Brian Leiter's Law School Reports

Blast from the past: Leiter v. Shapiro on "theoretical disagreements"

Bloggingheads TV, 2008, but at a new URL now.

Alabama's Long-Serving, and Very Successful, Dean Randall to Retire

News item here. Some earlier commentary on Dean Randall's achievements here.

Penetrating legal analysis of the Travon Martin/George Zimmerman case...

...from University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Reynolds:

Obama and the Democrats would actually prefer an acquittal [of Zimmerman, who shot Martin] here.  That’s because the whole point of the ginned-up Zimmerman affair was to inflame racial sentiment to boost black turnout in 2012.  With any luck, they can turn an acquittal into another racial rallying cry, which will help in 2014.  It’s not about Zimmerman; he’s just one of those eggs you have to break to make an Obama omelet.

Fortunately, no mention of black helicopters.

Does the Internet cause political polarization?

No, according to some research (convincing to my mind) by an economist here at the University of Chicago.  I was invited to participate in the discussion, I surmise, because (1) I have a blog, and (2) I am a big fan of political polarization!  (At least #1 was relevant.)

UVA's Mahoney Reappointed as Dean

No surprise there, he's been good.  And being Dean is a tough job these days.

Justice Alito behaving badly?

This is curious.

A bare majority of the super-legislature known as the Supreme Court votes to repeal a crucial part of the Voting Rights Act...

...that the actual legislature evaluated and extended in 2006.  They do so based on the finding of five members of the super-legislature that the portion of the Act at issue is no longer necessary, contrary to the view, apparently, of the actual legislature seven years earlier.

And a minority of scholars are still not legal realists!

Washington & Lee's Revamped 3L Curriculum Appears to Make No Difference to Employment Outcomes

Stephen Diamond (Santa Clara) comments on a recent analysis by Deborah Merritt (Ohio State).

In Memoriam: Kathleen Brickey

Kathleen Brickey, the James Carr Professor of Criminal Jurisprudence at Washington University School of Law,  passed away last week.  She was a scholar in the area of corporate and white collar crime.  She was 68.

In Memoriam: M. Michael Sharlot (1935-2013)

My former colleague died of a stroke this past weekend.  Mike Sharlot was the Interim Dean and then Dean of the University of Texas School of Law from 1994 to 2000, and had taught there (primarily in the areas of criminal law and evidence) from 1969 until his retirement several years ago.  I will add a link to the UT memorial notice as soon as it appears.

UPDATE:  UT's memorial notice.