, 2007 5:58 PM CDT

Profs: Gonzales Misunderstood Job

There is one simple reason why soon-to-be former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is losing his job, several law professors say: He never understood what he was supposed to be doing. Gonzales seemed to think he should be acting as the president’s personal legal counsel. But in fact, his job was…

Aug 29, 2007 6:17 PM CDT

Thompson’s Dual Role as Gov’t Counsel

During decades as a government lawyer serving a prominent advisory role in scandalous situations, Fred D. Thompson has forged a reputation as a hard-driving prosecutor. (In between, he has also had a well-known acting career, which was jump-started when he played himself in Marie, a movie about his client, the…

Aug 28, 2007 8:55 PM CDT

Cleric’s Appeal Challenges Spy Program

A Muslim cleric’s appeal of a terrorism conviction may represent the best chance of a federal appeals court ruling on the legality of a controversial wiretapping program. Yassin M. Aref of Albany, N.Y., was convicted of supporting terrorism by helping launder money for a supposed terrorism plot that turned out…

Aug 27, 2007 4:17 PM CDT

U.S. to Investigate Aid Workers

Ratcheting up U.S. scrutiny of foreign aid workers, the Bush administration is about to require charitable and nonprofit organizations that receive money from a government agency to provide detailed personal information on thousands of key employees. The controversial program, which is to take effect in four days, would require the…

Aug 23, 2007 4:23 PM CDT

White House Has Written Manual on Protesters

A written White House manual sets uniform policies to be followed concerning those who protest presidential events. Among other measures, it calls for tight control of event tickets and screening of attendees to check for hidden signs. If that doesn’t work, as the Washington Post characterizes the manual’s instructions, “Any…

Aug 22, 2007 11:33 PM CDT

Spy Document Showdown Threatened

The chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee is threatening to pursue contempt charges against the administration if it refuses to release documents about a secret surveillance program. Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said the administration had failed to meet a Monday deadline to turn over the documents about the spy program…

Aug 21, 2007 2:08 PM CDT

Behavioral Experts Denounce Interrogation Abuse

The nation’s largest group of behavioral experts ruled on Sunday that its members cannot be associated with interrogation techniques that the government has used on terrorism detainees. In making its decision at its annual meeting over the weekend, the American Psychological Association said that psychologists who are witness to mock…

Aug 20, 2007 3:06 PM CDT

FBI Director’s Notes Enhance Testimony

Notes turned over to the House Judiciary Committee by FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III reportedly describe former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft as “barely articulate,” “feeble” and “clearly stressed” during a now-infamous March 2004 encounter with top White House aides. Nonetheless, the aides, including then-White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales…

Aug 16, 2007 11:49 PM CDT

FBI Big-Case Interviews Soon on Web

The National Law Enforcement Museum isn’t scheduled to open for another four years. But it doesn’t need a bricks-and-mortar building to provide access to interviews of FBI agents about big cases on which they’ve worked. Surprisingly candid interview transcripts will be posted by the end of 2008 on the museum’s…

Aug 16, 2007 11:22 PM CDT