Shafik’s Fix Fuels Further Fury

As Columbia University president Minouche Shafik was testifying before the House, students were setting up a tent city on the campus south lawn which they called “Gaza Solidarity Encampment.” The encampment was a violation of Columbia’s rules, so Shafik announced that students involved would be suspended and called in the New York Police Department to arrest them. That, too, was against Columbia’s rules.

In her letter to the NYPD authorizing the arrests, Shafik wrote that “All University students participating in the encampment have been informed they are suspended.” Continue reading →

The Smell Of Discontent

The Columbia student was a former soldier in the Israeli Defense Force, and so the narrative immediately went to toxic chemical weapons, allegedly causing “headaches, fatigue, and nausea,” causing pro-Palestinian protesters to seek medical attention. It was, as Aaron Sibirium called it, “a progressive fever dream.”

Pro-Palestinian protesters told the Columbia Spectator they had been sprayed with “skunk,” a crowd-control chemical developed by the Israeli Defense Forces, at a rally in January. Mainstream media amplified the allegations, and Columbia suspended a student involved in the “attack”—who had previously served in IDF—within days. Continue reading →

What’s Wrong With “Nonlawyer”?

In the vast scheme of reinventing language to avoid offending anyone, David Lat raises a new problematic word being pushed out the law firm door: Nonlawyer.

Is it time to remove the term “nonlawyer” from the legal lexicon?

Earlier this month, two lawyers—Olga Mack, a fellow at the Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, and Damien Riehl, a vice president at the legal-tech platform vLex—published an online petition for the American Bar Association “to cease using the term ‘nonlawyer.’” Continue reading →

Silencing Asna Tabassum For Safety

Asna Tabassum was chosen to give the valedictory address at the University of Southern California graduation. It’s quite an honor, and one she earned through her efforts and accomplishments, having achieved a grade point average above 3.98 with a major in biomedical engineering and a minor in resistance to genocide.

And then it was decided that she should be silenced.

Andrew T. Guzman, the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, said the decision was based on maintaining “campus security and safety” in the email. The valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, said in a public statement later Monday she feels the university has “abandoned” her. Continue reading →

The Voodoo Of Picking A Jury

One thing that most trial lawyers agree upon is that jurors are a remarkable bunch. The seriousness with which they do the job of following the evidence and finding facts fairly is enough to restore your faith in humanity. Most of the time. But can a Manhattan jury, with Donald Trump as defendant, put aside bias? Jury consultant Julie Blackman says that a fair jury can be picked in New York County, even when Trump is the defendant.

For Mr. Trump, we’re about to find out.

Continue reading →

Short Take: True Threat Or FAFO?

Put aside whether a resolution by the Bakersfield City Council is consequential or performative crap. It’s obviously the latter, as it serves no meaningful purpose other than to reflect its acquiescence to the demands of the woke. But to 28-year-old Riddhi Patel, it mattered no matter how silly it may be. It mattered a lot.

Continue reading →

When Education No Longer Matters

When public schools shut their doors and went online for Covid, there was a fairly strong argument that it was a waste of time. While some teachers extolled the virtue of their online teaching and the dedication of their highly motivated students, the harsh reality was that education took a beating and students obtained little benefit. To be fair, it was understandable, even if teachers denied it. As Upton Sinclair noted, “‘It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”

But Covid is over. Schools are open. The only thing missing is the students. Continue reading →

Seaton: Sheriff Roy and the Outrage Tornado

Sheriff Roy Templeton had a headache. The assembled group of adults before him hadn’t stopped yelling since he stepped into Principal Doreen Jessup’s office at Nick Saban Intermediate School and asked “What’s the problem?”

When the school called about a row involving some parents and teachers, Mud Lick’s head law enforcement officer decided he’d handle the incident personally. Roy Junior started at Saban Middle in the fall and Sheriff Roy thought getting a little positive face time with the principal of his son’s new school would be advantageous. Continue reading →

When Fines Shock The Conscience

Her situation was sympathetic, and perhaps good neighbors would either have been more helpful or, at least, less antagonistic. But then, many homeowners know how that one house down the block falls into disrepair and brings down the neighborhood. Much as you can feel empathetic toward the troubles that one person is facing, you can also understand why others who maintain their property, both for the sake of appearances and property values, expect their neighbors to do the same.

Sandy Martinez was that one person whose neglect of her property brought down the neighborhood. Why her neighbors didn’t lend a hand is unknown. Maybe there was a feeling of animosity between them. Maybe they were just selfish neighbors, concerned only for their own property. Maybe Martinez was just a problem neighbor and the others had enough of her problems becoming their problems. But when the fines for her neglect reached $165,000, things went too far. Continue reading →