Professor Kristin Hickman was quoted in Yahoo News about Donald Trump’s possible attempt to control independent federal agencies and other regulatory bodies in a potential second term. The article said that with many of Trump’s proclamations and plans, the reality of what he might attempt and of what he might ultimately accomplish remains far less clear.

Prof. Kristin Hickman was quoted by Roll Call regarding the difficulties that the U.S. Supreme Court faces as it decides whether to modify or overrule the Chevron deference doctrine in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless v. Department of Commerce.  According to Prof. Hickman, "There are lots of different ways the court could resolve the question even though the court has teed it up as repealing Chevron or addressing the doctrine."  Prof.

Chevron v. NRDC (1984) and subsequent precedents held that courts should defer to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes. This “Chevron Deference” has been a topic of great debate, with many calling for it to be overturned, while others argue it is a vital part of how courts address the complexity of law and agency actions. Experts on both sides argue it has implications on the role of judges, judicial independence, separation of powers, stare decisis, governmental accountability, and the rule of law. In two cases this term the U.S.

Professor Kristin Hickman was quoted in the Washington Post about a case being heard this week by the U.S. Supreme Court and how “Chevron Deference” may have implications. For 40 years, courts have generally deferred to the judgment of federal agencies when it comes to turning laws passed by Congress into detailed regulations designed to protect the environment, consumers, and the workplace.

Professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, former U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights while countering terrorism, was one of six special rapporteurs who made public a letter they sent to the Philippine government asking for an explanation of possible human rights violations. The letter was sent last October prior to the implementation of an antiterrorism law. They asked for explanations of cases of “judicial harassment, office raids and targeted financial sanctions” on rights watchdogs and its “seemingly unchecked powers” to run after suspected terrorists.

On January, 12, 2024, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison '90 appointed Prof. Perry Moriearty, former Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington, and Duluth Human Rights Officer Carl Crawford to Minnesota's new Clemency Review Commission.

Prof. Fionnuala Ní Aoláin wrote an article for Just Security about the 22nd anniversary of the opening of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility. Professor Ní Aoláin is a former United Nations Special Rapporteur for Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights. She wrote, “We have made some progress in ‘undoing’ the legacy of this infamous facility. At the height of the exceptional legal and political regime, 780 Muslim men were rendered, arbitrarily detained, and subjected to torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment there. Now, 30 remain.

In the wake of a series of labor law charges filed by employees, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. has sued the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), alleging that many aspects of the agency's structure and dispute resolution processes are unconstitutional.  Professor Bodie commented on the suit to Bloomberg Law, noting that it would reverse decades of settled precedent.  

SpaceX’s Bid to Upend NLRB Follows Signals From Supreme Court

Robert Iafolla & Parker Purifoy