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ISCOTUS — Behind the Decisions 2012

[Reposted from ISCOTUSnow]


ISCOTUSnow and Oyez have recently produced a number of informative videos on the key decisions of the Supreme Court’s 2012 Term. Below, see Chicago-Kent faculty members go behind the decisions to explain what happened, why, and what it means for the future.

Case: Maryland v. King

In Maryland v. King, the Supreme Court held that police could take DNA swabs of people who had been arrested of serious crimes. Professor Richard Kling, an expert in criminal justice issues, explains.

Case: Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics

The unanimous decision of Myriad held that human genes were not patentable under the law. Professor David Schwartz, who specializes in patent law, expounds upon the holding.

Case: Fisher v. University of Texas – Austin

The Supreme Court decided not to decide in Fisher, instead sending the affirmative action case back down to the lower courts for further scrutiny. Learn what this means from Distinguished Professor Sheldon Nahmod, an expert in civil rights law who has argued before the Supreme Court.

Case: Hollingsworth v. Perry

The Prop 8 case was thrown out on standing, which meant that same-sex marriages in California was legal once again. Distinguished Professor Joan Steinman, who specializes in complex litigation and civil procedure, discusses why the case was thrown out and how it proceeded after the decision.

Case: US v. Windsor

The Defense of Marriage Act was declared unconstitutional by a split court in Windsor, allowing legally married same-sex couples to be recognized at the federal level. Family law Professor Katharine Baker, who submitted an amicus brief to the case, lays out what did and did not come from the decision.

Case: Vance v. Ball State University and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Nassar

 In two separate cases this Term, the Supreme Court made decisions that protect employers from discrimination suits. Professor Laurie Leader, a practicing employment lawyer, explains both decisions and what they meant.

Case: Shelby County v. Holder

In a controversial split decision, the Supreme Court struck down Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby. This specific strike down of part of the law means many different things going forward, and Professor Carolyn Shapiro, director of the Institute on the Supreme Court (ISCOTUS), explains what those are.


To keep up with the latest Supreme Court news and learn more on its holdings, follow ISCOTUS on Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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