Happy Easter to all the loyal readers who are celebrating today. Here are some articles and new stories worth your attention today.
In the Washington Post today, George Will writes about judicial pay, a topic that seems to come up each year but then is quickly forgotten. On the importance of the judiciary, he says:
Besides, why worry about the judiciary? We have Alexander Hamilton’s assurances, from Federalist 78, that the judiciary is “the least dangerous” branch of government. Having “neither force nor will, but merely judgment,” it “has no influence over either the sword or the purse; no direction either of the strength or of the wealth of the society; and can take no active resolution whatever.”
Few passages from the Federalist seem as anachronistic today. Almost all social controversies seem to lead to the judiciary, and often up to the Supreme Court. So Roberts’s report on the condition of the judiciary should interest a country selecting its next president, who, if he or she serves two terms, will fill about half of the 875 seats on the federal bench. Now more than ever, but probably less today than tomorrow, the judicial branch is central to governance.
And then, to take the conservatives to task for always lamenting whenever the courts rule against a cause they champion, Will says:
The enlargement of the judiciary’s role by the regulatory state requires compensation of the judiciary commensurate with its ever-expanding importance. That importance, although regrettable, is a fact, and so is this: You get the quality — and the perspective — you pay for.
In an unrelated story, is Larry David the wise sage of our times?
Adam Bryant of the New York Times seems to think so:
If only there were some unified field theory to help make sense of it all.
It exists, arguably, in the dark worldview of Larry David and his HBO series, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
The show’s title can be taken as a clever way of lowering audience expectations. But “Curb Your Enthusiasm” might also be a useful notion for the country to consider.
A lot of those losses are piling up at financial firms that repackaged loans to maximize profits while trying to minimize risk. That way, if a bill came due, they would be out of the picture.
Mr. David understands the impulse. It’s called “The Bathroom Trick.”
In an episode from the third season, he and his on-screen wife, played by Cheryl Hines, are dining out with another couple. Just as the check arrives, Mr. David’s friend bolts to the restroom, putting none-too-subtle pressure on Mr. David to pick up the tab. “You don’t think I know about that bathroom trick?” he yells later. “I invented that bathroom trick!”
As a prescient warning, Larry David goes on to describe how his behavior in the show is not how he really lives his life:
That’s my comedic view of life. It would be pretty tough to live like that.
And lastly, from the Department of Domestic News, a 12-year old boy was arrested by Illinois authorities for throwing a rock through the window of rapper Soulja Boy yesterday. When asked why he did it, the boy responded, “I hate Soulja Boy.” No word yet on whether Mr. Boy was injured in the attack.
Are there any 2Ls or 3Ls on this blog? I found this place because Kerr cited it on Volokh, but I’m noticing that the only posters are all 1Ls. No offense, folks, but I’m a little nervous that the only apparent GW blog presence is written by those still struggling with the intricacies of adverse possession.
Does this explain why this year’s 1L class is not very involved (in student orgs and the like)–because you’re all too busy blogging?
Just Curious–
There are only 1Ls on this blog for now because it was just started in January by a group of 1Ls. And, being in our very full and very stressful first year, we don’t have a ton of time to recruit writers from upper classes. [Any upperclassmen reading this: if you want to write for the blog, please let us know!] And a large part of the reason that I wanted to start a blog at GW was that, before January, there was NO student “blog presence” at GW. We don’t claim to be experts on everything law-related; sometimes we get things wrong, and we depend on each other and on our commenters to help us out.
Also, there are only a handful of 1Ls who post on this blog. Some of us here, and most of the rest of the class, actually are involved in student activities to the extent that we have time. Maybe 2Ls and 3Ls are more involved on campus because they DON’T have to struggle with the intricacies of adverse possession.
Ps I totally get adverse possession.
Just think, in 5-6 months this will be a blog written almost solely by 2Ls. By then, we’ll have totally nailed the details of adverse possession. Then you can trust us to be a good voice for GW.
While one swallow does not make a summer, I dispute what Just Curious claims when they say that 1L’s are not very involved in student organizations and the like. For example:
- Of the 12 students that ran for any SBA Senator/Vice President/President position this year, 8 were 1Ls.
- The large number of attending 1Ls significantly contributed to the largest turn out for this year’s ski trip.
- And lastly, there were no other GW Law students collectively blogging (as far as I know) before a group of 1L’s decided to start that up.
Regardless of that Just Curious, if you’re so nervous, I invite you to start adding a voice that isn’t stuggling with the intricacies of adverse possession. Otherwise, any suggestions to help remedy the situation would be greatly appreciated.