ACS at the University of Michigan kicked things up a notch (or two) with a host of powerful events!

Oct. 2 - Supreme Court Roundup with the Federalist Society

ACS and the Federalist Society jointly hosted a Supreme Court Roundup on Tuesday, October 2. Hosted by our dean Evan Caminker, the event discussed cases in the Supreme Court's upcoming term. Speakers included University of Michigan professors Joan Larsen, Douglas Laycock, Richard Primus, and Christine Whitman.

• For more information about the Court's current Docket, see the Supreme Court website.

Oct. 9 - Supreme Court Review Panel Kickoff

This meeting kicked off a series of regular panels reviewing oral arguments before the Supreme Court. ACS members brief the cases, summarize the arguments, and discuss the questioning by the justices. The goal is to create an opportunity to discuss what we read and hear about on the web and in the news. This was the start-up meeting for the group where we discussed the goals for the group, the sort of cases we wanted to cover, and the immediate options for the next meeting.

Oct. 11 - Don't Ask, Don't Tell with Outlaws

ACS and Outlaws proudly cosponsored a talk about LGBT issues and the military. Audience members heard Aaron Tax from the Servicemembers' Legal Defense Network in Washington, D.C. talk about the overall "Don't Talk, Don't Tell" issue, the case SLDN recently filed in the First Circuit, and the related Equal Protection, substantive Due Process, and Free Speech issues involved. The topic was discussed in the context of the Lawrence v. Texas case.

Oct. 17 - Moot Court Tryouts

ACS held Moot Court tryouts--and two teams were selected to represent us in the event this year.

Oct. 19 - Musclebound: Minority Rule in Legal Education and Constitutional Law (A Talk by Steve Stitt)

ACS and SQUALSA (the club for "mature" law students) proudly sponsored Steve Stitt, City Attorney for Siloam Springs, Arkansas. We heard Steve discuss how legal education and Constitutional Law both can suffer from what Steve terms "minority rule."

• Abstract: Law schools, and the U.S. Supreme Court, are cornerstones of America's legal system. American law schools, however, teach principles of due process and democracy while providing neither to their students. Democratic principles are similarly pushed aside by "minority rule" in American Constitutional law -- where power assumed by the U. S. Supreme Court actually renders the Court useless when its perspective is most needed.
• About Mr. Stitt: Steve Stitt is a graduate of Michigan Law (1971). He clerked for Chief Judge William A. McRae, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, then joined the University of Florida Law School faculty. Afterwards, he served as a public defender in the Florida Keys before becoming the City Attorney of Key West. He currently serves as City Attorney for Siloam Springs, AR.

Oct. 22 - Supreme Court Preview with Tom Goldstein

ACS proudly presented Tom Goldstein, head of the Supreme Court practice at Akin Gump Straus Hauer & Feld, LLP, creator of SCOTUSBLOG and Lecturer at Stanford Law School and Harvard Law School. Tom offered his thoughts on how to succeed in the practice of Law, the life of Supreme Court practice, how key upcoming cases may turn out, and what we might expect in terms of Court changes in the wake of the upcoming election. Over 100 people came to hear his humorous and insightful presentation!

For information on Tom's extensive biography, please see his biography page at his law firm.