The University of California, Davis, School of Law has faculty who are available to comment from a variety of perspectives when President Barack Obama announces his nominee to replace Justice David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court.
DIVERSITY ON THE COURT, POTENTIAL NOMINEE CARLOS MORENO – Kevin Johnson, dean of the School of Law and professor of Chicana/o studies at UC Davis, can comment on gender and racial diversity on the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as on the role that race plays in federal judicial appointments. A specialist in civil rights and immigration law, Johnson is the author of "On the Appointment of a Latina/o to the Supreme Court," an article in the summer 2008 issue of the Hispanic National Bar Association Journal of Law & Policy. Johnson is familiar with the jurisprudence of California State Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno, rumored to be on the short list of candidates to replace Souter. Moreno visited the UC Davis School of Law in March at the invitation of law students as part of the school's Cesar Chavez Day celebrations. Johnson is the first Latino dean of a University of California law school. Contact: Kevin Johnson, School of Law, (530) 752-0243, krjohnson@ucdavis.edu.
FEDERAL COURTS, POTENTIAL NOMINEE DIANE WOOD – Law professor John Oakley is a nationally known expert on the workings of federal courts. He predicts that President Obama, as a former professor of constitutional law, will personally evaluate the writings of prospective candidates to replace Souter. Oakley is an expert on the jurisprudence of Diane Wood, a judge on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals who is rumored to be a potential nominee to replace Souter. Oakley notes that Wood is a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, a post Obama once held. Oakley has co-authored many texts and case books on civil procedure and the federal courts. Contact: John Oakley, School of Law, (530) 752-2895, jboakley@ucdavis.edu.
IMPLICATIONS OF CHANGE ON THE COURT – Vikram Amar, professor of law and associate dean for academic affairs, spoke at Santa Clara Law School in Santa Clara, Calif., earlier this year on the implications of changing Supreme Court personnel. A former law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun, Amar writes, teaches and consults in constitutional law, civil procedure and remedies. He is a co-author of the 2005 book "Constitutional Law: Cases and Materials" and has published in a variety of journals, including the Yale Law Journal, the Stanford Law Review and the Cornell Law Review. Amar authors a bi-weekly column on constitutional matters for http://findlaw.com/. Contact: Vik Amar, School of Law, (530) 752-8808, (925) 858-8855 (cell), vdamar@ucdavis.edu.
THE COURT AND THE WAR ON TERROR – Diane Marie Amann, professor of law and director of the UC Davis California International Law Center at King Hall, can comment on the impact of a new justice on the court's approach to Iraq War-related issues. Amann's recent works have focused on legal responses to U.S. policies on executive detention at Guantánamo and elsewhere, and on the use of foreign and international law in U.S. constitutional decision-making. She served as a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Contact: Diane Marie Amann, School of Law, (530) 754-9099, (415) 867-3874 (cell), dmamann@ucdavis.edu.
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE – Alan Brownstein, a constitutional law professor, predicts that Souter's departure will affect U.S. Supreme Court rulings regarding the establishment clause. “We are losing a powerful voice on the court,” Brownstein says, noting that Souter has been a strong proponent of the separation of church and state. Brownstein writes and works in the area of church-state relations. He has written numerous articles on the religion clauses of the First Amendment, frequently lectures in this area to civic groups, and has testified on related legislation. Contact: Alan Brownstein, School of Law, (530) 752-2586, aebrownstein@ucdavis.edu.
HISTORY OF THE SUPREME COURT – Carlton Larson, acting professor of law, can discuss the history of the U.S. Supreme Court and legal history in general. Contact: Carlton Larson, School of Law, (530) 754-5731, clarson@ucdavis.edu.
About UC Davis
For 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has 31,000 students, an annual research budget that exceeds $500 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science -- and advanced degrees from six professional schools -- Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.