What's on the Shelf?

New book explores how qualified immunity protects police in brutality and wrongful death cases

High-profile cases like the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police have led to further growth of the Black Lives Matter movement, calls for defunding the police, police reform and greater police accountability. In her new book, Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable, Joanna Schwartz, a professor at the UCLA School of Law and an expert in qualified immunity, tells the stories of people who have been wrongly harmed or killed by police.

Oct 1, 2023 2:20 AM CDT

How collegiality can influence judicial decisions

When dissenting from an ideological foe, judges from federal courts of appeal use an estimated 8.3 fewer negative emotional words if the author of the majority opinion works in the same building. Apparently, it can be uncomfortable riding on an elevator with someone whose opinion you have called “plainly wrong.”

Aug 1, 2023 1:30 AM CDT

New book details Justice Antonin Scalia’s early life

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in office in 2016, remains a revered figure among conservatives for his pugnaciousness, quick wit and his commitment to deciding cases based on “textualist” readings of statutes and an “originalist” interpretation of the Constitution. But Scalia’s combativeness also was polarizing.

Jun 1, 2023 1:10 AM CDT

Senator’s book argues dark money controls the country and courts

In The Scheme: How the Right Wing Used Dark Money to Capture the Supreme Court, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse examines the influence corporate interests and right-wing billionaires have had on the judicial system and American democracy.

Feb 1, 2023 1:20 AM CST

The Constitution Gets Strict Scrutiny: New books offer fresh takes on America’s founding text

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down some monumental and controversial decisions this session on issues ranging from abortion access to gun control, sparking renewed public debate and interest in our constitutional and civil rights. Two new books offer an engaging layperson’s primer on the Constitution’s most important aspects—from the preamble to the Bill of Rights to the 14th Amendment.

Aug 1, 2022 1:10 AM CDT

New book explores the spread and hazards of ‘bad speech’ on the internet and its risk to democracy

In their upcoming book, Social Media, Freedom of Speech and the Future of Our Democracy, two of America’s leading First Amendment scholars tap a high-profile cast of contributors to explore whether there is anything we can—or should—do about the proliferation of problematic speech online.

Jun 1, 2022 1:20 AM CDT

New book explores how qualified immunity protects police in brutality and wrongful death cases

How collegiality can influence judicial decisions

New book details Justice Antonin Scalia’s early life

Senator’s book argues dark money controls the country and courts

The Constitution Gets Strict Scrutiny: New books offer fresh takes on America’s founding text

New book explores the spread and hazards of ‘bad speech’ on the internet and its risk to democracy

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