Our faculty are leaders in scholarship, teaching and service, as detailed in our faculty profiles. Here are highlights of their recent achievements:
The First Amendment Clinic presented to 140 city and county attorneys in Georgia on the current state of the law regarding public officials blocking constituents on social media. First Amendment Clinic Director and Clinical Assistant Professor Clare R. Norins and second-year student Mark L. Bailey shared that a critical mass of courts that have addressed this issue find that when using a social media account to communicate with the public about official duties and activities, a public official violates the First Amendment if they censor or block a user because of disagreement with the user's expressed viewpoint. The pair discussed the elements of the First Amendment claims that arise from social-media-blocking, the factors that courts consider in adjudicating these claims and suggested some best practices for municipal attorneys to consider when counseling their clients on how to reduce risk of liability associated with social media use. The presentation was hosted by the Georgia Municipal Association during September.
Dean Rusk International Law Center Interim Director & Hosch Professor Lori A. Ringhand presented "Law, Justice, and the Future of U.S. Elections" as the keynote address for the University of South Carolina's Constitution Day activities.
Rogers Chair of Law Camilla E. Watson published "Federal Financing of Higher Education at a Crossroads: The Evolution of the Student Loan Debt Crisis and the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965" in 2019 Michigan State Law Review 883 (2020).
Brumby Distinguished Professor in First Amendment Law Sonja R. West was featured in the Kentucky New Era regarding improving U.S. Supreme Court transparency measures. The article titled "At the Supreme Court, another step toward transparency, but it has more to go" was written by Tony Mauro and published 9/15/20.
Sibley Professor in Corporate and Business Law Larry D. Thompson was featured in The New York Times regarding his final report relating to Volkswagen's emissions testing settlements with the U.S. government. Thompson has served as the automaker's independent compliance monitor since 2017. The article titled "Volkswagen Has Kept Promises to Reform, U.S. Overseer Says" was written by Jack Ewing and published 9/14/20.