As Supreme Court term ends, news outlets seek King Hall faculty's expertise

The U.S. Supreme Court wrapped up its 2017-18 term in late June, delivering decisions in closely watched cases including Trump v. Hawaii and Janus v. AFSCME. The most prominent news to emerge at term’s end, however, was that Justice Anthony M. Kennedy – the court’s crucial swing vote – is retiring.

Dean Kevin R. Johnson and Professor Aaron Tang will discuss these developments and more at  9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 10, on Capital Public Radio’s “Insight” news program. Johnson and Tang will preview the “Supreme Court Year in Review” event happening later Tuesday at the Weintraub Tobin law firm in downtown Sacramento. Johnson and Tang will be joined in a panel discussion by fellow Professors Christopher Elmendorf and Carlton F.W. Larson.

Many other media outlets have sought comment from King Hall faculty about the recent high-court decisions. The New York Times consulted Johnson for its rundown of how President Trump’s ban on visitors from seven, mostly Muslim-majority countries – upheld by the high court – is going to work.

Johnson told the Times that college students with visas who are re-entering the country to return to school should not encounter problems.

Johnson also weighed in on the ban for the San Francisco Chronicle story “Travel ban takeaway: Trump’s tweets won’t hurt him with high court.” The story looked at how the Supreme Court disregarded Trump’s previous inflammatory language about Muslims in allowing the ban.

Professor Brian Soucek discussed where the travel ban’s next stop might be in the U.S. Court system, in an interview with Bay Area radio station KPFA.

When the court delivered its contentious ruling the Janus v. AFSCME union-fees case June 27, Professor Aaron Tang responded immediately with a Sacramento Bee op-ed. Tang’s piece suggested a way for pro-labor states to work around the ruling that delivered a stunning blow to public-sector unions.

Tang also commented on Janus for Salon, the Harvard Law Review blog and Sacramento’s KFBK radio station.

Tang also spoke to Slate about the effect Kennedy’s retirement might have on undocumented children in public schools.

Camille Pannu, Director of the Aoki Water Justice Clinic, also weighed in on Kennedy’s retirement for KPFA.

Professor Elizabeth Joh spoke to the Washington Post about the high court’s breakthrough decision regarding digital privacy rights, in Carpenter v. United States.

The court ruled that law enforcement must obtain warrants to access location information that wireless providers collect on their customers. But the ruling side-stepped key issues about whether police still can collect data in real time.

“I think Carpenter will be seen as a landmark case for civil-liberties protections in the digital age,” Joh said. “But Carpenter opens up many questions. … There is quite likely to be disagreement among judges about how broadly Carpenter’s rationale applies beyond the government’s collection of historical cell-phone location data.”