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Joanna C. Schwartz
Joanna C. Schwartz is the Honorable Harry Pregerson Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law.
The Tenacious Power of Constitutional Torts
Despite hurdles, civil rights litigation is a critical tool for people who have been harmed by the government and for those seeking long-lasting change.
Commonwealth v. Lee
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that mandating a life sentence, without the possibility of parole, for “felony murder” — a legal doctrine that allows someone to be prosecuted for murder for any death that occurs during the commission of a separate felony, even if the defendant never meant to kill anyone — violates the Pennsylvania Constitution’s ban on “cruel” punishments
How Far Does the Kansas Constitution Go in Protecting Bodily Autonomy and Dignity?
Two recent transgender rights cases may help answer this question.
Posey v. Bushnell
Idaho Supreme Court will consider appeal from a defamation judgment in lawsuit brought by a drag performer against a blogger, including whether the performer was a limited purpose public figure
League of Women Voters of Missouri v. State
The Missouri Supreme Court permanently enjoined criminal penalties for third-party voter registration and voter-engagement activities, upholding a lower court decision that the restrictions were unconstitutionally vague and violated free speech and association rights
Missouri State Conference of the NAACP v. State
Missouri Supreme Court held that voters and advocacy organizations lacked standing to challenge the constitutionality of Missouri’s strict photo ID requirements
Ellingson v. State
Montana Supreme Court will consider if a law changing requirements for citizen-proposed ballot measures infringes on the powers of initiative and referendum and the applicable standard for such challenges
