September 13, 2011

POS 282--Introduction to American Law
In class today, Tuesday 9/13, I distributed one handout, the Augusta and Bangor parade ordinances. We went through the Brief Template and the AAC brief that I had handed out last week, getting to all but the Disposition segment. The assignment for Thursday 9/15 is to read through the handout, and figure out whether those ordinances are sufficient under the holdings of AAC v. Dearborn.

POS 359--The Current Supreme Court Term
In class today, Tuesday 9/13, we went over two main Constitutional questions that have been discussed in the Burns book. We discussed the role of the President and Congress in deciding whether laws are constitutional by looking at the Obama administration defense of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell law, and the Defense of Marriage Act. We also discussed the Supremacy Clause and preemption in the context of the trial that started Monday in the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant relicensing. The assignment for Thursday 9/15 is to read chapters 6-7 of Burns.