NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2016 /satPRnews.com/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area.
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EXPERT ALERTS:
Discovery of Gravitational Waves
Georgios Perdikakis, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Physics
Central Michigan University
"The world today is different than yesterday in terms of the technological capabilities associated with this finding and our enhanced understanding of the cosmos."
Professor Perdikakis received his Ph.D. in nuclear physics and master's degree in applied mathematics from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, and his degree in physics from the University of Ioannina, Greece. He has been conducting research in the field of physics with rare isotope beams of low energies at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory of Michigan State University since 2009.
Bio: http://goo.gl/jbCn39
Website: https://www.cmich.edu/news/
Contact: Mackenzie Joy Kastl, kastl1mj@cmich.edu
Stevie Wonder Calls for Accessibility for All Disabled During Grammys
Dr. Reginald Alston
Professor, Associate Dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences, Associate Chancellor for Faculty Affairs
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
"The visually impaired population reflects but one group of people who face barriers to electronic information; however, there are many people with disabilities, each with its own set of challenges to information access. We must encourage the learning and adoption of assistive technology to establish equal access to digital, video, audio and print information. We must provide the resources and programs to enable change. And in order for online technologies to be truly accessible and usable by people with disabilities, we must start with accessibility."
Alston leads the university's new online certificate program, Information Accessibility Design and Policy.
Website: http://online.ahs.illinois.edu/iadp/
Contact: Nina Kult, nkult@commongroundpr.com
EXPERT ROUNDUP: Justice Scalia and the Supreme Court (29 experts)
Following are experts from the ProfNet network who can discuss Justice Antonin Scalia's legacy, as well as the impact of his death on future cases, the makeup of the Supreme Court, and the presidential election:
Stephen McAllister
E.S. & Tom W. Hampton Distinguished Professor of Law
University of Kansas School of Law
"Irrespective of one's views about the Constitution, it cannot be denied that Justice Scalia was a giant on the modern court, exerting significant influence on many constitutional and other legal doctrines, and writing with the most eloquent pen and sharpest wit. He often was a dominant figure during oral arguments and drew more laughs in the courtroom than any other justice. His untimely death during the middle of a term and a presidential election year is likely to have numerous consequences for the court and the country. The outcomes in some pending controversial cases likely will be affected by his absence, and replacing him may lead to a prolonged political battle between the president and a Republican-controlled Senate. Given the close balance on the Court, Justice Scalia's replacement could dramatically affect the court going forward for years to come."
Professor McAllister can discuss Justice Scalia, his history with the Supreme Court, the court's future and Scalia's legal career and personality. McAllister has argued before Scalia and the Supreme Court nine times, and knew him personally, having hosted him during campus visits and teaching with him during a study abroad program in Turkey.
Contact: Mike Krings, mkrings@ku.edu
Gil Seinfeld
Professor of Law
University of Michigan
A former clerk for Scalia during the October 2002 term, Seinfeld says: "The Supreme Court decided many contentious cases that year, including the affirmative action cases involving the University of Michigan. I was the liberal clerk in chambers that year (Scalia often made a point of assuring that he had one liberal clerk in the mix), and there were plenty of opportunities for disagreement. Those disagreements were the highlight of my experience. The justice had an insatiable appetite for argument and discussion, he always engaged my points head-on, and he consistently made me feel like he valued my opinion -- though I succeeded in changing his mind about something of even mild consequence only once, so far as I know. He was incredibly energetic and witty, and, yes, he could be combative, but even in his most combative moments -- at least with me -- it was obvious how much he loved and took pleasure in the exercise of working through a complex and contentious legal issue. It was a privilege to clerk for him."
Seinfeld teaches and writes about federal jurisdiction, the constitutional law of federalism, and civil procedure.
Contact: Jared Wadley, jwadley@umich.edu
Richard Friedman
The Alene and Allan F. Smith Professor of Law
University of Michigan
"The president is obviously right to nominate a candidate. As a political matter, it is not at all surprising that Republicans are taking the view that they won't move on it. Getting a confirmation when a presidential election is looming is always more difficult. One could easily imagine that if the tables were reversed, so would be the positions. Similarly, when Thurgood Marshall was nominated, Ted Kennedy said that the Senate should not pay attention to the ideology of the nominee. When (Nixon nominees) Haynsworth and Carswell, and later (Reagan nominee) Bork, were nominated, he took a different view. I assume we will now have a vacancy of a year, and perhaps more. This is unfortunate, but it does not create a crisis for American government. As it is, the Supreme Court probably decides fewer cases than it should, but the sky does not fall. Some more cases will fail to be resolved on a national level, and that means that some conflicts among courts will continue to fail to be resolved for now, but there are always unresolved conflicts. And remember that almost everything the Supreme Court does is reviewing the decision of another court. So a 4-4 decision just means that the decision of the lower court stands, without the Supreme Court setting any precedent."
Friedman is an expert on evidence and U.S. Supreme Court history.
Bio: http://www.law.umich.edu/FacultyBio/Pages/FacultyBio.aspx?FacID=rdfrdman
Contact: Jared Wadley, jwadley@umich.edu
Dr. John R. Vile
Professor of Political Science; Dean, University Honors College
Middle Tennessee State University
On Justice Scalia: "Scalia was a leading intellectual on the court. His contribution to the right is equivalent to that of Justice William Brennan on the left. He has been a particularly strong proponent of originalism, explaining that he was not looking for private meanings but for publicly accessible meanings when the U.S. Constitution was written and ratified. Scalia was one of the great linguistic craftsmen on the court, ranking with Hugo Black and Oliver Wendell Holmes. One didn't have to be a scholar to understand what he was saying; he definitely knew how to turn a phrase. He was an individual of great energy who is known for personal friendships across party lines."
On the nomination process: "I have no inside information on this point, but recent presidents almost always appoint appellate court judges. Obama might find it to his advantage to nominate a sitting senator in hopes of getting confirmation. Republicans probably can block the nomination as they did in 1968 (Abe Fortas). It would be quite ironic, however, if Obama were succeeded by an even more liberal President (Sanders, for example), who would be even less likely to nominate a candidate that the Republicans could accept. This further complicates an already contentious presidential election and more clearly highlights what is at stake. Had Scalia been a middle-of-the-road justice, his replacement would be far more contentious, but he (with Thomas) are clearly among the most conservative justices on the court, and a replacement is thus more likely to have an impact. I was a bit disturbed to hear Republican candidates bashing Justice Roberts. Although two of his decisions have upheld Obamacare, one has plenty of ammunition for Republicans wanting to limit existing interpretations of the commerce clause, and the other isn't exactly complimentary of the legislation. In my judgment, Roberts has provided solid moderate-conservative leadership, and Republicans would be quite lucky to get some more like him."
Dr. Vile is the author and editor of numerous books, including "Essential Supreme Court Decisions: Summaries of Leading Cases in U.S. Constitution Law" and "A Companion to the United States Constitution and Its Amendments" (now in its sixth edition).
Expert Contact: John.vile@mtsu.edu
Douglas Edlin
Associated Professor of Political Science
Dickinson College
On the nomination: "Given their control of the Senate, Republicans can block any nomination made by President Obama. Sen. Mitch McConnell has indicated that this would be the Senate Republicans' posture toward anyone President Obama is likely to nominate. Whether they should depends on one's understanding of the Senate's 'advice and consent' authority under Article II. Justice Scalia was confirmed to the Supreme Court by a vote of 98-0.
On what happens to existing cases: "They will be decided by the remaining eight justices. A justice's vote on a pending case is not final until the opinion is released to the public. So, even where it may be clear how Justice Scalia was planning to vote, his vote cannot be counted in cases that have not been released. In the event of a 4-4 tie among the eight justices, the lower court's ruling is affirmed."
Edlin is author of the forthcoming book, "Common Law Judging." In it, he discusses Scalia in relation to judicial independence and the law-making function of judges. Edlin's research and teaching interests are in comparative constitutionalism, the judicial process and judicial review.
Contact: Christine Baksi, baksic@dickinson.edu
Mark C. Miller, J.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Law & Society Program; University Pre-Law Adviser
Department of Political Science
Clark University, Worcester, Mass.
On Scalia's legacy: "Justice Scalia will be remembered for his textualist approach to judicial decision-making. He will also be known for D.C. v. Heller, which declared that the Second Amendment grants an individual right to own a gun, as opposed to the previous understanding, where the Second Amendment granted the states the right to have armed national guards."
On the next nominee: "It all depends on whether President Obama wants to nominate a liberal to please his base with no hope of confirmation, or a moderate who might have some chance of getting confirmed by the Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee chair, Sen. Grassley (R-IA), will decide whether the committee will even hold hearings on an Obama nominee. Grassley also decides if the committee will vote on the nomination. If the nomination gets out of committee and to the Senate floor, then it is subject to a filibuster, which would require 60 votes to confirm the nominee. The Republicans must decide whether to appease their conservative base and entirely block the nominee or whether public opinion will see Republicans as obstructionists, especially important in tight Senate races for several Republican incumbents. Interest groups on both sides will be using this opportunity to raise a lot of money among their base. The mood of the voters will decide whether Republicans block the nomination or allow a floor vote."
On what happens to existing cases: "All Scalia votes are now void. If his vote didn't matter, then the Supreme Court will release the ruling as usual. If his vote did matter, then the Court might be tied 4-4 on various cases. A tie vote affirms the lower court ruling without opinion and without creating Supreme Court precedent. In the case of a tie vote, the Chief Justice could decide to carry the case over until next year, with new oral arguments presumably after a new justice is confirmed."
Miller is professor of American politics at Clark University and former chair of the Department of Political Science. He is also the director of the Law and Society Program at Clark and is the pre-law adviser. Miller served as the Judicial Fellow at the Supreme Court from 1999-2000; he was a Congressional Fellow in 1995. During 2006-07, he was a visiting scholar at the Centennial Center for Public Policy of the American Political Science Association. During the spring of 2008, he was a Fulbright scholar to the American Studies Program and the History Department at Leiden University in the Netherlands. He published "The Supreme Court as an Issue in Presidential Campaigns in the United States" in the academic journal Leidschrift in 2012. Miller is also author of "Judicial Politics in the United States" (2014).
Contact: Angela M. Bazydlo, abazydlo@clarku.edu
Scott Waller
Professor of Political Science
Biola University
On Scalia's legacy: "Antonin Scalia will undoubtedly be remembered as the most consequential Supreme Court justice of our generation. There is no question that his legacy will come into sharper focus in the years ahead as we see the court either move further and further from his line-drawing dissents or, like Justice Harlan's famous dissents of 100 years ago, come to be embraced by future court majorities who eventually see the wisdom of Scalia's legal and constitutional philosophy. Scalia's legacy will be the loud and clarion voice of a dissenter."
On possible nominees: "It is hard to say exactly whom the president will nominate, but it is almost certainly the case that he will nominate someone to the court in the short term. Both sides of the political aisle have a farm team of potential candidates for the court, and it is probably only a matter of days or weeks before Obama puts someone forth for the Senate to consider. My guess is that he will nominate someone who possesses certain demographic characteristics that will make it very difficult for the GOP-controlled Senate to either ignore or not ultimately confirm. What might these demographics be? My guess is that it will be an African-American wOman or someone else that represents a minority slice of the population. He will ask, 'How can those mean Republicans deny the office to such a person?'"
On whether Republicans can/will block the nomination: "The short answer is that they sure can. The Senate has advise-and-consent powers when it comes to court nominations. The real test is whether the Senate will take the position that a lame-duck president's nominees should not even be considered (i.e., ignoring the inevitable nomination) or whether the GOP-controlled Senate will simply vote to reject whoever the president puts forth. [Whether they should] depends on what side of the aisle you show allegiance to. Regardless, the direction of the court (short of any more retirements or deaths of its members) will largely be determined by the next appointment. Given that Justice Scalia represented the most conservative and most vocal member of that wing of the court, almost any nominee Obama would put forth would pretty wildly swing the balance of the court to the left. So, if you're a conservative, you are almost assuredly wanting the GOP to hold firm and not confirm anyone Obama puts forth."
Dr. Waller holds graduate degrees in both philosophy and political science. He has an M.A from Talbot School of Theology in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics and an M.A. in Politics and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Claremont Graduate University in the fields of American Politics and Political Theory. His research interests involve the intersection of religion and politics, jurISPrudence surrounding the First Amendment religion clauses, and the evolving role of the judiciary within the American political order. He is a frequent guest on local radio discussing American politics and a frequent speaker to the general Christian community on issues of importance for believers to consider.
Contact: Jenna Loumagne, jenna.loumagne@biola.edu
Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr.
President and CEO
Hip Hop Caucus
On Scalia's legacy: "Justice Antonin Scalia will be remembered as one of the most influential judges to ever serve on the Supreme Court. As a former U.S. Air Force Officer, I appreciate his service to our nation, and while many didn't always agree with him on a number of important cases, there is no questioning his intellect or his love for our country."
On likely nominees: "The question isn't who should fill this seat on the Supreme Court, but what values a Supreme Court Justice should possess. We need someone who understands that our laws and Constitution were designed to protect the rights of ordinary Americans, not powerful special interests. The right qualifications and principles are more important that any particular nominee. In the words of President Obama, the duty of a president to nominate Supreme Court justices is 'bigger than any one party.'"
On Republicans blocking the nomination: "Americans deserve a judicial system that works. Our courts shouldn't be held hostage to the same partisan gridlock that's crippled the rest of our government. Anyone who says our current president shouldn't fill this pressing vacancy -- or that the Senate shouldn't give his nominee fair consideration -- is putting politics above the rule of law. The Constitution has clear guidance for how to address a vacancy: It requires the president to nominate and the Senate to give fair consideration to Supreme Court justices. Both the president and the Senate are obliged to perform their constitutional duties. There's no exception for election years. The Supreme Court shouldn't be a tool of any party or ideology; it should apply the core principles of our Constitution (democracy, justice, equality under the law) to the cases before it. We need a justice who will put fidelity to our Constitution and laws above any partisan agenda."
On the Supreme Court: "Our communities are suffering! We see mounting casualties, not just from poor school systems, violence and escalating crime levels, but witness the human toll emanating from gentrification, limited access to health care and limited economic renewal. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country -- it has the final say on interpreting our Constitution and laws. Its nine justices serve for life, and the decisions they make directly influence the lives of every American. They should be fair-minded, committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of all Americans."
Rev. Yearwood leads the national Respect My Vote! campaign and coalition, which encourages the youth and minority communities, through celebrity involvement, to register to vote, regardless of their political affiliation. As president and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus, Rev. Yearwood is rapidly becoming one of the most influential leaders in America's political and social landscape. He has been a guest panelist on such media outlets as CNN, MTV, MSNBC, BET, C-SPAN and featured in Huffington Post, Newsweek, The Nation, and The New York Times.
Website: www.respectmyvote.com
Contact: Joe Wiggins, jwiggins@coynepr.com
Michael Moreland
Professor of Law
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
"The debate of replacing Justice Scalia is likely to be the most contentious in decades, since Mitch McConnell has already stated that the Republican majority will block any nominee until after the presidential election. The president may also attempt to appoint a justice during a Senate recess. Pending cases on abortion, affirmative action, immigration, and other issues hang in the balance."
Professor Moreland served as associate director for domestic policy at The White House under President George W. Bush, where he worked on a range of legal policy issues, including criminal justice, immigration, civil rights, and liability reform. At Villanova, Moreland has taught Constitutional Law II (First Amendment and Equal Protection), Justice and Rights, Torts, Evidence, Bioethics and the Law, Advanced Torts, and seminars in law and religion. In addition to speaking about Scalia from a legalistic standpoint, Moreland can also talk about how the Scalia's faith may have informed his court opinions.
Bio: https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/law/academics/faculty/Facultyprofiles/MichaelPMoreland.html
Contact: Kathleen Scavello, kathleen.scavello@villanova.edu
Scott Douglas Gerber
Professor of Law, Pettit College of Law
Ohio Northern University
"Justice Scalia's legacy will be as the most beautiful writer on the Supreme Court in generations and the intellectual leader of the most influential theory of constitutional interpretation in American history. That's quite a legacy."
Professor Gerber teaches American Legal History and Constitutional Law at the second-oldest law school in Ohio. He has published a number or articles about the U.S. Supreme Court and its justices. He expressed his thoughts about Justice Scalia in an article on Huffington Post: http://goo.gl/2mSPM0
Bio: http://law.onu.edu/faculty_staff/faculty_staff_profiles/scott_d_gerber/
Contact: Mary Wilkin, m-wilkin@onu.edu
Chad Ruback
Dallas Appellate Lawyer and Legal Expert
"Scalia's legacy will be the scores of extreme positions he has taken in his written opinions. When these same topics arise in future cases, justices authoring opinions in those cases will have no choice but to address Scalia's reasoning, whether they agree with him or not. Perhaps more than any other justice in the court's history, Scalia's writings will play a role in the court's future decisions long after his death. Scalia's ghost will haunt the Supreme Court for at least a century."
Ruback is a respected Dallas appellate lawyer with extensive appellate law experience in every type of case imaginable. In addition, he represents clients at the trial court level in matters that are likely to be subject to appellate review. He has written numerous articles and is a frequent commentator on a wide variety of legal and appellate related topics in the news.
Contact: Robert Tharp, robert@androvett.com
Brad LaMorgese
Family Law and Appellate Attorney
Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, LLP, Dallas
One of the few appellate family lawyers in Texas, LaMorgese has handled appeals in courts throughout the country. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. During his nearly two decades in practice, he has achieved success in dozens of cases in Texas appeals courts and the Texas Supreme Court, as well as the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. He also serves on the Irving (Texas) City Council. He notes that Scalia's impact was the result of his view of Constitution and the positions he took: "I remember him saying words to the effect that if the Constitution can mean anything to the interpreter, then it means nothing. It must stand for something."
Contact: Rhonda Reddick, rhonda@androvett.com
Craig B. Garner
Attorney
"With the passing of Antonin Scalia, our focus should be on his storied, 30-year legacy as a Supreme Court Justice and not the panic over health care reform's future that continues to resonate louder with each passing day. The same justice who once stated that the United States Supreme Court has no free-floating power 'to rescue Congress from its drafting errors' would also be quick to point out that one justice does not make a health care reform. The issues making top headlines today include whether the 44th or 45th president will select a replacement for Justice Scalia, and to what extent congressional rules and regulations will control. The Affordable Care Act is neither fleeting nor finished, but it has become the foundation of health care in the United States. To be sure, Justice Scalia will be missed, but the institution of the United States Supreme Court shall prevail as the preeminent moral compass for this great nation."
Garner is a recognized expert in the healthcare field and understands the challenges we face in the current healthcare environment. As the former CEO of a community hospital, Garner holds a unique vision on the impact of the Affordable Care Act, its changes and compliance. He shares his views in a refreshing, candid and understandable way, giving the rest of us access to what Obamacare and America's evolving health policy means. As vice chair of the California Bar Association Health Law Committee, Garner often interprets health care legislation and the changing nature of the law for attorneys. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is an adjunct professor of law at Pepperdine University School of Law. He teaches a health care law course that surveys issues that frequently arise in related health care environments. An attorney and health care consultant, Garner specializes in issues surrounding modern American health care and the ways it should be managed in its current climate of reform. His established law practice focuses on health care regulatory compliance and counseling to represent Providers in all matters pertaining to contemporary health care in the United States, including ACOs, hospitals, physicians, pharmacies, medical groups, clinical laboratories, and other health care practitioners. Garner is admitted as an attorney and counselor at law in the State of California (1995), District of Columbia (1996) and the State of New York (2001).
Contact: Maureen O'Crean, maureen.ocrean@gmail.com
Allan Lichtman
Distinguished Professor of History
American University
"Scalia's passing points the focus of the 2016 presidential campaign upon the Supreme Court. Two issues are posed: What type of justice should be selected to replace Scalia, and what is the constitutional right and responsibility of the president to make an appointment during his term and the responsibility of the Senate to 'advise and consent' regarding a presidential appointee?"
Lichtman is author of "The Keys to the White House" (forthcoming early 2016, Rowman & Littlefield). He is an expert on presidential and congressional campaigns and can discuss voting behavior, public opinion, party conventions, politics, and American political history. He is well-known for his "13 Keys" system, which enables him to predict the outcome of the popular vote solely on historical factors. He has correctly predicted the outcomes of all U.S. presidential elections since 1984.
American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation's capital and around the world.
Contact: Rebecca Basu, basu@american.edu
Jessica Waters
Associate Dean, School of Public Affairs
American University
"Justice Scalia's death will have a monumental impact on the court. In the immediate future, several of the blockbuster cases before the court -- including the most significant abortion case in decades, Whole Women's Health -- now hang in the balance. The long-term impact is also tremendous; Justice Scalia's replacement has the potential to shift the direction of the entire Roberts' court."
Waters is also a faculty member in the Department of Justice, Law and Criminology and an adjunct faculty member at the Washington College of Law. Her research focuses primarily on reproductive rights law.
American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation's capital and around the world.
Contact: Rebecca Basu, basu@american.edu
Todd Eisenstadt
Professor of Government
American University
"On Feb. 10, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked the president's efforts to start regulating U.S. power plants using the 1970 Clean Air Act. Many view this early decision by the Supreme Court, before the legality of Obama's executive action has even been adjudicated, as partisan meddling, and indeed the vote was 5-4 with the Republican-nominated judges creating the narrow majority, before Justice Scalia's untimely death. The balance of the court has been thrown open on this and a range of other issues, giving extra urgency to the 2016 election as a harbinger of U.S. climate change policy for decades to come."
Eisenstadt focuses his research on the intersection of formal institutions and laws with informal institutions and practices, mostly in democratizing countries in Latin America. He can discuss ramifications related to the fulfillment of President Obama's climate change pledges and the leadership of the U.S. in "getting to yes" on the Paris Climate accord.
American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation's capital and around the world.
Contact: Rebecca Basu, basu@american.edu
James Thurber
Director, Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies; Distinguished University Professor
American University
Thurber is an expert on campaigns and conduct. He is also an expert in congressional-presidential relations, interest groups and lobbying, and campaigns and elections. He is a co-editor and author of the new book "American Gridlock."
American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation's capital and around the world.
Contact: Rebecca Basu, basu@american.edu
Jeffrey Rosen
President and Chief Executive Officer
National Constitution Center
Rosen is a professor at The George Washington University Law School, where he has taught since 1997. He is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he explores issues involving the future of technology and the Constitution. He has recorded a lecture series for the Teaching Company's Great Courses on Privacy, Property, and Free Speech: Law and the Constitution in the 21st Century. Rosen is a highly regarded journalist whose essays and commentaries have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, on National Public Radio, and in The New Yorker, where he has been a staff writer. The Chicago Tribune named him one of the 10 best magazine journalists in America and a reviewer for the Los Angeles Times called him "the nation's most widely read and influential legal commentator." He received the 2012 Golden Pen Award from the Legal Writing Institute for his "extraordinary contribution to the cause of better legal writing." He is the author of several books, including "The Supreme Court: The Personalities and Rivalries that Defined America," "The Most Democratic Branch: How the Courts Serve America," "The Naked Crowd: Reclaiming Security and Freedom in an Anxious Age," and "The Unwanted Gaze: The Destruction of Privacy in America." His most recent book, as co-editor, is "Constitution 3.0: Freedom and Technological Change." Books about Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis and President William Howard Taft are forthcoming. Rosen is a graduate of Harvard College; Oxford University, where he was a Marshall Scholar; and Yale Law School.
Contact: Alexandra Stromer, alexandra_stromer@dkcnews.com
Charles L. Zelden
Professor of History and Political Science
Nova Southeastern University
Zelden teaches courses in history, government and legal studies within the Department of History and Political Science of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. He has been a member of the NSU faculty since 1993. From 2003-2005 he served as the chair for the history major, as well as the lead faculty member for the college's Intro to American Government class. In 2012, he was named the Distinguished Professor of the Year by the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences.
A legal-constitutional historian by training, Zelden has published seven books to date: "Justice Lies in the District: The U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, 1902-1960" (1993); "Voting Rights on Trial" (2002); "The Battle for the Black Ballot: Smith v. Allwright and the Defeat of the Texas All-White Primary" (2004); "Bush v. Gore: Exposing the Hidden Crisis in American Democracy" (2008); "The Supreme Court and Elections" (2009); "Bush v Gore: Exposing the Hidden Crisis in American Democracy, Abridged and Updated 2nd Edition" (2010); and "Thurgood Marshall: Race, Rights and the Struggle for a More Perfect Union" (2013). Zelden is also the general editor of ABC-Clio Press' three-volume "About Federal Government" encyclopedia (for which he was volume editor of Vol. III on the federal judiciary). He has published a number of scholarly articles, the most recent of which are: The Southern Roots of the Reapportionment Revolution, in Sally Hadden and Patricia Minter, eds., Signposts: New Directions in Southern Legal History (University of Georgia Press, 2013). "Old Vinegar in a New Bottle: Vote Denial in the 2000 Presidential Election and Beyond," in Winning While Losing? Civil Rights, The Conservative Movement and the Presidency From Nixon to Obama (University of Florida Press, expected publication date January, 2014), "'In no event shall a Negro be eligible': The NAACP takes on the Texas All White Primary, 1923-1944," in Long Is the Way and Hard: One Hundred Years of the NAACP (University of Arkansas Press, 2009). His current project is "The American Judicial System: A Very Short Introduction" for Oxford University Press.
A regular commentator on politics and current events for local media outlets, Zelden offered extensive commentary and analysis of the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 presidential elections on TV, radio and print, as well as the midterm elections of 2010 and 2014.
Contact: Marla Oxenhandler, Marla.oxenhandler@nova.edu
Nathan P. Kalmoe
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Monmouth College
Kalmoe is available to discuss how the vacancy will affect the presidential election and the ideological dynamics in Congress. With mixed methods and innovative measures, Kalmoe integrates political communication, public opinion, psychology, and history, often on partisanship and aggression in the U.S. and abroad. His articles appear in Public Opinion Quarterly, Political Communication, Political Psychology, Political Behavior and others. Several of his projects investigate how violent metaphors and the public's aggressive traits shape political behavior, including partisan polarization and voter turnout. He completed a book draft on the scarcity of mass ideology (with Don Kinder), and his book on partisanship and violence in the American Civil War will be done in 2017.
Bio: https://www.dropbox.com/s/japvaayi6gqhw5n/Kalmoe%20-%20CV.pdf?dl=0
Website: https://nkalmoe.wordpress.com
Contact: Nancee Long, nlong@chartwell-agency.com
Richard B. Phillips
Appellate Partner
Thompson & Knight LLP, Dallas
Phillips is available to discuss the procedural aspects and status of current matters pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as the legacy of Justice Scalia. He focuses his practice on appellate matters and has represented clients before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Texas Supreme Court. He is board-certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Contact: Barry Pound, barry@androvett.com
Eric Grant
Appellate Attorney
Hicks Thomas LLP, Houston
With 25 years of experience, Grant has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, and numerous federal and state appellate courts. He is an Appellate Specialist, as certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization. He served as law clerk to Associate Justice Clarence Thomas during the U.S. Supreme Court's October 1994 term. Last year, Grant filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of the two legal scholars who spearheaded the attack on the Affordable Care Act's public subsidies.
Contact: Kit Frieden, kit@androvett.com
John Greabe
Professor of Law
University of New Hampshire School of Law
Greabe is using a Scalia book to teach his constitutional theory course at UNH Law, and his constitutional law students are submitting a paper this week asking them to apply one of Scalia's theories to a pending lawsuit in Georgia. Greabe is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and, prior to teaching at UNH Law, held a federal appellate practice and clerked for a number of federal appeals and trial judges within the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Contact: Robbin Ray, robbin.ray@unh.edu
Albert (Buzz) Scherr
Professor of Law
University of New Hampshire School of Law
Scherr is a nationally recognized authority on forensic DNA evidence. He has more than 20 years of experience as a trial and appellate lawyer, and is chair and president of the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union, a member of the ACLU's national board of directors, and chair of the board's Patents and Civil Liberties Committee.
Contact: Robbin Ray, robbin.ray@unh.edu
Artemus Ward
Professor of Political Science
Northern Illinois University
Ward is a leading expert on the politics of Supreme Court appointment and has written six books on the topic: "Deciding to Leave: The Politics of Retirement from the United States Supreme Court" (2003); "Sorcerers' Apprentices: 100 Years of Law Clerks at the United States Supreme Court" (2006); "In Chambers: Stories of Law Clerks and Their Justices" (2012); "The Puzzle of Unanimity: Consensus on the United States Supreme Court" (2013); "American Judicial Process: Myth and Reality in Law and Courts" (2015); and "Historical Dictionary of the U.S. Supreme Court" (2015). His articles have appeared in such outlets as Congress & the Presidency, Journal of Supreme Court History, Justice System Journal, Marquette Law Review, Political Analysis, Tulsa Law Review, and White House Studies. His research and commentary has been featured by the New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, NBC Nightly News, Fox News, and C-SPAN. He is a two-time award winner of the Hughes-Gossett Prize for historical excellence from the Supreme Court Historical Society. He received his Ph.D. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship at Syracuse University and was a Congressional Fellow on the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C.
Contact: Max Bever, mbever@kivvit.com
Aaron Kall
Director, Debate Program and Debate Institute
University of Michigan
Kall can offer analysis on presidential debate discussions about finding a replacement for Scalia.
Bio: http://ns.umich.edu/new/experts-list/20728-aaron-kall
Contact: Jared Wadley, jwadley@umich.edu
James Robenalt
Partner
Thompson Hine
Robenalt can explain how our times resemble the fractious times in 1968: With the sudden passing of Justice Scalia, the question is: Will we see a reprise of 1968, when Republicans blocked LBJ's choice to replace Chief Justice Earl Warren? LBJ nominated a sitting justice, Abe Fortas, who became the subject of the first-ever Senate filibuster in connection with a Supreme Court nominee. Nixon worked behind the scenes to keep Fortas from getting the nomination, believing he was going to win in November 1968. He was successful. Fortas's nomination failed, Nixon won, and he appointed Warren Burger to the court as Chief Justice. But Nixon was not done with Fortas. Pointing to financial irregularities and a retainer arrangement with a man under indictment, Nixon's men convinced Fortas to resign. Nixon used that seat (a traditional Jewish seat) to nominate two Southerners (Haynsworth and Carswell), both of whom were rejected by a Democratic Senate in retaliation for the Fortas fiasco. Blackmun emerged as Nixon's third choice and was approved. Robenalt believes we may be in for another round of this sort of chaos with the Scalia situation. Ironically, abortion (Blackmun and Powell were the central players in Roe) will now be the hot button for Senators like Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee (Ted Cruz is also a member).
A presidential and Supreme Court historian, Robenalt is the author of "January 1973, Watergate, Roe v. Wade, Vietnam, and the Month That Changed America Forever" (Chicago Review Press, May 2015). He is also a contributing writer to a new book about presidents and the Constitution, due out this May, "The Presidents and the Constitution, A Living History" (Gormley, ed., New York University Press, May 2016). He lectures nationally with John Dean, Nixon's White House Counsel, on Watergate and legal ethics; they also just prepared a seminar on the Nixon Court. Robenalt interviewed Justice Lewis Powell's law clerk on his role in the fashioning of Roe v. Wade for "January 1973." He was the first to interview an insider on how Roe came about. Powell was the secret author of the viability standard that is at the core of Roe. His law clerk was deeply involved in formulating that decision. In writing "January 1973," Robenalt told the story of how Nixon came to appoint Warren Burger, Harry Blackmun, Lewis Powell and William Rehnquist. As two Nixon appointees ruled the court as Chief Justice for 34 years (Burger and Rehnquist), the story of the Nixon Court is central to our nation's history.
Books: www.january1973.com and http://nyupress.org/books/9781479839902/
Website: www.watergatecle.com
Contact: Sheila Turner, Sheila.Turner@ThompsonHine.com
Larry Evans
Professor of Government
College of William & Mary
Evans, who specializes on Congress, is a former co-editor of the Legislative Studies Quarterly, the leading scholarly journal about Congress. He once worked as a congressional staffer for the House and Senate for about four years, and the first of his books was about Senate committees (where one of the cases was Judiciary). He can address the how other eight-year Supreme Court nominations have fared, and walk through the potential political ramifications of the nomination battle lining up for Obama.
Website: http://www.wm.edu/as/government/faculty/directory/evans_l.php
Contact: Suzanne Seurattan, scseur@wm.edu
Christine Nemacheck
Assistant Professor of Government
College of William & Mary
Nemacheck specializes in judicial selection and is the author of "Strategic Selection: Presidential Selection of Supreme Court Justices from Herbert Hoover through George W. Bush."
Website: http://www.wm.edu/as/government/faculty/directory/nemacheck_c.php
Contact: Suzanne Seurattan, scseur@wm.edu
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