Heidi Gorovitz Robertson,C|M|LAW’s Steven W. Percy Distinguished Professor of Law, presented Shale Oil and Gas Regulation in the U.S. – Variations in Governance and Local Control, at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, in Lucknow, India, on February 14, 2015​ .  The lecture was part of a month-long Fulbright Specialist grant visit, during which she also taught a course on International Environmental Law for upper level law students.

Professor Joseph Mead filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on behalf of a pro bono client, Keith Allison, who was removed from his school teacher position for commentary on dairy agriculture.  The client had posted a note, on his own time, on Facebook urging readers to choose plant-based milk.  The school district refused to renew Allison’s teaching contract for the next school year because a dairy farmer objected to the post.  The complaint includes an email sent by the superintendent to the school board explaining the district’s policy that “we need our teachers to really consider the whole community when doing these sorts of things [i.e., making public statements], especially when our biggest tax payers are dairy farmers.”  The complaint argues that this policy and Allison’s contract non-renewal violates Allison’s constitutional right to free speech, and seeks back pay, a court order declaring the policy unconstitutional, and other relief against the school board, the board members, and the superintendent.

After Professor Mead had sent a letter to the school board on Allison’s behalf in December 2014, the District hired Allison in another teaching role, but it refused to change its policy or provide Allison with full back pay.  The complaint has been covered in several local media outlets.  Professor Mead, who holds a joint appointment with the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, previously litigated constitutional cases for the United States Department of Justice, and is handling this case in cooperation with the ACLU of Ohio.

The complaint can be accessed here.

On March 5, Professor Joseph Mead presented at Capital Law School as part of the faculty exchange program between Cleveland-Marshall and Capital Law School.  Professor Mead’s talk was entitled “Law and the Volunteer,” and it surveyed the ambiguous state of the law of volunteer liability and immunity, vicarious organizational liability for the misdeeds of the volunteer, and coverage of unpaid workers under federal and state “employee” protection laws such as anti-discrimination laws.  Professor Mead argued in this talk  that these doctrines are actually connected by a common doctrinal core, and that the law needs to give further attention to the legal status and value of volunteers.

Professor and Associate Dean Milena Sterio was asked to provide peer review and comments for an article submitted for possible publication with the Yale Law Journal (volume 125).  The article addresses the issue of state sovereignty and the possibility of designing market controls over sovereignty issues in general.

Clinical Professor Doron Kalir

Professor Doron Kalir assisted the Cuyahoga County Law Department in the preparation and filing of an amicus curiae brief before the Supreme Court, urging the high court to strike down same-sex marriage bans in Ohio and other states (Obergefell et al. v. Richard Hodges et al.).  Professor Kalir’s name, as well as his work on this brief, are mentioned in an article by the Plain Dealer available here; the 86-page amicus brief is also available in this article.

Chrisopher Sagers, James A. Thomas Distinguished Professor of Law, has published a blog post on the AntitrustConnect Blog, regarding the Supreme Court’s recent opinion in North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. FTC.  Professor Sagers’ post is entitled “North Carolina Dentists is in the Hizzouse, Y’all! Woot Woot!” and it is available here.

C|M|LAW’s Steven W.Percy Professor of Law,Heidi Gorovitz Robertson, presented Shale Gas Revolution:  United States Experience in Regulating Hydraulic Fracturing, to the students and faculty of the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, in Dehradun, India, on February 23, 2015.​  This lecture was presented in conjunction with Professor Robertson’s Fulbright visit to India. While visiting UPES, ​Professor Robertson also met with students in the university’s oil and gas management program and held a Q and A session regarding the Gulf Coast oil spill.

Professor Alan Weinstein’s paper, entitled “Reporting on Sustainability Research and Implementation in Urban Planning,” has been accepted for presentation at the First Annual Sustainability Conference of American Legal Educators to be held on May 8, 2015 at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. This new conference will be an annual, national event for legal academics researching in sustainability-related areas such as:  Climate Change Law, Energy Law, Water Law, Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, Land Use & Zoning Law, and Agricultural&  Food Law.

Professor David Forte’s essay, “Self-Government for the Self-Governed: The Role of Virtue in a Democratic Republic,” has been published by the Allan P. Kirby Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship of Hillsdale College.  The essay may be accessed here.

On February 24, 2015, C|M|LAW’s Steven W. Percy Distinguished Professor of Law, Heidi Gorovitz Robertson,was quoted in an article, Another Bid for Local Control Over Fracking Is Thwarted, by Zahra Hirji, on Inside Climate News, a non-partisan, non-profit, Pulitzer Prize winning news organization concentrating on issues of concern to the climate, energy, and environment. The article discusses the court’s plurality decision and considers the options that may remain for local jurisdictions, including the use of traditional zoning authority.​ Hirji interviewed Robertson via Skype from India,where Robertson is completing a Fulbright grant visit.

You may read the story here.