Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 2h

Fancy late night snack

A possum sitting at a tiny wooden picnic table with a red umbrella over it

Same possum, turned toward the table to eat some almonds off of it

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Reposted by Michael Smith

Mr. Joshua @pantspants.bsky.social · 12h

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 7h

Me too! Loved your presentation!

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 7h

Got the Jayhawk! Too busy with conference and book hauling to see any other animals. Next time! bsky.app/profile/msmi...

Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 10h

Had a great time at the Central States Law Schools Association Annual Conference! OU Law had a strong showing!

I ranted a bunch about constitutional law and sci fi scenarios. Met new people and saw old friends. Highly recommend!

Me talking, looking awkward. Thanks Noah.

Artsy photo of an in-focus Kansas Law mug while Noah Chauvin gives a talk in the distant background

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 8h

Lazy Sunday

The black and white neighborhood cat, laying on her (?) side on a porch.

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 10h

Had a great time at the Central States Law Schools Association Annual Conference! OU Law had a strong showing!

I ranted a bunch about constitutional law and sci fi scenarios. Met new people and saw old friends. Highly recommend!

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 11h

"But if a battle of law reviews were the order of the day--"

Philip Seymour Hoffman shouting "shut the fuck up" into a phone.

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 11h

See:

www.jstor.org/stable/3108786

brooklynworks.brooklaw.edu/blr/vol88/is...

scholarship.law.duke.edu/faculty_scho...

ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcont...

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Clio and the Court: An Illicit Love Affair on JSTOR

Alfred H. Kelly, Clio and the Court: An Illicit Love Affair, The Supreme Court Review, Vol. 1965 (1965), pp. 119-158

www.jstor.org

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 11h

No!

Are judges good historians?

A Second Opinion is a recurring series by Haley Proctor on the Second Amendment and constitutional litigation. Three years ago in New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen, […]

www.scotusblog.com

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Reposted by Michael Smith

Mr. Joshua @pantspants.bsky.social · 1d

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 1d

Old friends too

The black and white neighborhood cat eating a treat from a hand

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 1d

Arrived home from Kansas just in time to meet a new friend

A possum drinking from a dish of water on a porch

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 2d

(If I don't shake your hand at this conference, it isn't because I hate you. It's because my arms dont work after carrying this stack around town.)

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 2d

For years, I'd wanted to know more about the fossil flora of the drywood formation of southwestern Missouri.

Today, that mystery ends.

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 2d

One of the many advantages of driving to the conference!

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 2d

Yes!!

(Highly recommend the library book sale going on through the weekend)

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 2d

Two hours to go until the Central States conference begins. Time to buy as many books as I can in downtown Lawrence.

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Reposted by Michael Smith

Jake Charles @jacobdcharles.bsky.social · 3d

Similar petitions keep cropping up. The Court is gonna have to confront this question sooner or later. They seem to be choosing “later,” for now. But they can’t avoid it forever (unless every circuit keeps upholding the laws, I suppose).

Mike Sacks @mikesacks.bsky.social · 3d

Challengers to Connecticut's assault weapons ban are now asking SCOTUS to take up their case and declare all assault weapons bans unconstitutional.

www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25...

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 3d

How about that!

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/u...

Oklahoma’s Republican Governor Criticizes National Guard Deployment in Chicago

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Michael Smith

Lawrence Solum @lsolum.bsky.social · 3d

Please help me get the word out about the new websites for Legal Theory Blog and the Legal Theory Lexicon. Reposting here and on other social media sites is great. It would be especially helpful if law school faculty members could send an email to their colleagues with the new addresses.

Legal Theory Blog

Discover our latest articles and updates. Stay informed with recent posts that cover a variety of topics you care about!

legaltheoryblog.com

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Reposted by Michael Smith

Anna E. Carpenter @annacarpenter.bsky.social · 3d

@uofoklahomalaw.bsky.social Professor Stephen Henderson has spearheaded the reboot of CrimProf Blog, serving as Managing Editor alongside editors Guha Krishnamurthi and Sam Merchant.

Check it out! crimprof.blog

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Reposted by Michael Smith

Ronald J. Coleman (RJ) @ronaldjcoleman.bsky.social · 3d

NY Times: “The widespread use of instant video generators . . . will bring an end to visuals as proof.” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/t...

What the Arrival of A.I.-Fabricated Video Means for Us

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Michael Smith

Carlos Chévere Lugo @carloschevere.bsky.social · 4d

It is my pleasure to announce my most recent publication, “Peremptory Norms and the Right to Self-Determination: The Case of Puerto Rico,” co-authored with my 🇵🇷 colleague, Associate Professor Sigrid Vendrell-Polanco.

commons.stmarytx.edu/thescholar/v...

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Reposted by Michael Smith

Mr. Joshua @pantspants.bsky.social · 4d

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Michael Smith @msmith750.bsky.social · 4d

Not great!

Julie DiCaro @juliedicaro.bsky.social · 4d

This is getting wild.

The states of Iowa, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and 14 others have just asked for permission to file THEIR amicus brief in IL v. Trump.

The States of Iowa, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and 14 additional States
respectfully move for leave to submit the attached amicus curiae brief in support of Defendants
and their opposition to Plaintiffs’ requested temporary restraining order and preliminary
injunction. Proposed amici are States with a vested interest in federalism, the relationship between
States and the federal government, and deploying the National Guard. We also each have a vital
interest in supporting the President and Congress in enacting and enforcing valid immigration
laws. Every State has a responsibility to protect our citizens.
The federalization of States’ National Guard units is a matter of profound public
importance, as it directly implicates the delicate balance of power between state and federal
governments—a true cornerstone of Federalism. States generally maintain authority over their
National Guard units, allowing governors to deploy them for state-specific needs, such as disaster
response or public safety. Federalization of state National Guard units without gubernatorial

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