📣 We're hiring again! This time for a 1-year fellowship starting Fall 2026. Please share with your networks! www.alilockwood.com/2026-fellows...

Good.

As expected, the ACLU has sued over Kansas SB 244 (the drivers license/bathroom bounty hunter bill). Petition linked here; motion for TRO also filed, and hopefully the court moves quickly. assets.aclu.org/live/uploads...

A reminder that the cruelty is the point. That was on full display when the AG argued in prior litigation that the previously-passed so-called "women's bill of rights" prevented trans Kansans from having IDs that matched their gender identity.

Oh look Kansas is making headlines again. TL/DR: There’s a years long history behind that letter re: drivers licenses being revoked for trans folks. Including litigation (that the attorney general LOST). Which was why he urged the legislature to intro SB 244 and rush it thru in a gut and go.

Today one of my best friends from law school happened to be on my campus and he got to come say hi to me for a bit and he happened to meet a bunch of my current and former students and it was just the most wholesome feel good full circle moment. I can't really explain why but it felt awesome!

Grateful to @jaredmcclain.bsky.social for talking about this case on the @ij.org podcast. He highlights the subject of my next academic article, which I touch on in prior work: the equitable relief paradox. Injunctions w/ too few details are too vague; w/ too many details violate federalism.

Great new project, run by my former colleagues at DOJ Civil Rights Division who have since left and are now tracking this current administration's reversals on civil rights enforcement efforts across a host of issues. Check it out! redlinecivilrights.org/about/

In her Case Comment, Prof. @sharonbrett analyzes Justice Kavanaugh's concurrence in the recent Supreme Court case Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo, highlighting the distinctions undermining his reliance on City of Los Angeles v. Lyons and his skepticism of the plaintiffs’ Fourth Amendment claims.

My essay on the Kavanaugh concurrence in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo is now live with the @nyulawreview.bsky.social online. Many thanks to the incredible editors who helped bring this piece to completion (rage-writing it in one week meant we did a lot of work on it post-acceptance!).

Lawrence friends: I’ll have some of my work for sale at the Souper Bowl this weekend! Come buy one of my bowls and support the arts center and arts education!

Now out there in submissions land. Thx to the many people who provided comments on earlier drafts, incl. @rachelmoran82.bsky.social @msmith750.bsky.social @evidenceprof.bsky.social @greerdonley.bsky.social Aliza Hochman Bloom and participants in various workshops. Email if you want a copy!

THREAD: Important decision from the 10th Cir today in the Kansas Highway Patrol case. (disclosure: I handled the trials in this case). TL/DR: good opinion on standing, bad opinion on scope of injunctive relief avail to victims of police misconduct. (1/x) www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/f...

THREAD: Important decision from the 10th Cir today in the Kansas Highway Patrol case. (disclosure: I handled the trials in this case). TL/DR: good opinion on standing, bad opinion on scope of injunctive relief avail to victims of police misconduct. (1/x) www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/f...

As someone who studies police misconduct and has investigated many police departments for misconduct that falls WAY short of what we’ve seen from CBP/ICE this year, this THIS is the “demand” for THIS moment? ….. I’m without words.

THIS. I did a lot of media in my last job, and felt the same way then too. We need to normalize saying "I don't have sufficient expertise on that." We don't need to be uninformed mouthpieces on all issues at all times - pretending to be an expert for media exposure just undermines us all.

me, trying to finish edits to a forthcoming piece about the impact of velasquez perdomo/kav's feelings about standing as its playing out now in lower courts: *type type type* federal courts: *emergency rulings nearly every week that upend what i wrote* me: *slams head on laptop*

first day of the semester tomorrow. i will never, ever, take for granted what a gift it is to be in academia, and to have a month+ to recharge b/w semesters. the last 4 years i was in practice, i had a trial or major hearing every jan/feb and winter break w/ small kids while working was THE WORST.

👀

I just learned that Bob Fiske passed away last month. Bob's fellowship program at @umichlaw.bsky.social allowed me to enter gov't service right out of law school without the burden of my student loans.

True, of course. But a lot more doctrinal changes are necessary for liability to actually be imposed. (Which I know @stevevladeck.bsky.social knows— the civil legal system and 1983 in particular are just such grossly insufficient instruments for this moment).

My most recent paper (coming to SSRN in a few weeks) discusses these alleged "gang designations" in detail, & that they are primarily a feature of state/local police departments, which the feds then use in cases like this. These labels are often based on flimsy evidence, but are hard to challenge.

I’ve been thinking about this too. And when your agency/the administration applauds the *lack* of deescaltion in these situations, why would you use that training, even if it *was* sufficient?

off to #aals2026, get yer butts up early tomorrow to hear me yell about gerrymandering and state constitutional litigation! or, just message me if you want to meet up/say hi. :)

There is a *lot* going on at the moment, especially in the world of fed courts. But the priority deadline for submitting for the Fed Courts Junior Scholars Workshop is coming up - get those abstracts in! Details here: law.ku.edu/junior-facul... Please share widely with your networks!

Going on 8+ hours of delays at the airport, ask me anything

My article on Article III standing in police misconduct cases seeking injunctions (and the difficulty of proving it due to poor police record keeping practices) is now out in the BYU Law Review. In case you’re bored over the holidays :) digitalcommons.law.byu.edu/cgi/viewcont...

Gentle reminder as we close out the fall semester that you should submit that abstract/idea/working paper for the 15th Annual Fed Courts Junior Scholars conference. More details at the link below. Reach out w/ questions, & *please share this widely.* We have an amazing lineup of senior scholars!

My mom was diagnosed earlier this year. The first time they give the test it’s to establish a baseline; every time thereafter they’re trying to see how quickly the disease is progressing.

As a teacher of first semester law students I find this…… questionable.

Preorder today. “Your Data Will Be Used Against You: Policing in the Age of Self-Surveillance.” #books

Jesse Minter, get ready for some very, very weird emails

This is a very niche skeet and breaks my mold of only work related content On Here but can dusty may coach football too or what

Gentle reminder as we close out the fall semester that you should submit that abstract/idea/working paper for the 15th Annual Fed Courts Junior Scholars conference. More details at the link below. Reach out w/ questions, & *please share this widely.* We have an amazing lineup of senior scholars!

Civ pro year✌🏼in the books. Another great small section of students. Still think this has to be one of the best jobs there is.

Meg is a Lawrence treasure. During Covid, she served free sack lunches to the community out of her diner. She donates meals for KU Law student events & hosts fundraisers for local orgs trying to make Lawrence a better place. We should not be failing our small biz owners like this.

The co-directors of the State Supreme Court Initiative (Matt and Julie) are two of the smartest and loveliest people I know. Please encourage good candidates you know to apply! You might even get to come visit me in Kansas . . . 👀

Joyscrolling

Monthly reminder! Lots of advanced notice! Get yer papers in (before mid January, for priority consideration)! Come hang with me in Lawrence in April!

A great opportunity for current law students to work with brilliant attorneys doing cutting edge state court work.

The White House’s interest in not being razed is ultimately an interest in not becoming a beautiful ballroom, the best ballroom, one that many have tried but not gotten done. That is not an especially weighty legal interest. Kavanaugh, J. , concurring

I got my 1st round of edits from the NYU team this week. Many comments were like “here are 10 other examples of your point since we accepted this piece.” Since they wrote their memo w/ edits 3 days ago, there are even more examples to cite to. This isn’t a humblebrag. It’s abject sadness.

@profferguson.bsky.social’s work in this area is so important.

I wrote about the Arpaio litigation in my essay on Vasquez-Perdomo, and how Kavanaugh's concurrence ignored that case's history. Glad to see @jesspish.bsky.social, an expert on local sheriffs, picking up that thread, too. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Call for Papers for 15th Annual Fed Courts Junior Scholars conference is now up: law.ku.edu/junior-facul.... Lots of advanced notice, hope you will consider submitting! Will work on distributing this to various listservs and blogs, but please share if you are able.

This is mostly correct. Most law enforcement agencies wouldn't do something this egregious. I do worry, however, that this sort of behavior at the federal level only emboldens state and local police to match course.

My essay on the (very incorrect) Kavanaugh concurrence in Vasquez Perdomo has found a home - coming to NYU Law Review Online in early 2026. For now, draft available here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Another big month for state supreme court oral arguments. Is there a constitutional right to record law enforcement? Can Texas seek information about PFLAG's membership? Can Michigan deny workers comp to undocumented immigrants? And much more... statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...

This is a VERY well crafted lawsuit. 1) Plaintiff is natural born. 2) He was detained 2X in a fast-growing part of Alabama, not in a city that Brett Kavanaugh could be easily duped into believing was all migrants. 3) Unwarranted detentions were on private property. 4) He showed Real ID both times.

Hi hello I litigated the '22 redistricting case in the KS courts & this is legit giving me hives. (1/2)