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Posts From April 2021

An Immigrant Contextualizes the George Floyd Verdict

Professor Rory Bahadur | April 25, 2021 | Read this blog post

Summary: The conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd is potentially a distraction from the depth and pervasiveness of systemic racism in this country. That trial resulted in just one conviction in a country where over 10 million arrests occur every year. While it may be important as a symbol of change, it is empirically less significant as an actual metric of racial reform. Examining post-colonial Caribbean politics and the emotional distraction techniques employed by those seeking office to shift the populace’s focus from the reality and magnitude of corrupt governing and the seeming hopelessness of reform attempts, illustrates the danger that putting too much stock in the Chauvin conviction poses to true racial reform.

Live by the "Or," Die by the "Or": Ford v. Montana and the Corporate Personal Jurisdiction Standard

Ian Hughes | April 12, 2021 | Read this blog post

Summary: The Supreme Court has once again tinkered around the edges of personal jurisdiction, a concept that always seems close to settled but never quite there. The case, Ford Motor Co. v. Montana Eighth Judicial District Court, is a relatively straightforward application of specific jurisdiction, except for one problem: a mischaracterization of the role the defendant's activities in the forum state play in the calculus of personal jurisdiction. This imprecision complicates what should be a fairly simple analysis: establishing a causal relationship between the subject matter of the lawsuit and the defendant's contacts with the relevant state.
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