Amicus Blog

This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Welcome to This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. A high-profile challenge to race-conscious affirmative action was heard by the Supreme Court, voter intimidation was blocked in Arizona, New York City settled a wrongful conviction suit, and more.  The Supreme...

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This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Welcome to This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. A long-held but never charged Guantanamo detainee was released, a new lawsuit targets armed groups stationed near ballot drop boxes in Arizona, abortion services restarted in Arizona, and more.  The U.S....

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This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Welcome to This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The Supreme Court allows Congress to discriminate against Puerto Rican Americans in providing access to federal social programs, the ACLU announces two major settlements, the Wisconsin Supreme Court adopts highly partisan legislative maps that entrench Republican power for a decade, and more. 

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This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Welcome to This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. As the nation reflects on Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historical confirmation to the Supreme Court, many states are ramping up book banning efforts and attempting to pass more anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ laws. Additionally, the Supreme Court considers weighing in on the length of solitary confinement as a form of punishment. 

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Title 42: An Indiscriminate Tool to Discriminate

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that it will lift enforcement of Title 42 on May 23, 2022. The policy, which has been in effect since March 20, 2020, allowed Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents to turn away asylum seekers at the...

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A Censure is Free Speech and Not a First Amendment Violation

Four months following Rep. Paul Gosar R-AZ censure in the U.S. House of Representatives for posting an anime-style video on Twitter that depicted him killing his colleague, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez D-NY, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that members of an elected body have the constitutional right to censure a member from that same body. 

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This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Welcome to This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. State legislatures target abortion and transgender rights, the federal government indicts anti-abortion activists for conspiracy, a jury finds Denver police used excessive force during George Floyd protests, and more. 

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Congress Reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act, Adds More Protections

In mid-March, Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, and President Biden signed it into law on March 16. Despite the Act’s potential vulnerability to the Supreme Court, that the Act reinstates protections for survivors of intimate partner violence demonstrates its necessity and public support, even in the United States’ polarized political climate. 

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This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Welcome to This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. State legislatures across the country continued their attacks on the LGBTQ community, President Biden reauthorized a major piece of legislation, and the Supreme Court prepared itself to hear arguments on a case...

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Ames Semi-Final Round – March 9, 2022

Welcome to CR-CL’s Ames Live Blog! Tonight is the second night of the Ames Semi-Finals! The Ames Competition is one of the most prestigious competitions for appellate brief writing and advocacy in the country. The students participating in the Semi-Final Round started...

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Ames Semi-Final Round – March 8, 2022

Welcome to CR-CL’s Ames Live Blog! Tonight is night one of the Ames Semi-Finals!  The Ames Competition is one of the most prestigious competitions for appellate brief writing and advocacy in the country. The students participating in the Semi-Final Round started the...

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This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Welcome to This Week in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Blockbuster cases came to the Supreme Court this week involving campaign finance laws, the Jan. 6 Capitol siege, sentencing reductions, and more. Major news about potential criminal charges for election...

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