February 17, 2017

POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
In class today, Friday 2/17, I distributed one handout, my version of the Speelman case brief. We went through that case, looking at the constitutional analysis, the treatment of the Nelson case, and the further requirements for a preliminary injunction. We reviewed the concepts of mandatory versus persuasive authority, and of following precedent versus distinguishing it. We began going through my handout of hypotheticals, getting through the first of the 3 questions on that sheet. Along the way, we discussed the concept of residence (versus simply living somewhere), and what defenses might have been offered had Speelman been afforded a hearing. We will continue with the remainder of the hypotheticals next Monday. I will also discuss a recent Supreme Court case, Jones v. Flowers, which decided the due process requirements of addressing a notice in a slightly different situation.
The assignment for Monday 2/20 is to review the previously assigned hypotheticals, and to read and brief (for yourself-not handed in) Katko v. Briney, pp. 38-43 of the text.


POS 384 CIVIL LIBERTIES
Today, Friday 2/17, Cas Mudde spoke to the class about the European approach to civil liberties and the defense of liberal democracy. He highlighted the ways in which the civil liberties which we enjoy/tolerate in the U.S. are far more extensive than what are tolerated in Europe.
The assignment for Monday 2/20 is read McCullen v. Coakley (previously assigned) and to do an outline of the case (not handed in).