Nicholas Handler
@nicholashandler.bsky.social
Assistant Professor, TAMU School of Law. Interested in administrative law, bureaucracy, civil procedure. Fairweather Jets fan. Opinions my own.
SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2879963
SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2879963
Pinned
I've posted a draft of my next article, "The Administrative Law of McCarthyism," forthcoming in the Stanford Law Review, on SSRN. Comments and feedback are very welcome!
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Reposted by Nicholas Handler
Today at 4:00PM EST/3:00 PM CST, I'll be at the ABA Administrative Law Conference speaking with @ajosephoconnell.bsky.social, @nicholashandler.bsky.social, and Philip Howard about the future of the civil service. Have been looking forward to this conversation all semester!
November 21, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Today at 4:00PM EST/3:00 PM CST, I'll be at the ABA Administrative Law Conference speaking with @ajosephoconnell.bsky.social, @nicholashandler.bsky.social, and Philip Howard about the future of the civil service. Have been looking forward to this conversation all semester!
Calling all administrative law scholars and practitioners! This is an absolutely fantastic event, and it is FREE this year to anyone who wants to participate! Register now!
NEWS! The ABA Admin Law Conference is FREE this year, in light of the shutdown. Great for admin law practitioners, academics, and students. It'll be Nov. 21 but you'll also be able to access recordings for 30 days afterwards.
6 FREE hours of CLE (approvals pending), including 3 ethics hours:
6 FREE hours of CLE (approvals pending), including 3 ethics hours:
2025 Administrative Law Fall Conference
events.americanbar.org
November 11, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Calling all administrative law scholars and practitioners! This is an absolutely fantastic event, and it is FREE this year to anyone who wants to participate! Register now!
They’re calling it “Grinchmaxxing”
The Trump administration is shutting down flights before the holidays www.washingtonpost.com/transportati...
U.S. orders 10% cut in flights at several airports as shutdown drags on
The Trump administration says the move, which will affect 40 markets, is part of an effort to ease pressure on air traffic controllers.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:23 AM
They’re calling it “Grinchmaxxing”
What’s sad is that the America of 1997-2002 basically solved the problem of teenage male culture. In an earlier era these guys would all have just become Juggalos.
Thousands of posts from a private Young Republican Telegram chat reveal a culture of casual racism/antisemitism, rape jokes and celebration of Hitler/Nazism.
Some of the ringleaders are below: We live in a world where 4chan types now occupy positions of real power.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
Some of the ringleaders are below: We live in a world where 4chan types now occupy positions of real power.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
October 15, 2025 at 2:30 PM
What’s sad is that the America of 1997-2002 basically solved the problem of teenage male culture. In an earlier era these guys would all have just become Juggalos.
Weird to see people describe this place like it's the Comintern when in reality it's 80% people passively aggressively debating whether you have to mask at PTA meetings or whatever.
September 11, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Weird to see people describe this place like it's the Comintern when in reality it's 80% people passively aggressively debating whether you have to mask at PTA meetings or whatever.
Extremely bad, very bleak.
September 10, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Extremely bad, very bleak.
We're doing New Property again. Every day the 1970s is more back.
Judge Cobb prevents the removal of Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve, holding that removal for cause only covers in-office conduct. She also holds that Cook has a constitutionally protected property interest in her position and therefore a right to a hearing.
ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...
ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...
ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov
September 10, 2025 at 3:59 AM
We're doing New Property again. Every day the 1970s is more back.
Reposted by Nicholas Handler
Judge Cobb prevents the removal of Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve, holding that removal for cause only covers in-office conduct. She also holds that Cook has a constitutionally protected property interest in her position and therefore a right to a hearing.
ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...
ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...
ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov
September 10, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Judge Cobb prevents the removal of Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve, holding that removal for cause only covers in-office conduct. She also holds that Cook has a constitutionally protected property interest in her position and therefore a right to a hearing.
ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...
ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...
The Intellectual Dark Web dares to ask forbidden questions like, "Who is Robert Dahl?" and "What are his books about?"
Wait is Robert Dahl woke now? Can’t imagine a funnier book to have a moral panic about.
One of Bari Weiss’s reporters over at the Free Press was shocked to discover what Columbia students are reading in class:
lol wat
lol wat
September 9, 2025 at 1:48 PM
The Intellectual Dark Web dares to ask forbidden questions like, "Who is Robert Dahl?" and "What are his books about?"
Wait is Robert Dahl woke now? Can’t imagine a funnier book to have a moral panic about.
One of Bari Weiss’s reporters over at the Free Press was shocked to discover what Columbia students are reading in class:
lol wat
lol wat
September 9, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Wait is Robert Dahl woke now? Can’t imagine a funnier book to have a moral panic about.
Literally the only music my kids will listen to.
I have a seven year old and among elementary schoolers I would say that the fictional songs from the K-pop Demon Hunters bands are currently bigger than anything by real bands.
September 8, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Literally the only music my kids will listen to.
Reposted by Nicholas Handler
Fourth Circuit holds that states lack standing to sue to enjoin the removal of thousands of federal employees.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
September 8, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Fourth Circuit holds that states lack standing to sue to enjoin the removal of thousands of federal employees.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
This is key. The diminishment of SCOTUS will become a sociological fact before it becomes codified in law. That process is now very well underway.
September 8, 2025 at 6:42 PM
This is key. The diminishment of SCOTUS will become a sociological fact before it becomes codified in law. That process is now very well underway.
I really think that by 2028, middle-aged, normie, small-c conservative Democrats will be totally, enthusiatically receptive to dramatic court reform. Which is something that has never been true before.
September 8, 2025 at 5:35 PM
I really think that by 2028, middle-aged, normie, small-c conservative Democrats will be totally, enthusiatically receptive to dramatic court reform. Which is something that has never been true before.
What I find most interesting is that every single demographic ranked "having fame and influence" dead last, which is not the impression you get from, like, TikTok discourse.
Fascinating new results on Gen Z from the
@nbcnews.com Decision Desk poll -- views on family and marriage
www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...
@nbcnews.com Decision Desk poll -- views on family and marriage
www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...
September 8, 2025 at 2:46 PM
What I find most interesting is that every single demographic ranked "having fame and influence" dead last, which is not the impression you get from, like, TikTok discourse.
"Dems need to wait to pick a fight on a winning issue" is just a strange sentiment to express when the administration is currently deeply underwater on *every* issue, including its signature ones like immigration.
There it is folks. The brilliant Dem strategy, according to the genius pundits with the ear of Dem leadership, is to let Trump keep doing everything he's doing but only if we can also help Republicans avoid paying a political price for hurting people long enough to hold the House and Senate in 2026
September 8, 2025 at 2:39 PM
"Dems need to wait to pick a fight on a winning issue" is just a strange sentiment to express when the administration is currently deeply underwater on *every* issue, including its signature ones like immigration.
Trump put his name on the stimulus checks that went out, which was honestly a smart political move. Biden refused to do the same thing because of norms or something.
I forget the figure out the top of my head, but a not insignificant portion of Americans thought that the stimulus checks were paid out out of Trump‘s personal funds
"I need to see the fruit of your love"
They think Trump is their personal friend and cares for them.
They think Trump is their personal friend and cares for them.
September 7, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Trump put his name on the stimulus checks that went out, which was honestly a smart political move. Biden refused to do the same thing because of norms or something.
Whole Secretary of War thing is giving off this energy:
September 6, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Whole Secretary of War thing is giving off this energy:
Continue to be amused at the administration’s strategy of owning the libs by spending lots of money on public works for Manhattan.
September 5, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Continue to be amused at the administration’s strategy of owning the libs by spending lots of money on public works for Manhattan.
I’m guessing the administration will do everything it can to sabotage these alliances, regardless of whether they are permissible as interstate compacts. And courts will probably give Trump extremely wide latitude in the tactics he uses. Interesting to game out what will happen.
West Coast states are forming their own vaccine compact as Florida announces plans to ditch shot requirements for schoolchildren
U.S. States Start Sharp Divisions on Vaccines
West Coast states are forming their own vaccine compact as Florida announces plans to ditch shot requirements for schoolchildren
www.scientificamerican.com
September 5, 2025 at 2:17 PM
I’m guessing the administration will do everything it can to sabotage these alliances, regardless of whether they are permissible as interstate compacts. And courts will probably give Trump extremely wide latitude in the tactics he uses. Interesting to game out what will happen.
No one is going to call it the Department of War, just like no one calls it the 'Gulf of America" or the "Mario Cuomo Bridge." Doesn't have any juice, trying way too hard.
September 5, 2025 at 1:21 AM
No one is going to call it the Department of War, just like no one calls it the 'Gulf of America" or the "Mario Cuomo Bridge." Doesn't have any juice, trying way too hard.
It's a series of tubes.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright: "At its essence, artificial intelligence takes electricity and turns it into intelligence, empowering Americans."
September 5, 2025 at 1:06 AM
It's a series of tubes.
At the very least it seems like you shouldn't reprimand district courts for failing to apply logic that you yourselves could not figure out or agree on.
Kavanaugh's statements make the problem worse, not better. If the reason SCOTUS is using cryptic shadow docket orders is because "five" of them can't "reach a consensus or a compromise on a particular issue that might be difficult," then that order should not be precedential —there's no majority.
Brett Kavanaugh says there’s a good reason Supreme Court rulings can sometimes be so cryptic
In remarks to a judicial conference, Kavanaugh also defended Chief Justice John Roberts.
www.politico.com
September 5, 2025 at 1:02 AM
At the very least it seems like you shouldn't reprimand district courts for failing to apply logic that you yourselves could not figure out or agree on.
Broke: liberal abundance
Woke: Abundance of liberals
Woke: Abundance of liberals
making college free as a means to harness educational polarization
Latinas might snap back to the Democrats. Particularly as more Latinas go to college. But working-class men without degrees are a staple of the modern right-wing coalition across the globe. Latino men are one of the groups least likely to have a college degree.
September 4, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Broke: liberal abundance
Woke: Abundance of liberals
Woke: Abundance of liberals
Distressing that so many people nowadays get really mad at the idea of reading books.
I'm seeing a social media trend where people are sneaking pics of men reading books in public and making fun of them as "performative males"
And while I love a good dunk, I don't think you guys want men to be reading even less than they are now. Just saying
And while I love a good dunk, I don't think you guys want men to be reading even less than they are now. Just saying
September 4, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Distressing that so many people nowadays get really mad at the idea of reading books.