Excited to announce that my book, REVOLUTION IN REDLINE, is finally out! I compile key docs leading to the Founding, then present the Founding Docs in "redline," visually tracking the drafters' edits to show how the text evolved. (The Founders didn't start from scratch, and they disagreed often.)1/6

It was a treat to celebrate Prof. Dick Howard, for whom I worked as a research assistant while in law school. He received the ABA Kutak Award in recognition of his incredible career.

It was an honor to receive the Emerging Scholar Award from the AALS Legislation Section — especially while seated next to Bill Eskridge and Mary Ann Bernard (Phil Frickey’s widow). Thanks @kevintobia.bsky.social for the kind words about my work.

Later this week at #AALS, I’ll be presenting my new paper, The New Criminal Docket and the Clemency Court. The paper examines how the contemporary Supreme Court curates and resolves its criminal merits docket—and how that practice has quietly changed. 🧵

Check out the @scotusblog.com post from my brilliant colleague @joeljohnson13.bsky.social on the upcoming 2nd Am case! Altho the Court could clarify the statute (& vagueness doctrine), I think there's real need for SCOTUS to clarify (ahem, vague) 2nd Am doctrine. www.scotusblog.com/2025/12/an-o...

My take on Hemani, the pending Second Amendment case on the criminal prohibition on gun possession for “unlawful users.” Over at SCOTUSblog. www.scotusblog.com/2025/12/an-o...

I’m thrilled to see my latest, Major-Questions Lenity, in print in the Minnesota Law Review. 🔗 to the article ⬇️

Over the next couple days, I’ll be participating in the Vanderbilt Law Criminal Justice Roundtable. It promises to be a great event with some terrific scholars and papers. I’m especially looking forward to hearing @richardre.bsky.social’s comments on my draft paper, “The Clemency Court.”

This is madness. Today we had to send a message to our 1L students telling them it’s not a great idea to use the first drafts of their first legal writing assignments because the new OCI timeline is so early they are wondering if they should. #LegalWriting

@johnpelwood.bsky.social correctly notes that some of the pending cases involving 2A challenges to 922(g)(3) have been relisted. But for reasons I point out in my amicus brief, Harris v. United States is better vehicle than any of the relisted petitions. bsky.app/profile/joel...

It was a treat for me to interview @kannonshanmugam.bsky.social a few weeks ago, as part of the William French Lecture Series at Pepperdine. For those interested, the video of the interview is now available here: tinyurl.com/ym2ch986

This morning, I filed a cert-stage amicus brief in support of the petitioner in Harris v. United States, one of several pending petitions raising a Second Amendment challenge to 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3), which makes it a crime for an "unlawful user" of drugs to possess a firearm. 🧵

This morning, I filed a cert-stage amicus brief in support of the petitioner in Harris v. United States, one of several pending petitions raising a Second Amendment challenge to 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3), which makes it a crime for an "unlawful user" of drugs to possess a firearm. 🧵

Please help me get the word out about the new websites for Legal Theory Blog and the Legal Theory Lexicon. Reposting here and on other social media sites is great. It would be especially helpful if law school faculty members could send an email to their colleagues with the new addresses.

Honored to win the inaugural Emerging Scholar Award from the AALS Legislation and Law of the Political Process Section — based on my article Ad Hoc Constructions of Penal Statutes in the Notre Dame Law Review. 🔗⬇️

I’m very much looking forward to this event tomorrow at Pepperdine with my friend and mentor, @kannonshanmugam.bsky.social. Join us tomorrow morning at 11 am!

This semester, I’ve been experimenting with ways to use AI to enhance my work as a law professor. Here's a clip from a video explainer of one of my law review articles — Dealing with Dead Crimes, which was published in the Georgetown Law Journal in 2022. 🧵

This semester, I’ve been experimenting with ways to use AI to enhance my work as a law professor. Here's a clip from a video explainer of one of my law review articles — Dealing with Dead Crimes, which was published in the Georgetown Law Journal in 2022. 🧵

A reminder that winning at SCOTUS does not mean you win the case. The plaintiff in Barnes v Felix, who was shot by the police, and won in the Supreme Court a few months ago, loses his case on summary judgment. www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub...

In my Criminal Procedure class this semester, I've been showing slides with AI-generated images depicting the facts of the key cases (not always accurately). The students get a kick out of them. And I think they have pedagogical value. Here are some favorites so far: 🧵

It's very hard to square Justice Kavanaugh's reasonable-suspicion analysis in his concurring opinion in Noem v. Vasquez with Florida v. J.L. (2000). 🧵

Case Viewer, my quirky side project of building my ideal legal search & reading app, has come a long way. With lots of help, it's grown into the best way to find & read cases on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad. Check it out or download on the App Store below. And follow @CaseViewerApp for updates!

Pepperdine Law is hiring and considering scholars at all levels: entry level, untenured lateral, tenured lateral, and 2 chair positions. I'll share posts for each one. I'm on the hiring committee and chairing the lateral hiring subcommittee so feel free to reach out to me with questions.

My classrooms are set for the first day of this semester’s classes. I’ll be teaching a double header on Tuesday and Thursday mornings—Criminal Procedure immediately followed by Statutory Interpretation. A few brave students are joining me in both.

Occasionally while toiling away in my office, I remember I’m in Malibu. Doing some line editing at the beach this afternoon.

Some reflections from me on the passing of Judge T.S. Ellis, III, for whom I clerked. 🔗👇

The latest installment of my column on the Supreme Court’s criminal docket is now live on ABA Criminal Justice Magazine’s site. 🔗 👇🏻

Looking forward to CrimFest in Philly tomorrow. I’ll be presenting a draft of my new paper, “The Clemency Court.”

Supreme Court grants cert in a Fourth Amendment case. The QP in Case v. Montana concerns the contours of the emergency-aid exception to the warrant requirement. This is the first cert grant in a non-1983 4A case since Lange v. California, 141 S. Ct. 2011 (2021).

1st draft, Lawsky Entry-Level Hiring Report 2025 (law school faculty). So far, similar to recent yrs. As always, report is incomplete. It is certainly missing some hires. I will keep updating; please let me know of additional hires not reflected here. www.lawskyprojects.org/entry-level-... 1/2

This note from one of my 1L students means a lot to me. They’ve had such a tough year with the fires, mudslides, and long commutes caused by road closures.

I'd also recommend @cbarzun.bsky.social's excellent article, "Justice Souter's Common Law." It gets Souter exactly right. virginialawreview.org/articles/jus...

I'm very sad to hear of Justice Souter's passing. He was a true common law judge who approached the job with great humility. Shortly after retiring from the Court, he delivered a graduation speech at Harvard on constitutional methodology. It's as timely now as it was then. Worth your time today.

When I was a student editor on the Virginia Law Review in 2014, we had a small event for our DC alums. After our EIC gave a short speech, I turned to my left and was shocked to see Ed Kneedler (a living legend by then). He introduced himself. I later learned that he often attends events like this.

An excellent tribute to the greatest teacher I ever had. I’m fortunate to call him a friend and mentor. Congratulations, JCJjr, on 50 years at UVA Law. www.law.virginia.edu/news/202504/...

New Blooms on Scorched Earth. Some post-fire reflections from me on my Substack, inspired by an afternoon hike. 🔗👇🏻

The latest installment of my ABA column on the Court's criminal docket is now available. As I point out there, statutory questions dominate, with eight of the eleven merits cases concerning issues of statutory interpretation.

First post alert 🎉 Excited to share my article with the brilliant @yaromeir.bsky.social, forthcoming in Law & Philosophy! We explore the dynamics of state's authority. Alongside legitimacy, it also depends on power--power that is constantly being challenged... papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Boomers gonna boom.

I had a great presenting Major-Questions Lenity and the National Conference of Constitutional Law Scholars in Tucson. Thanks to @danielrice.bsky.social for the (unflattering) photo.

"When Artificial Intelligence Workshops Your Article For You—And It's Really Useful" My first post at a new blog about a new app. cc: @christianturner.bsky.social blog.dividedargument.com/p/when-artif...

Now collecting information about entry-level law school hires. prawfsblawg.blogs.com/prawfsblawg/...

Congrats to High Point on their first Tournament appearance. Their terrific coach Alan Huss began his career as a head coach with my high school team. He has since had a fast ascendance (including a stop at La Lumiere, alma mater of Chief Justice Roberts). Good luck today, coach!

Looking forward to this event!

Very excited to attend this symposium tomorrow on an extremely timely topic.

The Pepperdine Law Review is hosting its symposium tomorrow -- "The Future of Executive Power: Can Congress and the Courts Check the President?" Panels feature top scholars. And Professor Akhil Amar is delivering the keynote. Live-streaming available: law.pepperdine.edu/law-review/s...

We're looking forward to @nilabala.bsky.social's presentation of this paper at our Pepperdine Caruso Law faculty workshop today!

Minnesota Law Review will be publishing my latest article, Major-Questions Lenity. 🔗 tinyurl.com/MQlenity