Faculty News
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Prof. Kritzer Quoted Regarding Upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court Election
March 29, 2018Professor Herbert Kritzer was quoted in the Wisconsin State Journal regarding Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Michael Screnock’s work while in legal practice on behalf of a defendant in an environmental case. Kritzer observed that work in private practice does not disqualify a judge from hearing cases on related issues if the parties do not include the judge’s prior clients. He went on to note that if judges’ prior work on cases involving issues involving the environment disqualified them from hearing cases involving similar issues, then logically judges who previously worked as criminal lawyers would be disqualified from hearing criminal cases.
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Prof. Chomsky Speaks to WCCO-TV and the Washington Post on Non-Disclosure Agreements
March 29, 2018Professor Carol Chomsky spoke on WCCO-TV about the nature and validity of non-disclosure agreements and was quoted by the Washington Post on the validity of the non-disclosure agreement signed by Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen.
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Prof. Kitrosser Quoted in FiveThirtyEight on Executive Privilege
March 26, 2018Professor Kitrosser was quoted in an article in FiveThirtyEight about executive privilege. She explained that executive privilege claims are sometimes viewed suspiciously by the public, partly because of their continued association with President Nixon. Specifically, she stated: “To the extent that executive privilege is still associated with Nixon, it can look suspicious to invoke it.”
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Prof. Roberts Speaks at University Town Hall on Gun Violence
March 26, 2018Professor Chris Roberts spoke at a town hall on gun violence hosted by the University’s Human Rights Program. The discussion focused on gun violence in Minnesota and on campus.
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Prof. Rozenshtein Interviewed on Public Radio About New Internet Regulations
March 23, 2018Professor Alan Rozenshtein was interviewed on Phoenix public-radio station KJZZ about the recently passed “Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017,” which would make online platforms liable if they’re used to facilitate sex trafficking. Professor Rozenshtein emphasized that the law could serve as a precedent for future attempts to limit internet liability immunity so that other victims of internet-enabled crime could sue online platforms.
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Prof. Murray Interviewed on MPR’s “Morning Edition” About Third Degree Murder Indictment of Police Officer
March 21, 2018Professor Murray was interviewed by Cathy Wurzer on MPR’s “Morning Edition” about the indictment of Police Officer Noor in connection with his fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk. Murray laid out the elements and penalties of the two charges he faced—third degree murder and second degree manslaughter—and explained why she believed the third degree murder charge in the circumstances of this case would be difficult for the prosecution to sustain. Such a charge requires a level of depraved indifference that is inconsistent with a police officer mistakenly (even if unreasonably) fearing for his own life or that of his partner.
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Prof. Kitrosser Quoted in Reuters Story on Trump Non-Disclosure Agreements
March 20, 2018Professor Kitrosser was quoted in an article about the constitutionality of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that the Trump White House reportedly required staffers to sign. Kitrosser is quoted as explaining that the NDAs, if as broad as reported, seem “clearly unconstitutional under the First Amendment.” The article also cites her explanations to the effect that the NDAs reportedly extend much further than the pre-publication clearance requirements that courts have upheld with respect to classified information, and that the White House’s broad power to fire employees does not translate to a right to prevent former employees from publishing memoirs.
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Prof. Cox Quoted in Los Angeles Times on State of Consumer Protection Law
March 20, 2018Professor Prentiss Cox was quoted in an article in the Los Angeles Times discussing the state of consumer protection law. Cox observed that the Trump administration’s actions on consumer protection were unusually hostile compared to other incoming administrations.
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Prof. Roberts on KARE-11 TV News Discusses Uber and Lyft Being Chosen Before Ambulances for Hospital Rides
March 12, 2018Professor Chris Roberts was interviewed on KARE-11 TV News about Uber and Lyft edging out ambulances as people’s first choice for a ride to the hospital. He was also quoted in a related article. “When you think about the cost of an ambulance, $600 to $1,000, that’s enough to find a good portion of the public in serious debt,” said Roberts. Roberts added that the cheaper option for passengers could put drivers at risk, facing serious legal liability: “If there is somebody who is suffering grave bodily harm and the driver willingly, knowingly offers them help, there are a set of duties that accrue in which you cannot leave someone in a worse condition than which you found them.”
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Insurance Press Covers Prof. Schwarcz’s U.S. House Testimony
March 11, 2018Last week, Professor Daniel Schwarcz testified to a subcommittee of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee regarding a Bill that would exempt a new category of savings and loan holding companies—those with a focus on insurance—from federal supervision. The Insurance Journal’s Right Street blog covered Professor Schwarcz’s heated exchange with Rep. Dennis A. Ross (R-FL 15th District) regarding the impact and advisability of the Bill.