OVERVIEW: In their opinion feature “‘The wrong hill to die on’: 3 writers discuss the government shutdown”, Benjy Sarlin (Assignment Editor), Robert Gebelhoff (Editorial Board), and James Hohmann (Deputy Opinion Editor) dissect the unfolding government shutdown standoff. The authors explore the tug of war between Democrats’ demand to extend health…
Articles Posted in Commentary and Opinion
Special Libraries Association (SLA) Community Guidance: Transitioning to ASIS&T
The purpose of this framework is to provide guidance to SLA Community leadership and members as SLA moves towards dissolution and merger with ASIS&T (Association for Information Science and Technology)* INTRODUCTION: On August 21, 2025 SLA and ASIS&T announced the approval of the merger by both association memberships. Uniting SLA…
After the Death of Charlie Kirk; Why America Must Pause and Reflect
In their provocative and urgent reflection, Austin Sarat and Steve Kramer confront what they view as one of the most dire questions for America today: what happens the spectacle of a public assassination becomes another battleground for opinion and outrage? In “After the Death of Charlie Kirk, America Needs to…
From Co Counsel to Blockchain: Recent Key Legal Technology Updates
INTRODUCTION: The legal tech landscape is accelerating, with major announcements spanning AI, blockchain, and automation. Highlights include the American Arbitration Association’s partnership with Integra Ledger on blockchain document authentication, Thomson Reuters expanding CoCounsel and Westlaw Deep Research into law schools, law firms, law libraries and new product launches from Exterro,…
Stanford’s Liftlab: A New Frontier in Legal Tech, And What it Could Mean for Law Libraries
Introduction Stanford Law School has recently announced the launch of the Legal Innovation through Frontier Technology Lab (Liftlab),led by Stanford CodeX research fellow Megan Ma, who will serve as liftlab’s executive director, alongside professor of law Julian Nyarko. Liftlab ia a bold new initiative designed to explore how artificial intelligence…
U.S. Supreme Court Justices on Camera: Michael Dorf’s Critique on Sotomoyer and Barrett
Introduction In a recent analysis published in Justia’s Verdict, Cornell Law professor Michael Dorf critiques two high-profile television interviews in which Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Sonia Sotomayor promoted their new books, Barrett’s constitutional memoir Listening to the Law and Sotomayor’s children’s book Just Shine. Dorf suggests that,…
Executing the Incompetent? Rethinking U.S. Supreme Court Standards on Mental Capacity
Executive Summary This article examines whether the Supreme Court’s current standards for determining competence to be executed adequately protect individuals with severe cognitive impairments and mental illnesses. While landmark decisions , Ford v. Wainwright (1986), Panetti v. Quarterman (2007), and Madison v. Alabama (2019) , established that a person must…
FinCEN Sounds the Alarm: Chinese Laundering Networks Empower Mexico-Based Cartels
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Center (FinCEN)”is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The Director of FinCEN is appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury and reports to the Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. FinCEN’s mission is to safeguard the financial system from illicit activity,…
How Law Librarians Can Stay Relevant in an AI Driven World
Introduction Between now and 2030, law-librarian roles will transform rather than vanish. While routine tasks like first-pass reference triage, some technical cataloging, and current-awareness pathfinders will increasingly be automated, demand will rise for librarians with expertise in AI policy, knowledge architecture, data stewardship, research quality assurance, vendor evaluation, and legal…
News Briefs and Decision Summaries from NJSBA, August 15, 2025
These News Briefs and Decision Summaries are from the the New Jersey State Bar Association. They are an exclusive benefit of the Association in partnership with the New Jersey Law Journal. A subscription may be necessary to access the full text of some of the items listed: Legal News Capitol Report: Omnibus…