Preventing fake news

Catherine Crump broadcast on C-SPAN, Jan. 19, 2017

“I think one of the things that are new here are the platforms and the ease with which someone can create a new story which, although it may sound fantastical to many of us, appeals to people. A Trump supporter may be inclined to believe things that enhance a particular narrative, and you can easily create something that enhances that narrative. I think the speed with which that can happen is something that is new. We don’t have the same gateway to controlling the media as we traditionally had.”

Study shows climate policies benefit Valley

Ethan Elkind quoted by Turlock Journal, Jan. 19, 2017

“The focus of the presidential campaign was to bring good jobs back to economically-challenged parts of the country,” said Elkind. “The federal government can either be a partner in helping the state achieve its aggressive environmental goals, or it can choose not to. California is committed to this path, but if the federal government tries to undermine that, state leaders will have to push back.”

Trump stirs apolitical Silicon Valley

Christopher Hoofnagle quoted by Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 19, 2017

When asked by Passcode, UC Berkeley law professor and PCAP member Chris Hoofnagle says the council is still active and meets four times a year. “The Palantir people are devoted and hardworking, and they care about civil liberties,” Hoofnagle wrote in an email. “My experience has been rewarding.”

Former Clinton adviser Ann O’Leary joins Boies Schiller

Ann O’Leary quoted by Daily Journal (registration required), Jan. 18, 2017

“I am very excited to join the go-to team of incredibly innovative and talented litigators who are called on to solve the toughest problems at the most critical times, and who also dedicate their legal talents to fighting for social justice in our country.”

Central Valley could lead state, nation to renewable energy future

Ethan Elkind quoted by Central Valley Business Times, Jan. 18, 2017

“The Valley’s economy would benefit in particular from state leaders removing the legal uncertainty about the cap-and-trade program – especially the allowance auction mechanism – beyond 2020,” says Mr. Elkind.

Have climate policies helped San Joaquin Valley? New report says yes

Ethan Elkind quoted by Los Angeles Times, Jan. 18, 2017

“In one of the most economically depressed parts of the state, if not the country, we’re seeing these policies create economic benefits,” said Ethan Elkind, director of the climate program at UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment.

Virginia executes convict with drug from anonymous compounding pharmacy

Megan McCracken quoted by WUNC Radio, Jan. 18, 2017

“What sets Virginia’s law apart from other state secrecy laws is that it specifically protects transactions with compounding pharmacies,” Megan McCracken of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law’s Death Penalty Clinic told NPR.

Sears clings to catalog thinking in an online world

Steven Davidoff Solomon writes for The New York Times, Jan. 17, 2017

Despite the conventional wisdom, though, it is not Amazon that is primarily to blame for Sears’s plight. Sears is being squeezed by changing economies and technology. Shoppers go to Walmart for discount items or to Target for discount items with a touch of style. The high end stays at stores like Nordstrom. The middle is smaller and increasingly shops online.

So, you want to teach?

Olga Mack and Troy Foster write for Above the Law, January 17, 2017

If you teach outside of law school, it may be a good idea to include an overview of basic legal principles and the legal system. It’s important to view the topic from the perspective of someone without your legal training and experience.

California versus Trump: What’s at stake?

John Yoo and David Carrillo quoted by Bay Area News Group, Jan. 14, 2017

During the Obama administration, Sacramento and Washington were on the same page. Now, observes John Yoo, a conservative professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, California is “going to know what it was like to be Texas for the past eight years.”

Taking stock of its rights is a smart move for any state whose policies are in conflict with Washington’s, said David Carrillo. … “If I’m the governor or the president pro tem of the state Senate,” Carrillo said, “right now I’d be laser-focused on the California constitution to figure out how I can circle the wagons around the issues Californians care about.”