May 3, 2013

POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
In class today, Friday 5/3, we completed Chapter 4 by going over the Gilmore case. We then contrasted the approach taken in Gebbia versus that in Gilmore. I threw one more approach into the mix, that taken in Villano v. Kohl's, a 2005 U.S. District Court case from New York. Finally, I went over federal removal jurisdiction in the class action case of Standard Fire Insurance v. Knowles, decided by the Supreme Court on March 19, 2013. The exam, open-book and open-note, will be on Wednesday 5/8 from 1:30 - 2:30.

POS 384 CIVIL LIBERTIES
In class today, Friday 5/3 we went over the Grutter case, both the majority decision and the various dissenting opinions. I compared some of the Grutter arguments to those made in the case of Fisher v. University of Texas, in which the Supreme Court heard oral argument on October 10, 2012. I also mentioned the case in which cert was granted in March, Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, regarding the Michigan constitutional change after Grutter that outlawed any affirmative action. The exam, open-book and open-note, will be on Friday 5/10 from 8:30 - 9:30.