Loyola Law School faculty members pride themselves on being accessible to the media and part of the public discourse on news of legal significance. Visit Loyola's Summary Judgments faculty blog to read faculty opinions on current legal issues. Highlights of recent media appearances and quotations include:
KCRW-FM – 10.31.19
IMPEACHMENT GOES PUBLIC, BUT THE US HOUSE IS DIVIDED
“It is very surprising that you would have two different representative from parties giving two completely different stories,” says Jessica Levinson, law professor at LMU Loyola Law School.
KABC-AM – 10.29.19
MORE ON THE IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS
“I think speaker Pelosi was in a place where she thought there was enough bad information that has come out about President Trump, that she is comfortable putting her whole caucus under public pressure,” says Jessica Levinson, professor at LMU Loyola Law School.
ABC 7 – 10.29.19
RESIGNING CONGRESSWOMEN KATIE HILL VOWS TO FIGHT REVENGE PORN
“All evidence would seem to indicate that this could be Representative Hill’s ex-husband and he is using these images of her in order to try and harm her reputation,” says LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson.
CBC News National – 10.29.19
OFFICIAL ON UKRAINE CALL TESTIFIES
“I think [hearing from people who were actually listening to the call] is very significant because one of the big questions for this impeachment is whether or not the whistleblower’s complaint can be verified,” says Jessica Levinson, professor at LMU Loyola Law School.
Samford Advocate – 10.28.19
HILL VOWS TO HELP 'REVENGE PORN' VICTIMS
The restrictions were put into place "with the understanding that there is a huge power dynamic between lawmakers and their staffers, and that can cause all sorts of ethical and moral problems," said Jessica Levinson, ethics expert at the LMU Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
Daily Emerald – 10.28.19
In many cases of wrongful conviction, the state will negotiate plea bargains so people will admit to crimes, even if they are not guilty, said Laurie Levenson, a professor and founder of the Loyola Project for the Innocent at the Loyola Law School.
KCRW-FM – 10.28.19
CHARLES KUPPERMAN DEFIES SUBPOENA TO TESTIFY IN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY
“Another consequence is that congress actually has inherent contempt power and can hold someone in contempt,” says LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson.
The Washington Post – 10.30.19
REP. KATIE HILL (D) SAYS SHE WILL BECOME AND ADVOCATE FOR VICTIMS OF ‘REVENGE PORN’
The restrictions were put into place “with the understanding that there is a huge power dynamic between lawmakers and their staffers, and that can cause all sorts of ethical and moral problems,” said Jessica Levinson, ethics expert at the Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
CNN International – 10.28.19
TRUMP DIDN’T TELL KEY DEMOCRATS ABOUT THE ISIS RAID
“This is a huge military victory for the U.S. military. But, let’s move on to what makes today unusual. There was a lot of different types of norm-breaking behaviors today. President Trump shared this info with certain republican law makers but not democratic law makers,” said LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson.
Parentology – 10.28.19
WHY COLLEGE KIDS ARE AVOIDING THEIR PROFESSORS
According to TeachingProfessor.com, a survey of more than 600 students reported that 66% had never attended office hours. Parentology spoke with Aaron Caplan, Professor of Law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, to understand students’ hesitation to get face time with their college instructors.
Forbes – 10.28.19
U.K. STARTUP AUDOO WANTS TO TRANSFORM HOW SONGWRITERS GET PAID
Jay Dougherty, Director of the Entertainment & Media Law Institute at LMU Loyola Law School, said Audoo could encounter difficulties when trying to identify the songwriters, composers and publishers who are owed royalties from a public performance.
All Africa – 10.26.19
TONI MORRISON’S LIFE AND WORKS FETED UGANDA
The event featured readings of Morrison's major works and a panel discussion made up of Susan Nalugwa Kiguli (a poet and senior lecturer of literature at Makerere University/Femrite), Mwalimu Austin Bukenya (Makerere University/Femrite), Priscilla A Ocen (US Fulbright Scholar/Professor of law at Loyola Law School, USA), and Lillian Aujo (Femrite).
Witness LA – 10.24.19
On Tuesday afternoon, for example, Samantha Buckingham, who is the Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic Center for the Juvenile Law and Policy at LMU Loyola Law School, got a weird voice mail from a stranger who said they needed to talk to somebody about the evacuation at Barry J.
Law.com – 10.24.19
INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR FINALIST: ROBERT KANG, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON
Robert Kang, the in-house cyber counsel at electric utility Southern California Edison, is the power sector’s first in-house counsel focusing on cyber national security. Kang has worked with Loyola Law School to help design and launch the first cyber and privacy law concentration offered in Southern California.
Los Angeles Times – 10.24.19
L.A. COUNCILMAN WESSON HELPED APARTMENT EXECUTIVES WHILE HIS SON RECEIVED RENT BREAK
LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson, who served on L.A.’s Ethics Commission from 2013 to 2018, said any investigation into the rental arrangement would hinge on whether the council president worked with the developer of the Koreatown tower to secure a deal for his son.
Patch – 10.24.19
FULL LIST OF 250 WHO SIGNED BRENDAN DASSEY PARDON LETTER
Below is the full list of people who signed the letter on behalf of Dassey and attorneys representing him including Samantha Buckingham, clinical professor and director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic, Center for Juvenile Law and Policy at LMU Loyola Law School.
CBC News – 10.23.19
REPUBLICANS STORM IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY
“The latest developments are not good for President Trump. Overall, what we are seeing is a story where it looks like the President has engaged in wrongdoing,” says LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson.
CBS 2 – 10.23.19
REP. KATIE HILL DENIES STAFFER RELATIONSHIP
“It is not a coincidence that these allegations originally came from a conservative website,” says Jessica Levinson, a professor at LMU Loyola Law School. “Katie Hill is a personal who is highly visible for a number of reasons,” she added.
Hammer Forum – 10.22.19
As the impeachment inquiry advances, each day seems to bring to light new details—through news stories, subpoenas, testimonies, Tweets—about the Trump administration’s communications with Ukraine officials. Jessica Levinson, a professor at LMU Loyola Law School, and Michael A. Genovese, professor of political science and author of How Trump Governs: An Assessment and a Prognosis, offer a nuanced take on the latest developments.
My News LA – 10.22.19
CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT COMMISSION PUSHES LASD TO MAINTAIN ‘BRADY’ LIST
“We want that list to be turned over to the district attorney now so that wrongful convictions and Brady violations don’t occur, or at least we do everything we can within our power to stop them as soon as we can,” said COC Commissioner Sean Kennedy, a former public defender and the executive director of the Center for Juvenile Law & Policy at Loyola Law School.
KCRW-FM – 10.21.19
IMPEACHMENT DEPOSITIONS: WHO’S COMPLYING AND WHO’S NOT?
“Just the solicitation of a thing of value from a foreign government that will help you in your election, alone, can be a federal election law violation,” says Jessica Levinson, law professor at LMU Loyola Law School.
WDET-FM 101.9 – 10.21.19
WHAT’S DECIDED BY THE FEDERAL COURTS?
LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson’s interview with WFAE-FM was featured on WDET-FM, Detroit’s NPR affiliate. “Most of the issues regarding immigration, criminal justice reform, the environment, voting rights, the first amendment and religious rights are decided in federal courts,” said Levinson.
Legal Talk Network – 10.18.19
CLA 2019 ANNUAL MEETING: ENVIRONMENTAL LAW SECTION
From the California Lawyers Association 2019 Annual Meeting, “On The Road” host Jennifer Novak talks with Environmental Law Section members Allison Smith, Miles Hogan, and Paige Samblanet, third-year law student at LMU Loyola Law School, about their involvement in the section and the CLE topics covered at this year’s meeting.
KCBS-AM – 10.18.19
READING THE CONSTITUTION WITHOUT THE HELP OF LEGAL EXPERTS MAY NOT TEACH US MUCH
“It seems to suggest that people want to know a whole lot more about the Constitution. Not just stuff you hear on television, but they want to hear about the base powers of Congress, the president and the courts,” said LMU Loyola Law School Professor Laurie Levenson.
KABC-AM – 10.17.19
G7 SUMMIT HOSTED AT DORAL RESORT
“We don’t have Supreme Court case law on what exactly an emolument is. We don’t have a good definition and who exactly the clause applies to,” says LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson.
KCRW-FM – 10.17.19
WHITE HOUSE WITHHELD AID TO UKRAINE FOR POLITICAL REASONS
“What has Mulvaney admitted to?” asked Jessica Levinson, professor at LMU Loyola Law School. “One reading is that is quid pro quo. This is withholding military aid for partisan, political and personal purposes, and that is not acceptable,” added Levinson.
The Hill – 10.16.19
TRUMP THREAT LACKS TEETH TO BLOCK IMPEACHMENT WITNESSES
“I actually taught that letter to my class last week. In a word, I thought it was preposterous,” said Jessica Levinson, a professor at LMU Loyola Law School.
U.S. News & World Report – 10.16.19
15 LAW SCHOOLS THAT TRAINED FAMOUS LAWYERS
Gloria Allred earned her law degree from LMU Loyola Law School. Allred gained a national reputation for representing women who accused powerful men of sexual harassment, and she has been nicknamed the "master of the press conference." Allred has filed lawsuits against multiple male celebrities accused of sexual misconduct, including Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski.
The Hill – 10.15.19
WEALTH, PHILANTHROPY AND POLITICS – CONSIDERING ‘WEALTH TAX’ PROPOSALS
Today more than ever, political power of the wealthy means that government spending, like charitable spending, is likely to reflect the interests of the wealthy, writes LMU Loyola Law School Professor Ellen P. Aprill in a new op-ed.
KCRW-FM – 10.14.19
WILL TRUMP BE ABLE TO SUE PELOSI AND SCHIFF?
“People can sue people and that is true regardless of whether or not they are the president or a member of Congress. But, in the U.S. Constitution, the speech and debate clause essentially gives immunity to things that members of Congress say either on the House floor, the Senate floor or in committees,” says Jessica Levinson, a professor at LMU Loyola Law School.
HR Dive – 10.14.19
28% OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC COMPANIES STILL NEED FEMALE BOARD MEMBERS TO COMPLY WITH NEW LAW
Some believe this approach has its flaws, including commentator Andrew Ross Sorkin of The New York Times, who questioned whether it might do more harm than good. Others, like Jessica Levinson, a professor at LMU Loyola Law School, speculated the law would face legal challenges if passed.
The Register – 10.14.19
KAMALA HARRIS’ OFFICES FOUGHT PAYMENTS TO WRONGLY CONVICTED
"The knee-jerk reaction is 'Oh no, we can't let someone out on a habeas petition or give them compensation for their time in prison.' They don't like to lose, and they see a concession as losing," Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor who's now chair of ethical advocacy at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said of Harris' office and the Diaz case.
KCBS-AM – 10.13.19
FBI USING SERIAL KILLER’S PORTRAITS TO CRACK COLD CASES
Laurie Levenson, criminal law professor at Loyola Law School tells KCBS Radio anchor Jennifer Hodges that nothing like this has ever been done before.
WFAE 90.7 – 10.13.19
VAST MAJORITY OF FEDERAL CASES ARE HEARD BY HUNDREDS OF FEDERAL JUDGES
“Most of the issues regarding immigration, criminal justice reform, the environment, voting rights, the first amendment and religious rights are decided in federal courts,” said LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson.
Vox – 10.11.19
A NEW LAWSUIT DESCRIBES A VIOLENT GANG IN LA COUNTY. ITS MEMBERS ARE DEPUTY SHERIFFS
“The problem is more unique to LASD than their management would like to admit,” Sean Kennedy, a Loyola Law School professor and member of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, told Witness LA, a local news outlet, in September. “The failure of elected L.A. Sheriffs to do anything affirmative to investigate the internal gangs is likely one of the major reasons that they have persisted for so long.”
CNN International – 10.10.19
TRUMP DENIES KNOWING INDICTED GIULIANI ASSOCIATES
“If president Trump knew about activities that were violating campaign finance laws, which are federal election laws, and he facilitated or directed for those payments to be made, we are in the same situation we were in when Michael Cohen said in open-court, ‘President Trump directed me to make those payments.’ So again we are in a situation where the President of the United States could be facing significant legal exposure,” LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson told CNN International.
KABC-AM – 10.10.19
TRUMP URGED TOP AID TO HELP GIULIANI
“Congress has oversight authority. In the constitution it says here is impeachment power and with that power is the ability to things like subpoena,” says LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson.
Financial Advisor – 10.10.19
Fifteen law professors who focus on teaching securities regulation shared their concerns about the potential harm to “small-dollar investors.”
They include professors from Columbia Law School, Loyola Law School, Stanford Law School, Georgetown Law, UCLA School of Law, Cornell Law School, Duke University School of Law and the University of Colorado Law School.
San Francisco Chronicle – 10.10.19
GAVIN NEWSOM IS ANNOYED BLACKOUTS HURT HIS WINERIES. IS THAT AN ETHICS ISSUE?
Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School and former president of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission, said politicians who put their businesses into blind trusts are not expected to suddenly get amnesia and forget what they own.
KIRO-AM 10-9-19
THE WHITE HOUSE LETTER IS MORE OF A HAIL MARY
“Based upon what I see inthis letter, it doesn’t have a lot of legal legitimacy. It is a political document,” says LMU Loyola Law School Professor Laurie Levenson.
New Orleans Advocate- 10.09.19
DESPITE RECUSAL, US ATTORNEY PETER STRASSER ORDERED PROBE INTO 2005 DEATH, PROSECUTOR SAYS
Laurie Levenson, an expert in legal ethics and a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said in a recent interview that Strasser’s recusal had been proper. Still, she wondered aloud if the entire office should have been recused, given Strasser’s close involvement in investigating Joey’s death as a private lawyer.
KCAL-TV – 10.08.19
TREY GOWDY SELECTED TO SERVE AS OUTSIDE COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
“I think the Trump administration is hoping to find not just a loyalist, but someone who knows about processes and procedures that occur in the House of Representative,” says LMU Loyola Law School Professor and Political Expert Jessica Levinson.
Law 360 – 10.08.19
QUESTIONS SWIRL AROUND OPIOID MDL BELLWETHER TRIAL
Adam Zimmerman, a torts professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, told Law360 that the distributors seemingly want to cut deals exclusively with states, which are litigating outside the MDL.
WTIC-AM 10-8-19
WHITE HOUSE WILL NOT COOPERATE WITH THE IMPEACHMENT PROBE
“He [Trump] is trying to politically delegitimize the impeachment inquiry by saying he is not being treated fairly,” said Laurie Levenson, professor at LMU Loyola Law School and former federal prosecutor.
USC Annenberg Media – 10.08.19
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE THREE LGBT CASES THE SUPREME COURT IS HEARING TODAY
To experts such as Loyola Law School Professor Justin Levitt, it’s no question that Title VII’s definition of “sex” should be extended to include gender identity and sexual orientation.
“The standard is whether discrimination or harassment is related to sex, and if so, then the statute prohibits it, that’s what Justice Scalia said. I think it’s impossible to look at sexual harassment or sexual discrimination against people who are transgender because of their transgender status or people who are LGBTQ because of their sexual orientation and not realize that it’s related to sex,” Levitt said.
NBC News – 10.08.19
SUPREME COURT’S LGBT DISCRIMINATION DECISION HINGES ON THE TEXT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT
“When it comes to both race and gender and gender identity and sexual orientation, we should think back to President Kennedy's words about freedom,” writes Jessica Levinson, a law professor at LMU Loyola Law School.
Marketplace – 10.08.19
6 CASES TO WATCH IN THIS SUPREME COURT SESSION
For more insight on how the Supreme Court has changed in the last year and what cases are important to watch this session, Marketplace spoke with Jessica Levinson, a law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
U.S. Catholic – 10.08.19
TO END HUMAN TRAFFICKING, CATHOLIC COLLEGES TAKE A LEADING ROLE
Campuses are well positioned to work on the issue, says Kathleen Kim, a law professor at LMU Loyola Law School. Schools are raising awareness and training the next generation of advocates, whether at the undergraduate or law school levels, she says.
The Christian Science Monitor – 10.07.19
SUPREME COURT CONSERVATIVES POISED TO MAKE THEIR MARK IN NEW TERM
“We’re in an [unusual] position now with so many justices who” share similarly conservative judicial philosophies, says Kimberly West-Faulcon, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. “I have no reason to believe that all five of them have any interest in laying low for a term.”
KCRW-FM – 10.07.19
HOW THE SUPREME COURT WILL APPROACH LGBTQ RIGHTS AND ABORTION
“In the Civil rights Act of 1964, which is this landmark piece of civil right legislation, someone added the word “sex” as a last minute poison pill. Saying, you can be protected against employment discrimination not just based on race but also based on sex,” says LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson.
KNX-AM – 10.07.19
THE CONTINUED TUG-OF-WAR OVER TRUMP’S TAX RETURNS
“At this point the appellate court is controlling what will happen in this case. This is not unexpected. When the lowered court judge issued his court order, he held it for two days so the department of justice could run to the appellate court and get their view on the decision,” said Laurie Levenson, professor at LMU Loyola Law School.
WUNC-FM– 10.07.19
COURT BATTLES CONTINUE OVER NC POLITICAL MAPS AMID INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING TREND
"All too often, unfortunately, when politicians draw the lines, it's the representatives choosing their voters," said Prof. Justin Levitt, who teaches at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, and runs the web site All About Redistricting.
Daily Journal – 10.07.19
2 STATE LAWS ON FAKE VIDEOS LIKELY TO FACE FIRST AMENDMENT CHALLENGES
Rebecca Delfino, a professor at Loyola Law School, said enforcing that part of the law could be fairly straightforward, at least against the person who created an image or video. "If you're able to locate and serve that person, that one is probably the one that is going to be the least troublesome in terms of being challenged," Delfino said.
Daily Journal – 10.04.19
LOYOLA CONFAB FOCUSES ON FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY, ENTERTAINMENT
Deep fakes, streaming wars and e-sports highlighted discussions at Loyola Law School's 5th Annual TechTainment event. The symposium, hosted at the school's Playa Vista Campus, focused on legal and business issues commonly found at the intersection between entertainment and technology law.
San Francisco Chronicle – 10.04.19
IF CALIFORNIA CARES ABOUT STUDENT ATHLETES, IT WILL PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS TO THEIR OWN IDENTITIES
"If California really cares about student athletes, it’ll protect their rights to their own identities," argues right of publicity expert and LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jennifer Rothman in her recent op-ed.
KCAL-LA – 10.03.19
PRESIDENT’S PUBLIC CALL FOR CHINA TO INVESTIGATE THE BIDENS
“It’s a huge middle finger to the house Democrats. It’s basically saying, ‘I’m Teflon, come catch me if you can,’” said LMU Loyola Law School Jessica Levinson.
Los Angeles Times – 10.03.19
TRUMP URGES CHINA TO INVESTIGATE BIDENS DESPITE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY
Jessica Levinson, a Loyola Law School professor who specializes in campaign finance law, said Trump is “giving House Democrats a huge middle finger” with his latest comments.
“He’s basically saying, ‘Catch me if you can,’” she said. “He’s almost conditioning us to think: If it’s happening in the open, it can’t be wrong.”
KPCC-FM – 10.02.19
HARVARD’S ADMISSION PROCESS ISN’T PERFECT BUT PASSES CONSTITUTIONAL MUSTER
“What stands out is that the judge seemed to have recognized what posed a potential threat of discrimination against Asian-Americas were the policies that were White-advantaging policies. She used several times a reference to ALDC’s athletes, legacies, dean’s list and the children of faculty & staff,” said LMU Loyola Law School Professor Kimberly West-Faulcon.
The Harvard Crimson – 10.02.19
HARVARD RULING MAY OFFER ‘ROADMAP’ FOR OTHER AFFIRMATIVE ACTION CASES
Kimberly West-Faulcon, a professor at Loyola Law School, said in an interview that though the Harvard lawsuit might provide a framework for other plaintiffs, defendants, and judges, idiosyncrasies of individual institutions’ race-conscious admissions policies make it difficult to predict whether other academic institutions will succeed in defending their procedures against allegations of discrimination.
CNN – 10.01.19
TRUMP AND HIS ALLIES SEEK TO DISCREDIT WHISTLEBLOWER
“What is going on here is why I think Americans and viewers worldwide hate politics. There’s mudslinging, there’s recalcitrant and quite frankly actions you wouldn’t want to see in a 3 year old,” says LMU Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson.
KABC-AM – 10.01.19
THE STATE DEPARTMENT INSPECTOR GENERAL EXPECTS A BRIEFING
Jessica Levinson is a professor at LMU Loyola Law School and former president of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission. “The inspector general needs to ensure that he can continue to protect the whistleblower and wanting to know what happened after he reviewed it,” says Levinson.
Spectrum News 1 – 10.01.19
LOYOLA’S PROJECT FOR THE INNOCENT HELPS FREE THE FALSELY IMPRISONED
Renee Eng spoke with Loyola Project for the Innocent’s Program Director Adam Grant, Loyola student Paige McGrail and the clinics very first client Obie Anthony.
Spectrum News 1 – 10.01.19
STUDENTS, PROFESSORS, POLITICIANS AND LAWYERS TALKING ABOUT SB-206
Today, Loyola Law School hosted a panel discussion on the Fair Pay to Play Act. The panel discussed potential ramifications of the act.