Monthly Archives: March 2006

To Minneapolis

I am off to Minneapolis to give a ‘works in progress’ talk to the law faculty. Usually, when I go places I try to bring something nearly finished even if it’s touted as a ‘half-baked’ talks series. This time, maybe for the first time, I’m bring a true work in progress, which does make me slightly nervous.

It’s an article I wrote a strong first draft of some time ago (quite a long time ago in Internet years), and then set aside because I thought something was missing. I’ve started updating it now, with an eye to finally getting it out the door. But I still think it’s missing something.

Maybe talking it over with a room full of smart folks will help me find that missing ingredient. Or maybe I’ll just look silly.

It’s a very short visit — I get back to Miami around midnight Thursday — but I gather I will need my coat.

Posted in Talks & Conferences | 3 Comments

Life Is Tough … For Some

I wonder if stuff like this helps explain why applications to UM Law remain strong?

Pseudonymous 1-L UM blogger Klio writes about her spring break:

Spring Break for the University of Miami Law Student is a bit non-traditional. Because we spend our law school days sparsely clothed in a tropical paradise, most of us head back home to a Abercrombie & Fitch wool sweater hell. Some of us seek refuge from the 1L stress with an inquisitive exploration abroad to places like London, Paris, and Latin America. Others just stay put, tumbling out of bed at noon to crash face down on the sandy, white beaches.

Personally, I spent the week binge writing.

Posted in Law School, U.Miami | 1 Comment

NYT Covers Abuses of Material Witness Statute

My colleague Ricardo J. Bascuas is quoted by Adam Liptak in tomorrow’s NYT story New Scrutiny for Law on Detaining Witnesses . Rick is an expert in this area, and the article is a good introduction to the abuses of the material witness statute.

Posted in Civil Liberties | Comments Off on NYT Covers Abuses of Material Witness Statute

What He Said, What They Said.

Yes, I agree with the good folks at Talking Points Memo. But given the subject, I suppose I can’t say more than that, even though I’m speaking entirely for myself here.

Oh yeah, I agree with Brad too. And Atrios. And Media Matters. Must be a conspiracy or something.

Posted in The Media | 1 Comment

UM Law Still (Relatively) Popular

According to this article in something called The Independent Florida Alligator, law school applications nationally are down 9.5% this year, but UM is down only 4%.

Given that our percentage increases in applications during the past decade have tended to be way above recent increases in the national pool, it’s nice to see the pattern of UM beating the trend continue even when there is shrinkage in the over-all number of applicants.

Note: I have never served on the admissions committee.

Update: This decade-long increase in our applicant pool may explain why recent classes seem to have a substantially better median student then when I first got here. What’s especially notable is how much better the weakest students are today than they were over a decade ago (the best students were and are wonderful). It has been a long time since I flunked anyone who didn’t turn in a blank, or nearly blank, blue book (which usually means panic attack, but sometimes means pass/fail gambler). Indeed, I give almost no D’s and very very few C-‘s these days. This is a big change from 12-15 years ago, and while it’s possible I’m a victim of unknowing grade inflation, it would certainly be unknowing.

Posted in Law School | 2 Comments

Fighting the Darkness

The animated short In The Dark from openthegovernment.org has its heart in the right place, although to me it feels is a little heavy-handed.

But maybe that’s what the times require?

Posted in Civil Liberties | Comments Off on Fighting the Darkness