By Jeffrey Bellin. Full text here. This Article proposes a new “eHearsay” rule of evidence that will permit the admission, over a hearsay objection, of a broad spectrum of electronic out-of-court communications. The proposal builds on prior hearsay reform proposals, and also takes advantage of the fact that electronic statements are invariably recorded. Litigants’ ability to…

By Erik Luna. Full text here. In this response piece, Erik Luna considers Notice-and-Comment Sentencing by Richard A. Bierschbach and Stephanos Bibas, 97 Minn. L. Rev. 1 (2012).

By Stephanie Stern. Full text here.

By Francis X. Shen. Full text here. Because we hold individuals criminally liable for infliction of “bodily” injury, but impose no criminal sanctions for infliction of purely “mental” injury, the criminal law rests in large part on a distinction between mind and body. Yet the criminal law is virtually silent on what, exactly, constitutes “bodily injury.”…

By Jessica L. Roberts. Full text here. When asked to name the most substantial civil rights victory for people with disabilities in recent years, many would choose the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008. However, this Article contends that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) also represents a significant—albeit unconventional—advance for disability rights. Historically, health…

By Michael A. Helfand. Full text here. While the Supreme Court’s decision in Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC has been hailed as an unequivocal victory for religious liberty, the Court’s holding in footnote four––that the ministerial exception is an affirmative defense and not a jurisdictional bar––undermines decades of conventional thinking about the relationship between church and state. For…

By Timothy M. Tymkovich. Full text here. This Article will examine the history, text, and application of the Guarantee Clause (or Republican Form of Government Clause). It will first examine the historical context in which the Framers enacted Article IV, Section 4. It will then discuss the text and public understanding of the Clause. Then, it…

By Shaun Bowler. Full text here. There are many commentators and critics who want to limit direct democracy for a variety of reasons. Whatever the reason (chaotic policy making/uninformed voters/exaggerated influence of money, etc.) the end result is the same: initiatives and direct democracy should become harder to use. The difficulty is twofold: first, often the criticisms…

By Todd Donovan. Full text here. I explore some of the indirect effects of holding popular votes on minority rights. This Article examines how direct democracy may expand the scope of conflict over issues of minority rights by allowing campaigns that subject a minority group to public judgment. Campaigns may precipitate messages that treat a minority…

By Michael Kang. Full text here.