Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · 2d

It is so exciting that @binsky18.bsky.social has joined @pamelabookman.bsky.social and the rest of our fantastic team of civil procedure scholars at @fordhamlawnyc.bsky.social!

Fordham Law School @fordhamlawnyc.bsky.social · 2d

In the latest installment of "The Big Idea" Q&A series, Fordham Law Professor Robin Effron (@binsky18), who joined the faculty this fall, discusses her most recent scholarship on the topic of how best to notify people when they are being sued or caught up in other legal proceedings.

Read more:

The Big Idea: Rethinking Legal Notice in a Digital World

Professor Robin Effron, who joined the Fordham Law faculty in fall 2025, is an expert on civil procedure and complex litigation whose work is routinely cited by courts in the

news.law.fordham.edu

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Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · 5d

A depressing read, but useful to get the collective wisdom of Republican & Democratic lawyers on threats to the rule of law. Particularly sad to see the devastation of DOJ's reputation.

'Bow to the Emperor’:We Asked 50 Legal Experts About the Trump Presidency www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/m...

‘Bow to the Emperor’:We Asked 50 Legal Experts About the Trump Presidency

www.nytimes.com

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Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 11d

Omg. I’ve never seen anything like this in a judicial opinion:

Case 1:25-cv-10685-WGY Document 261
Filed 09/30/25
Page 1 of 161
Post card dated June 19, 2025
(On file in Chambers)
1 9/S UNE 2025
TRUMP HAS PARDONS
AND TANKS..
WHAT DO
You
HAVE?
Dear Mr. or Ms. Anonymous, Alone, I have nothing but my
sense of duty.
Together, We the People of the
United States -- you and me --have our magnificent Constitution.
Here's how that works out in a
specific case --
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS -- HARVARD FACULTY CHAPTER, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS AT NEW
YORK UNIVERSITY, RUTGERS AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS-AMERICAN
FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, and
MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION,
Plaintiffs,
)
CIVIL ACTION NO.
25-10685-WGY
v.
MARCO RUBIO, in his official capacity as Secretary of State, and the DEPARTMENT OF STATE, KRISTI NOEM, in her official
[1]

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Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · 21d

Wow, judge strikes Trump's NYT complaint for violating Rule 8's "short & plain" instruction. That's a rare event, but correct: "As every lawyer knows (or is presumed to know), a complaint is not a public forum for vituperation and invective—not a protected platform to rage against an adversary."

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Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · 23d

I know it's frustrating when lawyers point out when something the administration is doing is not legal. But responding with "the law doesn't matter anymore" is really unhelpful and defeatist. Clarifying the law is important because it reminds us not to comply in advance and to resist and take action

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · Sep 3

In rebuke to Trump administration, judge rules for Harvard on many key issues in the funding cutoff cases. I’m glad the university held fast rather than buckling under to the bully. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

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Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · Aug 29

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/29/u...

Grand Juries in D.C. Reject Prosecutors’ Efforts to Level Harsh Charges Against Residents

www.nytimes.com

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Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · Aug 27

Grand jury won't indict Sandwich Guy! In the very city where rioters were pardoned for brutally attacking police officers on Jan 6, it's a way for citizens to show they understand irony and they understand throwing a sandwich in frustration at this invasion. www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...

Grand jury declines to indict man who threw a sandwich at federal officer in D.C.

The former Justice Department employee who threw a sub at federal officers in Washington, and came to be known as "Sandwich Guy," was not indicted on a federal felony charge.

www.nbcnews.com

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Lawfare @lawfaremedia.org · Aug 25

Today, Judge Xinis held a status conference in Kilmer Abrego Garcia's lawsuit challenging his impending removal to Uganda. @annabower.bsky.social reported from the conference, where Xinis barred the government from removing Abrego Garcia, at least until briefing on the petition is complete.

Judge Xinis Holds Status Conference in Abrego Garcia. v. Noem et al

Anna Bower reported from the conference, where Xinis barred the government from removing the defendant until briefing is complete.

www.lawfaremedia.org

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Mueller, She Wrote @muellershewrote.com · Aug 22

BREAKING: Kilmar Abrego has been RELEASED from prison and is headed home to Maryland to be with his family. Judge Xinis has an order in place requiring a 72 hour notice if ICE decides to detain and deport him to a third country. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is released from federal custody in Tennessee

Abrego Garcia walked out of federal custody for the first time since March, when he was deported to El Salvador in what the government has called an "administrative error."

www.nbcnews.com

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Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · Aug 14

Sad to see the end of an era. I've had the privilege of teaching superb students from all over the world, which was win-win-win, especially for US students. I hope our universities will soon return to being supported (or at least not thwarted) by our own government. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/b...

As Trump Pushes International Students Away, Asian Schools Scoop Them Up

www.nytimes.com

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Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · Aug 11

As we watch the stupidity coming from POTUS daily and from SCOTUS on occasion, it's tempting for law teachers to think our most important task is proving the idiocy. While proving idiocy is important (& easy & fun), I believe we have an even more important job & I'm trying to keep my eye on the ball

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Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · Aug 11

My main point is that, even though our president neither understands nor respects due process, judicial independence, separation of powers, constitutional fidelity, lawyers' ethical duties, etc etc etc, I still care very much about such things and I intend to teach my students accordingly.

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Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · Aug 11

Someone forgot to take down this webpage:

www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/v...

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Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · Aug 10

In Complex Litigation, I'll start with Trump v CASA as set-up for students to see the importance of class actions and aggregate litigation. In Civ Pro, I'll focus on fundamentals of procedure and why it matters. In the spring when I teach Professional Responsibility ... well that will be interesting

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Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · Aug 10

Of course I'll have plenty of opportunity to criticize the president, SCOTUS, and others, but that won't be the main storyline. Rather, the core message to my students will be that we take law seriously, we take ethics seriously, we take process seriously, and there is so much they need to learn.

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Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · Aug 10

As I prepare to welcome new law students, I am fighting the urge to go deep-cynic about law and courts. I think the most powerful act of resistance I can offer is to teach future lawyers how to think clearly, how to care about facts, and how to understand fundamental legal values.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Aug 3

Larry Summers: "This is way beyond anything Nixon ever did ... this is the stuff of democracies giving way to authoritarianism. Firing statisticians goes with threatening the heads of newspapers, launching assaults on universities, launching assaults on law firms. This is really scary stuff."

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Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · Jul 27

As someone who takes legal ethics seriously, I am glad courts see the obvious unconstitutionality of the president's outrageous attempts to punish law firms for their representation of clients and their support of causes. thehill.com/opinion/judi...

Why did Trump target the law firm Susman Godfrey? The answer is shocking.

This needs to stop here, and it needs to stop now.

thehill.com

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Reuters Legal @legal.reuters.com · Jul 23

A federal judge ordered that Kilmar Abrego Garcia be released on bail while awaiting trial on human smuggling charges, a legal victory for the migrant who was wrongly deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration reut.rs/4kQnB2r

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Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · Jul 10

Agreed. Money-damages class actions nearly always settle, and some 23b2 class actions settle (where policies can be negotiated such as prison conditions), but binary questions like birthright citizenship are ill-suited for negotiation and likely to get class-wide adjudication on the merits.

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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · Jul 10

JUST IN: A judge has certified a nationwide class aimed at blocking the effects of Trump's birthright citizenship order. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

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Howie Erichson @howarderichson.bsky.social · Jul 10

This is how things will proceed after Trump v. CASA's rejection of universal injunctions. Federal court certifies nationwide class action and grants preliminary injunction for the class. It's clunkier but often it can do the job and it has certain advantages. apnews.com/article/birt...

New Hampshire judge to pause Trump’s birthright citizenship order

A federal judge in New Hampshire says he will certify a class action lawsuit including all children who will be affected by Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.

apnews.com

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We Hold These Truths @weholdtruths.bsky.social · Jul 4

Our full-page color ad running today in the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Arizona Republic, and the Dallas Morning News. These are the truth which unite us, and these are the truths which every American needs to know. weholdtruths.org #sharethetruths

Personal freedoms

The personal freedoms accorded throughout the Constitution and its many amendments are an
essential protection against government tyranny and reflect the inherent rights of every person in
the United States. These include,
-Freedom of expression. Democracy depends on freedom of speech and the press. The
government has no right to intimidate or punish anyone simply on the basis of their views and
ideas.
-Criminal justice. Those suspected and accused of crimes are protected by many provisions of
the Bill of Rights, including those limiting police searches and arrests, ensuring the privilege
against self-incrimination, and providing for fair trials. These rights are imperative to protect
individual freedom and prevent abuses by the government.
-Personal autonomy. Our society respects fundamental aspects of autonomy, including the
liberty to make important decisions about one’s life.

the Constitution, and its chief safeguard of our liberty, is
avoiding the concentration of power by separating and placing limits upon the legislative,
executive, and judicial powers of government among three branches that check, balance, and
respect each other’s power.
-Responsibility of each branch of government: Congress alone possesses the legislative power,
which is limited to that authority enumerated in the Constitution. The President is not a King;
his power must come from the Constitution or a statute passed by Congress and may not be
applied to violate the constitutional rights of others. And it is “emphatically the province and
duty of the judicial department to say what the law is.”
-National defense: The federal government must provide for the common defense, which today
means protecting the United States, supporting our allies overseas, and preventing foreign
interference from disrupting our political system. But whether the federal government is

protecting national security or fulfilling its domestic responsibilities, it must adhere to the limits
of i…

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Kelsey Reichmann @kelseyreichmann.bsky.social · Jun 28

Make Class Actions Great Again?

w/ @benjaminweiss.bsky.social @ryanknappy.bsky.social
www.courthousenews.com/with-univers...

With universal injunctions out of style, class actions are already trending

As one door closes, another opens: Litigants are quickly adapting to the Supreme Court’s ruling nixing nationwide pause on executive policies.

www.courthousenews.com

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