Christopher Hoofnagle Warns of Internet Privacy Risks

Internetnews.com, May 15, 2009 by David Needle
http://www.internetnews.com/webcontent/article.php/3820531/Consumers+Left+in+the+Dark+on+Net+Privacy.htm

“Consent is a trap,” said Chris Hoofnagle, Director of Information Privacy Programs at the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology. “It’s more than notices and opt-in and opt-out,” he said, adding that details like how a consumer’s information might be used isn’t always made clear, nor how long it might be kept. “Do these things protect consumers? I’m not so sure,” he said. “It’s got to the point that the medium itself is poisoned and consumers feel unsure about being tracked online.”

Pamela Samuelson Leads Charge to Extend Deadline for Google Book Search Settlement

The Chronicle of Higher Education, May 15, 2009 by Jennifer Howard
http://chronicle.com/cgi2-bin/printable.cgi?article=http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i36/36a01201.htm

“People I’ve talked to have been pretty confused about it, and they don’t know how to properly assess the pros and cons,” she told me. “Academics have a lot of things they’d rather do than wade through a couple hundred pages” of legalese.

Christopher Edley Comments on the Tough Job Market for Graduates

Contra Costa Times, May 15, 2009 by Matt Krupnick
http://www.contracostatimes.com/nationandworld/ci_12380542

At Boalt Hall School of Law next door, some graduates are being offered new fellowships to help weather the unprecedented rough spot in the legal industry. Although public-interest jobs appear to be toughest to come by, large firms also are suffering, said Dean Christopher Edley. “There’s still a lot of anxiety because folks still don’t know where the bottom is, so they’re reluctant to make hiring commitments,” he said. “We’ve definitely seen our graduating students having to work harder to find a job they’re happy with.”

Ann O’Leary Believes Public Input Essential in Health Care Debate

San Jose Mercury News, May 13, 2009 by Michael Torrice
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12363638

The health care debate has happened largely behind closed doors in Washington without public discussions about policies’ advantages and disadvantages, said Ann O’Leary, executive director of the University of California-Berkeley’s Center on Health, Economic and Family Security. O’Leary believes politicians need to start discussing plans with the public. “A lot of this work could be undone without educating the public and growing public support,” she said.

Michael Bazeley Questions San Jose Mercury News Decision to Charge Web Fees

KGO-TV, May 13, 2009 by David Louie
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/business&id=6811995

“There’s an expectation, particularly among the younger generation, that when you go online, most of the information you’re going to get is going to be free with few exceptions, and this idea of re-training people to think now they have to pay for this content, I think, is a risky proposition,” said Bazeley. “You’re going to essentially open up the market for other people who want to come into the market and offer content for free.”

Robert MacCoun Sees Shift in Marijuana Debate

Contra Costa Times, May 12, 2009 by John Simerman
http://www.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_12353484?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com

“I’ve never seen a … phone survey that showed more than half of adults favoring legalization. I’ve certainly never seen a governor putting forth the idea of debating the issue, much less an actual bill,” said Robert MacCoun, a UC Berkeley public policy professor. “It’s a comfort zone for politicians we didn’t have 10 years ago.”

Jonathan Simon Explains Pros and Cons of Gentrification

The Sacramento Bee, May 12, 2009 by Stan Oklobdzija
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2322125/

“As a neighborhood gentrifies, affluent people are more demanding consumers. They demand security,” said Dr. Jonathan Simon, an associate dean at UC Berkeley’s Boalt School of Law…. While gentrification might do great things for crime rates and land values, lower-income residents can be pushed into poorer parts of town, said Simon.

Christopher Edley and Maria Echaveste Shed Light on Obama’s Ideal Supreme Court Pick

NPR, All Things Considered, May 11, 2009 Host Michelle Norris
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=104032583&m=104032563

Maria Echaveste: I read it as he was looking for someone who understood that these decisions were not abstract notions to be determined solely, solely upon the strict legal reasoning without any consideration of the real life consequences when you make a decision. People who are going to think critically: what does this mean? How does this impact people’s real lives? Because that is what the Supreme Court does.

Chris Edley: The easy questions are dealt with by the lower courts. It’s the hardest questions and the most important questions that get before the Supreme Court, and, on those questions, it is unusual if strict doctrine gives you the answer by itself. You can’t just look at the page and find the answer. You have to think about what’s the purpose of the law to make it alive.