Random Repository of Regulatory Rhetoric

In absolutely no order, and without the implication of any endorsement whatsoever, whatsoever:

Original image credit: http://kingofdiamondgrills.imgur.com/

• One way to look up law (both state and federal). If you’re here, this is probably the thing you’re looking for.
• If you’re looking up laws, you might want to know how to look up business entities (such as corporations), at both the state and federal levels.
• If you’re looking up laws, you might need help, and there’s plenty of help out there.
• The United States Declaration of Independence. It has almost no legal value, but I love that thing. It reads like a dear John letter. Seriously.
• The Constitution of the United States. It’s what gives the government the ability to do the things it does, at least in theory. Here’s some detailed history about the debates that went into drafting it.
• The constitutions of the various states. Different, trust me, I’m a lawyer.
• The SCOTUS Blog, because they’re hip like that. You can get almost every bit of info possible about SCOTUS cases there, but it’s mainly written, obviously, for lawyers, so it might make your eyes bleed. Their Plain English Archive is a bit more legible.
• The list of current SCOTUS opinions. We talk about them a decent amount, this is what we talk about, so, um, yeah: it makes this list.
• A brief and rather legible essay on How to Read a Legal Opinion, by Orin Kerr of the well-known Volokh Conspiracy, a somewhat conservative law blog.
• One primer on law and economics. Believe it or not, money is one of the most powerful forces shaping law.
• The Sentencing Law & Policy blog, which might be the best blog about criminal law, and written, for the most part, in plain English. Just know that LWOP means Life without Parole.
• C-SPAN’s Landmark Cases, which reviews historic cases and how they shaped America.
• An excellent reddit post by a congressional staffer on how to change the law, the good part of which I reproduce here, in case it gets deleted:

Step 1: Find a topic to address. This can either be something totally off the radar right now, or a specific take on an issue already the focus of attention. The latter can begin as a bill, but be used as an amendment to existing legislation.

Step 2: Recognize the reality of the situation. Republicans control both houses; for anything to pass this Congress it will require a majority of Republicans in the House to vote for it (Otherwise Speaker Boehner will not bring it to the floor for a vote, even in a majority of the overall Congress supports it) and a strong Bipartisan support in the Senate (60 votes are needed to invoke Cloture, so both Dems and Republicans are needed).

Step 3: Craft the language. Since not everyone is a part-time legal counsel, this can be as simple as finding the appropriate U.S. Code and striking out or adding language.

Step 4: Come up with a flashy title. The internet / public loves a flashy title. This may seem silly, but if you want attention you need to identify what you are working towards.

Step 5: Consider other opinions. While your language doesn’t have to bend to the will of every interest, take the time to find groups that come from a different perspective, and get their thoughts. You may discover an unintentional loophole, or language better suited for your needs.

Step 6: Press the issue. All offices keep a tally of issues that constituents call in about. A new topic is typically not on anyone’s radar until either lobbyists or constituents are making it an issue. Calling campaigns aren’t ace in the hole, but they get a conversation started.

If you really are interested in making an impact, I commend you. This may sound like a lot of work, because it is. Lots of people like to say lobbyists hand over money to politicians to win votes, an while sometimes than can in some ways be true, the real truth is they have the money to hire teams of people to craft compelling legislation, meet with members across the Hill, and recruit constituents to spend their time calling in. You can play their game too, but it is a lot of work.

• If you’re upset about something and aren’t hiring an attorney to deal with it, maybe your state attorney general can help you.
• Decent books on law (Amazon Smile links):
  • The Law of Superheroes !
  • Fundamentals of American Law: topic by topic guide written for foreign students of US law.
  • History of American Law: on the development of US laws.
  • Introduction to Legal Reasoning: on process. Spoiler: most of life is ambiguous definitions and unaddressed contingencies.
  • Getting to Yes: easy to read foundation of interest-based bargaining.
  • American Constitution: section by section “biography” of the country’s foundational text.
  • A People’s History of the Supreme Court: Brett’s favored book on the matter.

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