Creative Commons
Blogs I Follow
Category Archives: Law
When computer programs break the law
Check out this recent report by Daniel Rivero with the provocative title “Robots are starting to break the law and nobody knows what to do about it.” Mr Rivero describes the “robot” in question–an automated computer program called “Random Darknet Shopper” and … Continue reading
Fair or foul? (Marijuana law enforcement edition)
Via Vox, more evidence that the “war on drugs” is a racist war.
“On Constitutional Disobedience”
That is the title of this thought-provoking book by Louis Michael Seidman, a professor of constitutional law at Georgetown University. In summary, Professor Seidman’s thesis is that the Constitution of 1787 is not binding on us. While a strong case can … Continue reading
Posted in Cooperation, Law, Philosophy, Politics, Questions Rarely Asked
Tagged Constitution, Louis Michael Seidman, Sophistry
Leave a comment
Prediction theory of law (#Celebgate edition)
Is Apple liable in tort for last fall’s hack of celebrity iCloud accounts? What about Google? Check out this in-depth essay by Issie Lapowsky, published in Wired Magazine last September, addressing some of these questions. According to one source cited in Lapowsky’s report — … Continue reading
Posted in Law, Questions Rarely Asked, Web/Tech
Tagged BUL 3130, Celebgate, Negligence, Prediction Theory of Law, Privacy
Leave a comment
A constitutional contradiction?
Check out this disturbing essay by Daniel Lazare comparing people’s reverence for the U.S. Constitution to our reverence for holy texts. He also identifies a fundamental contradiction in our Constitution to boot: Sealed in moisture-controlled, bullet-proof glass containers that are … Continue reading
A 21-word solution for reducing verification bias in the social sciences?
Is social science (especially fields rife with fraud like social psychology) completely worthless? How should we solve the massive problem of verification bias in social science research and in related fields like law, economics, etc.? Via Deborah Mayo, check out … Continue reading
Posted in Deception, Economics, Ethics, Law, Science
Tagged Social Science, Verification Bias
Leave a comment
Compare and contrast
You may have heard the U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to decide a set of same-sex marriage cases. (See here and here, for example. You may file this tidbit under “deciding to decide.”) Let’s compare and contrast the constitutional questions presented in these pending gay marriage … Continue reading
New York City Noise Complaints
Check out this data-driven essay in The New Yorker describing the spatial and temporal distribution of noise complaints in New York City. Here is an excerpt of Ben Wellington’s excellent essay: In New York, there are two kinds of noise: the sounds … Continue reading
Spring 2015 Business Law reading list (honors section)
Readings. Our textbook is Richard A Epstein’s Simple Rules for a Complex World. In addition, we will read several classic legal essays this semester, including our all-time favorites “The Path of the Law” by Oliver Wendell Holmes and Federalist Paper #10 (on factions). Law … Continue reading
prior probability 