Study of Memphis schools ‘dissolution’ says state’s response empowered wealthy suburbs

Michelle Wilde Anderson quoted in The Commercial Appeal, May 20, 2012

The Columbia Law Review article by UC Berkeley Law School assistant professor Michelle Wilde Anderson examined the Memphis City Schools district’s “dissolution. “… In its response to “a struggling district that opts for dissolution, the state could have and should have made the county as strong and competent as possible so as to stabilize the service provided in the dissolving district without hurting county children. Instead, Norris-Todd hobbles the combined district, favoring the strongest area suburbs over metropolitan Memphis as a whole.”

California carbon market to generate billions but won’t end budget woes

Daniel Farber and Deborah Lambe cited in Forbes, May 17, 2012

“The least risky spending proposals are those that would advance AB 32’s goals, and in particular, AB 32’s primary goal: the reduction and mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” wrote Deborah Lambe and Daniel Farber of the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment. “Somewhat more risky (but still relatively low risk) are costly spending proposals for projects that advance the goals of AB 32, but also advance other, unrelated goals.”
This story also appeared in these outlets: KATV-TV, SNL Power Daily, and Sacramento Business Journal.

Facts show Dems are job creators

Jennifer Granholm writes for POLITICO, May 15, 2012

The facts: For the near half-century following the Kennedy administration, Democrats created nearly twice as many private-sector jobs as Republicans. Even though Democrats held the presidency for only 23 years compared with 28 years of Republican rule.

The fantasies driving school reform: A primer for education graduates

Richard Rothstein’s commencement speech quoted in The Washington Post, The Answer Sheet, May 13, 2012

“As educators, you must insist that children need good health care, high quality early childhood preparation, and high quality after school and summer programs if they are to come to you ready to learn. As educators, you simply cannot remain uninformed and silent about the social and economic context of your work.”

Disruptions: Facebook’s real-life ‘spidey sense’

Eric Talley cited in The New York Times, Bits, May 13, 2012

Eric Talley, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said that although Facebook could be accused of market manipulation or anticompetitive practices, the company could defend itself by saying that others monitored the same data and that Facebook simply did the job better.

Above the law: U.S. crimes during the war on terror

Laurel Fletcher and Eric Stover’s Guantanamo study cited in World Policy Blog, May 11, 2012

This problem is also demonstrated by the reckless 840-odd detentions at Guantánamo, where no more than 20 percent had committed a crime of any kind, according to studies by UC Berkeley School of Law and Seton Hall Law School in Newark.

First the circus, then the 9/11 trial

John Yoo quoted in San Francisco Chronicle, May 10, 2012

The defense, opined UC Berkeley professor and former Bush administration lawyer John Yoo, is “determined to turn this into some kind of ideological statement and not really a trial of guilt and innocence.”