Chastek Blawg

Justice Anthony Kennedy Today, June 27 th , United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement effective July 31 st , 2018.   Nominated by President Ronald Reagan, Justice Kennedy was sworn in to the Supreme Court in 1988.   He became the swing vote, often serving as the pivotal vote in many close cases.   Read more about Justice Kennedy and explore some of the cases he presided over here . Justice Kennedy’s retirement will provide President Trump with his second Supreme Court nomination since taking office.   Possible nominees include names considered for Justice Gorsuch’s seat such as federal appeals court judge and former Kennedy law clerk, Brett Kavanaugh and federal judges William Pryor, Thomas Hardiman, and Amul Thapar.    Read more about Justice Kennedy’s career and retirement here and here .

In two 5-4 decisions, the Supreme Court has upheld the Trump Travel Ban and sided with pro-life pregnancy centers. Trump, President of the United States, et al. v. Hawaii et al. President Trump signed his first travel ban just one week after taking office in 2017 and it was immediately challenged in the courts. A new version was issued months later and was blocked as well. In September, President Trump wrote a presidential proclamation which restricted entry to the United States by emigrants from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad, Venezuela, and North Korea. After this latest ban was challenged, the Supreme Court decided to take the case and heard arguments in January 2018. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. wrote that there was ample authority to make national security judgments which led to restricted travel from the eight nations and forbid nationals from working, studying, or vacationing in the United States. To read the opinion, visit https://ww...

In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court has decided that online retail spaces can be required to collect sales tax even in states where they have no physical presence. When overruling Quill Corporation v. North Dakota , the Supreme Court opined that the 1992 decision had caused states to lose billions in annual tax revenues. To read the Court's opinion, please visit https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/17-494_j4el.pdf

Enjoy the first issue of the bi-monthly Zag Law Library News newsletter. The next issue will be released in early August 2018.

 Studying for the bar exam this summer and looking for some additional resources to help you prepare?  The library has a variety of study aids including Multistate Bar Exam flashcards, practice questions from past administered exams, and books with some general advice for taking exams.  Many are located at the circulation desk for 2-hour checkout, but you can also find some older editions located on the 3rd floor to check out for a longer period. Check out our new LibGuide for Bar Exam Preparation to find the right resource for you.  As always, if you have any questions, or just need a pep talk to get you through, come talk to us at the circulation desk!

Have you noticed updates to the privacy policies on your mobile apps recently?   Many apps have been updating their privacy policies to comply with the new EU privacy legislation that recently took effect May 25 th .  The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is one of the toughest privacy laws in the world today.   One of its effects will require companies doing business online in Europe to obtain express consent from users and be more upfront with the use of personal information.   Although this law only protects the 28 member countries of the European Union, many companies operating globally will need to comply with the regulation, which will protect customers around the world .   Depending on its success in Europe, this law may serve as a framework for a similar law here in the United States.   California’s proposed Consumer Privacy Act may be one of the first U.S. laws to contain GDPR inspired provisions.  So next time...

The Inspector General's report regarding the actions by the FBI and DOJ in advance of the 2016 election has been released. It can be read in its entirety at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kRu7dpNgRV9i3bv_a3J4lCmTVxLUl5Kq/view

Despite a government effort to stop the multi-billion dollar merger, federal judge, Richard J. Leon, said that the Justice Department had not proved that the merger of the two telecom and media giants would lead to fewer consumer choices and higher prices for television and internet services. To read Judge Leon's full opinion, please visit http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/sites/dcd/files/17-2511opinion.pdf  

In a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Ohio voter-purge law that allows the state to strike voters from their registration rolls if they fail to vote in two consecutive elections and if they do not return a mailed address confirmation form. A challenge had been brought against the "use-it-or-lose-it" law by voters arguing it violates the National Voting Rights Act which says that a state cannot strike someone for the rolls for failing to vote.   For the full opinion, please visit https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/16-980_f2q3.pdf

Chastek Library has several new research guides to help you along the way: Legal Abbreviations  Legal Research While in Florence Library Hours Library Departments and Information New Titles in Chastek Library Public Services   Resources for the Public   Search Engines   Study Aids on Reserve   Uniform Laws and Model Acts Writing a Paper  For research guides on other subjects, please visit  Chastek Library's Libguides .