Currently in FirstView: In “An Expert-Sourced Measure of Judicial Ideology,” @kevinlcope.bsky.social develops a method for estimating the ideology of federal judges. He introduces the Jurist-Derived Judicial Ideology Score (JuDJIS) which is based on over 20,000 evaluations by a sample of jurists.

“An Expert-Sourced Measure of Judicial Ideology” electionlawblog.org?p=152327

U.S. democracy faces threats, but a strong press, courts, federalism, and civic groups give hope. Let’s hope @kevinlcope.bsky.social and Mila Versteeg are right about the resilience of U.S. democracy. #Democracy #USPol #Judiciary #USConstitution

My op-ed in the Atlantic this morning with Mila Versteeg was originally called “Why American Democracy is Harder to Break.” And I really do believe that’s true. But as we say in the article, that can’t be an excuse for complacency.

For those assuming this is just attempt to summarize the holding of U.S. v. Snyder (2024) . . . that's not even what the Court held. "Bribes," as prohibited by 18 U.S.C. sec. 666, require a "quid pro quo"; at no point did the Court suggest that "corrupt" carried that same meaning.

Prof. @kevinlcope.bsky.social discusses #SCOTUS rulings that govern students’ First Amendment rights.

Celebrating the Confederacy is despicable, but Virginia’s stripping Confederate groups of tax exemptions probably violates the 1st Amendment. I talked to @radioiq.bsky.social about the issue yesterday.

Richmond City Council prohibits any resident speaker from *mentioning* Mayor @dannyavula.bsky.social’s name during meetings! The @richmond.com Times-Dispatch asked me whether that’s unconstitutional. Short answer: most certainly yes. richmond.com/news/local/g...

👉 1/3 Capitulation to Trump is not the only option ahead for Big Law, writes Rachel Cohen and Kevin Cope @kevinlcope.bsky.social, former Skadden attorneys. Here are two others: slate.com/news-and-pol...

Good stuff from my colleague @kevinlcope.bsky.social and Rachel Cohen: slate.com/news-and-pol...

In this op-ed with @cohen489.bsky.social just published on @slate.com, we explain how law students and junior lawyers may have a unique power to fight and end the #BigLaw firm EO crisis. slate.com/news-and-pol... @uvalaw.bsky.social

My amazing wife Mila Versteeg was quoted in the @nytimes.com today on the prospect of a Trump 3rd term: "Mila Versteeg, a law professor at [@uvalaw.bsky.social] and the study’s lead author, said such leaders try to wrap their power grabs in the veneer of legality." www.nytimes.com/2025/04/06/u...

I'm proud to be part of this statement released by 68 @uvalaw.bsky.social faculty colleagues, on the recent executive orders and administration actions. tinyurl.com/statementof6... It's great to see so many law colleagues speaking up for the rule of law & the legal profession.

The National Law Journal gives my take on Trump's coming impact on the Third Circuit. Also has some new @judjis.bsky.social data! www.judjis.org www.law.com/nationallawj...

~20% of Twitter users authored ~80% of uncivil tweets, with political incivility showing a homophilous network structure and being more prominent in politically competitive geographic regions, finds Pendzel, @alonzoizner.bsky.social et al. aclanthology.org/2024.emnlp-m...

The consequence for not outlining at the outset of a legal writing project is that you will still have to outline it - only later, when it’s full of words.

I know that some people aren’t interested in hearing any thoughts with which they disagree. It can be unpleasant. But not everyone feels that way. Some of us want to hear opposing views because it allows us to test whether our own beliefs and opinions are correct.

This is a mistake: secondary boycotts like @jessothomson.bsky.social’s exacerbate the Bluesky echo chamber and reduce the quality of discourse here. (To be clear, @jessesingal.com’s documented views on transgender issues are moderate, or even center-left.)

I saw that story and I have to say that I find the idea that Antonin Scalia is Donald Trump‘s judicial hero almost as preposterous as the idea that Donald Trump has a judicial hero other than the last judge to find/hold Trump should dodge any consequences for his misdeeds

Some exciting news: today my UVA Law faculty colleagues voted to recommend me for tenure. Hoping to spend many more years in this community of brilliant scholars and students!

RFK Jr. is one of the best arguments for the First Amendment I have ever seen. He is a daily reminder that you and your friends won't be the people who decide what is and is not true. It’s the First Amendment that lets the truth keep talking anyway.