KC Johnson

Each group is required to send me a 10pp. (double-spaced) brief by Thursday, April 28. Briefs will then be posted on this site. Moot courts will take place on Thursday, May 12, beginning at 1.15pm. Below are the four topics, with links to the decision currently being appealed, as well as amicus briefs disputing the decision, and other commentary. I will be adding to this site throughout the semester.

Affordable Health Care for America Act (Obama health care law):

• Vinson Health Care ruling; (striking down the law)
• Judge-Kessler-Health-Care-Reform-ruling (upholding the law)
• pro-reform amicus brief
• Law prof David Cole challenges the Vinson ruling
• Commentator Charles Lane doubts the law’s defenders

Defense of Marriage Act:

• Gill decision;
• Alliance Defense Fund pro-DOMA brief;
• Prof. Robert George–anti-gay marriage amicus brief
• House DOMA report (1996)
• AG Eric Holder letter on administration’s refusal to defend the law

S.B. 1070 (Arizona immigration law):

• sb1070ruling
• State AGs’ amicus brief

Defoe v. Spiva (high school student speech):

• Defoe ruling
• Tinker v. Des Moines (precedent student speech case)
• Morse v. Frederick (precedent student speech case)
• ACLU_Amicus Brief_in_Support_of_Rehearing
• school district brief
• early summary of case
• Zamecnik v. Indian Prairie School District (student speech case decided March ’11)