Keeping Up With The Supreme Court Spring 2022


Class 6 - June 13, 2022

Please send suggestions for topics for next semester to lharpaz@lharpaz.com



Class 5 - June 6. 2022

Struck v. Sec'y of Defense - Opinion by 9th Circuit Court of Appeals


Class 4 - May 23, 2022


Text of First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.


Camp Constitution Flag

Hearings Before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the Nomination of Ruth Bader Ginsburg to be an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court  (discussion of the Struck case is on pages 205-07)

The Leak

The Court is leaking like a sieve,
Something that is hard to forgive.
Their secrets no longer concealed,
Alito’s draft has been revealed.
Justices suspect each other,
No longer respect “My Brother.”
What will be made public next time,
Whose folly or foible or crime?
Tension can be cut with a knife,
Do they still want this job for life?

Class 3 - May 16, 2022

14th Amendment
Section 1.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. . . .

Art. VI, Cl 1, Supremacy Clause:
This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof;
and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.

Class 2 - May 9, 2022

Original Politico Story About Leak - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-00029473

Draft Opinion - https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21835435-scotus-initial-draft#document/p24/a2102416


Class 1 - May 2, 2022

14th Amendment
Section 1.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall
make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. . . .

Section 5.
The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.


B. RELIGIOUS LAND USE AND INSTITUTIONALIZED PERSONS ACT of 2000 (RLUIPA)

§ 2000cc-1. Protection of religious exercise of institutionalized persons
(a) General rule. No government shall impose a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person residing in or confined to an institution, as defined in section 2 of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, unless the government demonstrates that imposition of the burden on that person--
(1) is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest; and
(2) is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.
(b) Scope of application. This section applies in any case in which--
(1) the substantial burden is imposed in a program or activity that receives Federal
financial assistance; or
(2) the substantial burden affects, or removal of that substantial burden would affect,
commerce with foreign nations, among the several States, or with Indian tribes.
§ 2000cc-2. Judicial relief
(a) Cause of action. A person may assert a violation of this Act as a claim or defense in a judicial proceeding and obtain appropriate relief against a government. . . .
(b) Burden of persuasion. If a plaintiff produces prima facie evidence to support a claim alleging a violation of the Free Exercise Clause or a violation of section 2 [42 U.S.C. § 2000cc], the government shall bear the burden of persuasion on any element of the claim, except that the plaintiff shall bear the burden of persuasion on whether the law . . . that is challenged by the claim substantially burdens the plaintiff's exercise of religion.


Article I, Sec. 4:
“The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for . . . Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations.”