Lochner v. New York and economic liberty: Give the government an inch, and it takes a mile
Alexandria, VA – November 9, 2015 Let’s talk about one of my favorite constitutional law cases: Lochner v. New York, a 1905 Supreme Court decision, which highlights the freedom to contract. None other than Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul praised the Lochner decision in his 2013 filibuster. In my Washington, DC legal circles, you either […]
Lanfranc of Bec and the Common Law: Part III (Political Advisor, Attorney General, and Head of the English Church)
Alexandria, VA – September 21, 2015 I know you all have been anxious to hear more about Lanfranc. Here’s the final installment. In the first two Lanfranc posts, I told you how William the Conqueror handpicked Lanfranc, a monk, for the role of Archbishop of Canterbury / quasi-political advisor in post-Norman Conquest England. Lanfranc styled […]
On Personal and Economic Liberty: Apple seeds
Alexandria, VA – August 31, 2015 The other day, little man (my five-year-old) excitedly told me that he wanted to preserve the seeds from the apple he was eating. “We can plant these seeds,” he said excitedly, “and grow apple trees; then we won’t have to go to the store to get apples! We […]
Lanfranc of Bec and the Common Law: Part II (Keeping it Together)
New York, NY – August 5, 2015 My last post introduced you to Lanfranc, the Archbishop of Canterbury during William the Conqueror’s 11th-Century reign in England. As Archbishop of Canterbury and self-styled “Primate of England,” Lanfranc was the Pope’s representative in England. In the Middle Ages, Britain was far removed from the papacy and, seemingly, from […]
Lanfranc of Bec and the Common Law: Part I
New York, NY – July 1, 2015 Over the next couple of posts, I’m going to discuss some of my favorite personalities from medieval England. They include a monk, a fiery feminist, and a red-headed playboy. I’m also going to point out how some of them formed the roots of United States common law. Those of […]
The curious role of the Procurador(a) in the Spanish legal system
New York, NY – June 28, 2015 I find foreign legal systems fascinating. I’m also intrigued by how history shapes modern legal systems, whether common law or civil code. Sometimes a legal system includes both. For example, Puerto Rican law is an interesting mix of United States common law and the Spanish Civil Code. Now, […]