When a first grader’s drawing ends up in federal court, who really wins? (Spoiler: No one). Check out the latest Civil Liberties in 60 Seconds for the breakdown of a case that’s testing the limits of free speech in schools.

Can the government use its power to punish law firms for the viewpoints they represent? In my latest Civil Liberties in 60 Seconds, I examine the DOJ’s sudden reversal on its appeal defending executive orders that blacklisted major firms. Watch to learn why this matters. ⚖️🏛️

Can the military cut a retired veteran's pension for political speech? The Pentagon tried to punish Senator Mark Kelly for a video, but a federal judge blocked it, ruling his speech is unquestionably protected. Now, the appeals court will hear the case in May. Watch my 60-second breakdown! ⬇️

Can the Trump Administration force Anthropic to let the military use its products however it likes? My latest for Civil Liberties in 60 seconds.

Really excellent brief, filed earlier today, from First Amendment scholars in support of @knightcolumbia.org's motion for public access to Jack Smith's Mar-a-Lago report. Thanks to @mfia-clinic.bsky.social for putting it together. knightcolumbia.org/documents/ak...

Protesting is a right—and so is your digital privacy. 🦋 Just because the police can take your cellphone if you get arrested mean they have an all-access pass to your life. ⚖️ The law draws a line in the sand at your data. #DigitalPrivacy #FirstAmendment #ProtestRights

Huge congratulations to Julie DeVries and the talented students of the Samuelson Law, Tech & Public Policy Clinic at @BerkeleyLaw on their vital new report: “Check the Monitor: Parole and Probation Technologies in Review.” 🧵 (1/6)

Can DOJ coerce Apple into deleting apps? Rep. Jamie Raskin is investigating claims DOJ strong-armed Big Tech into killing ICE-tracking apps. The 1st amendment bans DOJ from pressuring companies to suppress speech Watch here: www.youtube.com/shorts/zjLZu... #FirstAmendment #CivilLiberties #ICE

Are privacy rights failing to keep pace with surveillance tech? In my latest video for Civil Liberties in 60 Seconds, how federal agencies like ICE use high tech surveillance to monitor peaceful protesters without a clear legal framework #ICE #TwinCities www.youtube.com/shorts/EqA7...

Social media bans for kids are a huge trend--yet bad policy and likely unconstitutional. These laws don't just affect minors. They force adults into cumbersome age verification. I broke down the legal and social fallout in my new piece for @TheHill thehill.com/opinion/tec...

1/2 Contrary to recent rhetoric from DHS, the law is clear: ICE agents generally cannot enter a home without a judicial warrant.

Frustrating that in an era where 80 % of major law enforcement agencies have body-worn cameras, ICE has so few of them. President Biden signed an Executive Order requiring body-worn cameras---which President Trump repealed on his first day in office.

Laird v Tatum was a terrible decision that continues to haunt our democracy half a century later.

A new frontier in unchecked surveillance: retailers are turning their facial recognition systems into tools for law enforcement to spot persons of interest.

If you're wondering what Jeff Bezos, the owner of the Washington Post, has said publicly in response to the FBI's raid of a Washington Post reporter's home last week, the answer is nothing.

Mark Carney's remarks at Davos are worth reading in their entirety. This is the kind of leadership the world needs. paulwells.substack.com/p/the-carney...

I worked on the Biden Administration's push to ban federal agents from using chokeholds. Federal policy is clear: unless deadly force is authorized, chokeholds are off limits.

“We will not obstruct ... We are not escalating.” Despite these mantras, the friction between ICE watchers and federal agents is at a breaking point. Given the tragedy in Minneapolis, I am re-sharing this explainer on the right to record law enforcement www.youtube.com/shorts/x3fB_...

How does the UC Berkeley Law Samuelson Clinic advance the public interest in an era of rapid technological change? By going deep.

Yet another example of troubling third party surveillance networks that circumvent the spirit if not always the letter of restrictions on police data collection. www.npr.org/2025/12/16/n...

In court tomorrow at 10am: a hearing on the Department of Energy's termination of UC researchers' grants. Listen here: cand.uscourts.gov/judges/rfl/l...

This is a must-read for anyone paying attention to the Trump Administration’s assault on higher ed. A new investigation reveals how Trump officials pressured DOJ career lawyers to manufacture a case against UCLA despite a glaring lack of evidence. www.propublica.org/article/ucla...

Not defending what happened here. But it compelled me to read the UC policy, which is alarmingly vague and broad. It prohibits "indoctrination" and requires staying "aloof from politics." Pretty tough to know how to discuss law, politics, economics, etc www.berkeleyside.org/2025/12/09/p...

Now that I’m back on the job market, I’m open to freelance work! So I’m partying like it’s the 2010s, baby, when Twitter was on the rise! (Here’s my first byline of the 2020s with @arstechnica.com , which was my professional home from 2012 - 2019.) bsky.app/profile/arst...

Good to see civil liberties groups suing to force release of the boat strikes memo. The public deserves clear answers regarding the government's legal rationale for the boat strikes, and this information should be released now, while the debate is live. www.aclu.org/cases/foia-c...

Do noncitizens have the same rights as citizens? This special episode of 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘸 features Professor Catherine Crump, Robert Glushko Clinical Professor of Practice in Technology Law. https://youtube.com/shorts/xMQeU-FIJHQ?feature=share #ItstheLaw #BerkeleyLaw @catherinecrump.bsky.social#ItstheLaw

Good for them. The pattern of who this administration dismisses is unmistakable.

Things that seem increasingly necessary for folks organizing ice watch groups…and other constitutionally protected activity our rogue administration did not like

A few years ago, Bill Nye the science guy debated creationist Ken Ham about evolution. The last question was "what would change your mind?" Bill Nye said "Evidence." Ken Ham said "Nothing can possibly change my mind about this." I think about that a lot.

Do you have a First Amendment right to record ICE raids? I recently joined an episode of "It's the Law" to explain the constitutional protections for recording law enforcement activity in public. It is a critical right that everyone should understand.

Exactly this--having to deploy the police to protect the National Guard reduces police resources for combatting crime, the supposed rationale for the Guard present in the first place.

Agree that this use of AI in policing is probably premature, but I like that officers are thinking about how to use AI to increase officer compliance with policies. We should be supportive of that instinct.

"I do think there's a measure of individual responsibility people need to take. They need to be mindful of what an AI chat is. And it's a word-association machine," Professor Catherine Crump told @people.com https://bit.ly/4pw0QUe #BerkeleyLaw #AI @catherinecrump.bsky.social#BerkeleyLaw

If you need a break from the news, I highly recommend this story about the 1995 Cal vs. Stanford mascot brawl. Bear v. Tree! www.sfgate.com/collegesport...

What she said. I mean, do we even have to argue about this? A professor who asks a convicted sex offender for advice on seducing a mentee has no place in a classroom. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdsa...

Another angle on free speech at UC Berkeley: The Law School @fedsoc hosted "Why Israel Won" featuring (among others) John Yoo. Law Students for Justice in Palestine protested outside. The event proceeded undisrupted, the protesters expressed their views, all were heard. That's how it should go

Caught the AFSCME union workers protesting this morning—peaceful and loud in the best way. Fingers crossed the rest of today's speech events on campus go forward with the same respect for the rules of engagement.

Following up on a Daily Cal report from last week: 4 @UCBerkeley students were arrested for felony vandalism. Their protest against Charlie Kirk reportedly involved displaying posters w/ his quotes & attempting to hang a cardboard bug on Sather Gate. 1/4

I love the Wayback machine. This piece is a lively and fun overview of the @internetarchive's history and current work, including its race to keep up with new forms of media, like AI outputs and ephemeral social content. www.cnn.com/2025/11/16/t...

This seems right. But OMG, it seems terrible for us all that the cost of leading an academic institution these days is the inevitably shredding of your personal reputation.

The argument in this academic freedom and funding case is starting right now! See the livestream link.

This ACLU post details the deployment of Mobile Fortify, a face recognition app, by ICE. Critically, the program was rolled out with no specific congressional authorization or meaningful public debate, raising questions about executive agency accountability and oversight

The new @scotusblog survey makes me worry for its future. Their unique value isn't just covering SCOTUS, it's their singular focus on it, across all subjects. That's the one-stop resource I rely on.

Tomorrow, Friday 9 AM: @BerkeleyLaw Dean Erwin Chemerinsky argues in the 9th Circuit in Thakur v. Trump. He will defend preliminary injunctions that restored ~$1 billion in research grants to the UC system. Watch the livestream: www.ca9.uscourts.gov/media/live-o...

Sometimes you just have to step back and marvel at the catastrophe. We are a country that can feed our people but won't. Your air traffic controller may have just gotten off a second job as a Lyft driver. A Fox News anchor is on a firing rampage through the Pentagon.

Wow. Even the FBI thinks ICE agents should identify themselves--and, now, that criminals posing as ICE officers are committing crimes. Great story by @dell.bsky.social and @carolinehaskins.bsky.social www.wired.com/story/fbi-wa...

Great that Boston's new police union agreement requires patrol officers to wear nametags. Basic accountability dictates that law enforcement agents be identifiable; otherwise, they can't be held responsible for their actions. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/03/m...

Glad that despite our return to harsh "law and order" rhetoric, experiments with alternative responders continue. It often makes sense to send a case worker not an armed officer to respond to someone in a mental health crisis. cbs6albany.com/news/local/a...

How can the public hold government accountable when its agents are unidentifiable and their vehicles are untraceable? Reports of ICE agents removing license plates, in addition to masking, are deeply alarming. I shared my concerns with @NPR for this new report. www.npr.org/2025/10/28/n...

Great news--a third university has rejected President Trump's compact on higher education, which undercuts academic freedom in the guise of purporting to restore it. Five more universities to go. www.latimes.com/california/s...