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kimlanelaw.bsky.social
Kim Lane Scheppele
@kimlanelaw.bsky.social
36K followers 1.5K following 590 posts

Tracking autocratic legalism around the world from Princeton University.

Videos

Kim Lane Scheppele is the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. Scheppele works on topics related to comparative constitutional ethnography within the sociology of law. .. more

Political science 58%
Law 31%
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Kim L. Scheppele

juliedicaro.bsky.social
Julie DiCaro @juliedicaro.bsky.social · 8h
So Kilmer Abrego-Garcia will not challenge a deportation to Costa Rica, who has agreed to for him residency, but DHS won’t agree to send him there because it’s not cruel enough.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...
For weeks, Mr. Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who is married to a U.S. citizen, has made clear that he would not challenge his deportation if he were sent to Costa Rica, which has promised him legal residency and guaranteed that he would not be sent back to El Salvador. But the Trump administration has refused to deport him to Costa Rica, and in an earlier hearing this week, Judge Xinis pressed the administration to consider the option or clarify why it was unacceptable.
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Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Richard Ashby Wilson

rbreich.bsky.social
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 13h
Friends — something dramatic has happened over the last two weeks.
Sunday thought: the big Reveal
Friends,
robertreich.substack.com
57 380 1.1K

Reposted by Cas Mudde, Kim L. Scheppele, Karen Benjamin Guzzo , and 3 more

donmoyn.bsky.social
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 14h
New, from me:
Trump's 3 step plan to create a military omniforce
1. Purge - those deemed disloyal
2. Merge - different parts of law enforcement/military
3. Surge - impose the omniforce on Dem cities; instigate unrest; assert dominance; silence dissent
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/purge-merg...
Purge, Merge, and Surge
Trump is creating a omniforce of armed loyalists to establish his police state
donmoynihan.substack.com
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Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele

shanlonwu.com
Shanlon Wu @shanlonwu.com · 23h
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Signs popping up around D.C. note: ‘ICE kidnapping happened here’
The signs range in style and mark numerous locations where people have been taken by federal agents.
www.washingtonpost.com
4 71 190

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele

thetnholler.bsky.social
The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 1d
Trump just used the shutdown to wipe out the special ed department. www.usatoday.com/story/news/e...
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Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Lesley A. Hall, Karen Benjamin Guzzo

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele

normeisen.bsky.social
Norm Eisen @normeisen.bsky.social · 1d
From Chicago to D.C., federal judges are standing up to Trump’s abuses

They’re showing what judicial independence looks like

That’s how democracy wins

Full analysis in my NEW @contrariannews.org article

contrarian.substack.com/p/donald-tru...
Donald Trump’s latest authoritarian moves signal weakness, not strength
Publisher's Roundup 39
contrarian.substack.com
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Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Kim L. Scheppele, David C. Kimball , and 2 more

jfallows.bsky.social
James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 1d
Re-upping:

Excellent assessment of John "Roger Taney" Roberts.

In @harvardmagazine.bsky.social , by Lincoln Caplan.

As careful, legally informed, judicious-minded writer as you're going to find. With an unsparing judgment.

www.harvardmagazine.com/legal/suprem...
What Trump Means for John Roberts's Legacy | Harvard Magazine
Executive power is on the docket at the Supreme Court.
www.harvardmagazine.com
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Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Stephen L. Brusatte

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Simon Schama

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Brendan Nyhan, Ronald Beiner , and 1 more

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Nicola Giocoli

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Richard Dien Winfield, Simon Schama

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Lisa W. Fazio, Joshua Goodman , and 3 more

brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 2d
Every targeted institution (my own very much included) should cut and paste this letter onto their letterhead.
kathleenclark.bsky.social
Kathleen Clark @kathleenclark.bsky.social · 2d
A master class from MIT in responding to authoritarian overreach:

Your “premise … is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.
… America’s leadership in science & innovation depends on independent thinking & open competition for excellence.
Dear Madam Secretary, I write in response to your letter of October 1, inviting MIT to review a "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education." I acknowledge the vital importance of these matters. I appreciated the chance to meet with you earlier this year to discuss the priorities we share for American higher education. As we discussed, the Institute's mission of service to the nation directs us to advance knowledge, educate students and bring knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges. We do that in line with a clear set of values, with excellence above all. Some practical examples: • MIT prides itself on rewarding merit. Students, faculty and staff succeed here based on the strength of their talent, ideas and hard work. For instance, the Institute was the first to reinstate the SAT/ACT requirement after the pandemic. And MIT has never had legacy preferences in admissions. • MIT opens its doors to the most talented students regardless of their family's finances. Admissions are need-blind. Incoming undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000 a year pay no tuition. Nearly 88% of our last graduating class left MIT with no debt for their education. We make a wealth of free courses and low-cost certificates available to any American with an internet connection. Of the undergraduate degrees we award, 94% are in STEM fields. And in service to the nation, we cap enrollment of international undergraduates at roughly 10%. source: https://orgchart.mit.edu/letters/regarding-compact • We value free expression, as clearly described in the MIT Statement on Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom. We must hear facts and opinions we don't like - and engage respectfully with those with whom we disagree. These values and other MIT practices meet or exceed many standards outlined in the document you sent. We freely choose these values because they're right, and we live by them because they support our mission - work of immense value to the prosperity, competitiveness, health and security of the United States. And of course, MIT abides by the law. The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone. In our view, America's leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence. In that free marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences. Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education. As you know, MIT's record of service to the nation is long and enduring. Eight decades ago, MIT leaders helped invent a scientific partnership between America's research universities and the U.S. government that has delivered extraordinary benefits for the American people. We continue to believe in the power of this partnership to serve the nation. Sincerely, Sally Kornbluth
3 150 570

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, David M. Schultz

bostonglobe.com
The Boston Globe @bostonglobe.com · 2d
MIT became the first university to reject the Trump administration’s compact of demands, after its president Sally Kornbluth said the school already “meet or exceed many standards outlined” by the federal government.
MIT becomes first school to reject proposed ‘compact’ with Trump administration - The Boston Globe
MIT president Sally Kornbluth said the university’s practices already “meet or exceed” the federal government’s list of demands.
trib.al
6 54 180

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele

casmudde.bsky.social
Cas Ⓜ️udde @casmudde.bsky.social · 2d
This is a remarkable coup by UHZ - but does not reflect success of state investment in higher education (which is going down in CH). Rather, it is the model that made U.S. academia so successful: massive private funding. Bizarrely, it is money from a Brazilian foundation. 🤯
florianscheuer.bsky.social
Florian Scheuer @florianscheuer.bsky.social · 2d
I am delighted to share that Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee will join our Department of Economics @econ.uzh.ch at the University of Zurich on July 1, 2026, as Lemann Foundation Professors of Economics.

🧵 1/7
2 8 47

Reposted by Marc Lynch, Kim L. Scheppele, Brendan Nyhan , and 2 more

kathleenclark.bsky.social
Kathleen Clark @kathleenclark.bsky.social · 2d
A master class from MIT in responding to authoritarian overreach:

Your “premise … is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.
… America’s leadership in science & innovation depends on independent thinking & open competition for excellence.
Dear Madam Secretary, I write in response to your letter of October 1, inviting MIT to review a "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education." I acknowledge the vital importance of these matters. I appreciated the chance to meet with you earlier this year to discuss the priorities we share for American higher education. As we discussed, the Institute's mission of service to the nation directs us to advance knowledge, educate students and bring knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges. We do that in line with a clear set of values, with excellence above all. Some practical examples: • MIT prides itself on rewarding merit. Students, faculty and staff succeed here based on the strength of their talent, ideas and hard work. For instance, the Institute was the first to reinstate the SAT/ACT requirement after the pandemic. And MIT has never had legacy preferences in admissions. • MIT opens its doors to the most talented students regardless of their family's finances. Admissions are need-blind. Incoming undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000 a year pay no tuition. Nearly 88% of our last graduating class left MIT with no debt for their education. We make a wealth of free courses and low-cost certificates available to any American with an internet connection. Of the undergraduate degrees we award, 94% are in STEM fields. And in service to the nation, we cap enrollment of international undergraduates at roughly 10%. source: https://orgchart.mit.edu/letters/regarding-compact • We value free expression, as clearly described in the MIT Statement on Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom. We must hear facts and opinions we don't like - and engage respectfully with those with whom we disagree. These values and other MIT practices meet or exceed many standards outlined in the document you sent. We freely choose these values because they're right, and we live by them because they support our mission - work of immense value to the prosperity, competitiveness, health and security of the United States. And of course, MIT abides by the law. The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone. In our view, America's leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence. In that free marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences. Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education. As you know, MIT's record of service to the nation is long and enduring. Eight decades ago, MIT leaders helped invent a scientific partnership between America's research universities and the U.S. government that has delivered extraordinary benefits for the American people. We continue to believe in the power of this partnership to serve the nation. Sincerely, Sally Kornbluth
7 350 1.1K

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Jennifer A. Richeson, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 9 more

oliverdarcy.bsky.social
Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 2d
News: Bari Weiss just sent a memo to staffers at CBS News asking them to produce a memo explaining "how you spend your working hours—and ideally, what you've made (or are making) that you're most proud of."

One CBS News staffer puts it like this to me: "We just got Elon Musked."
340 2K 8.6K

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Pamela Samuelson, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 1 more

rparloff.bsky.social
Roger Parloff @rparloff.bsky.social · 2d
At 11am I will try to live-blog, for @lawfaremedia.org , the hearing in Abrego Garcia’s civil (habeas corpus) case in federal court in Greenbelt MD. Abrego is seeking release from detention under a SCOTUS precedent called Zadvydas v Davis (2001). ...
/1
tile.loc.gov/storage-serv...
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Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Dominique Reynie, Brigid Laffan

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Kim L. Scheppele, Lisa W. Fazio , and 17 more

reuters.com
Reuters @reuters.com · 2d
'When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,' the Norwegian Nobel Committee said as it announced Maria Corina Machado as the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize
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Reposted by Laurent Pech

kimlanelaw.bsky.social
Kim Lane Scheppele @kimlanelaw.bsky.social · 2d
And yes, the Hungarian government was spying on European institutions . . .
www.direkt36.hu/en/sulyos-ug...
Inside the Fall of Viktor Orbán’s Secret Brussels Spy Network - Direkt36
In the 2010s, Hungarian intelligence began spying in Brussels against the EU and tried to recruit Hungarians working in EU institutions for this purpose. However, Hungarian intelligence carried it out...
www.direkt36.hu
3 11 29

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele

annabower.bsky.social
Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 3d
Indictment alleges that James claimed the property as a 2nd home but used it as a rental investment property.

It says she rented the property out but conveniently doesn’t specify the timeframe or duration.

That’s notable bc you can rent out a 2nd home and the rider allows short-term rentals.

1/
On or about August 17, 2020, JAMES, as sole borrower, purchased the three (3) bedroom, (1) bathroom property located at 3121 Peronne Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia 23509 (the "Peronne Property"), for approximately $137,000, financed with a mortgage loan of approximately $109,600 (Loan #4430025978) backed by Fannie Mae. 6. The loan was originated by OVM Financial under a signed Second Home Rider, which required JAMES, as the sole borrower to occupy and use the property as her secondary residence, and prohibited its use as a timesharing or other shared ownership arrangement or agreement that requires her either to rent the property or give any other person any control over the occupancy or use of the property. 7. Despite these representations, the Peronne Property was not occupied or used by JAMES as a secondary residence and was instead used as a rental investment property, renting the property to a family of (3). 8. This misrepresentation allowed JAMES to obtain favorable loan terms not available for In addition to the covenants and agreements made in the security Instrument Borrower and Lender further covenant and agree that Sections 6 and 8 of the Security Instrument are deleted and are replaced by the following: 6. Occupancy, Borrower will occupy and use the Property as Borrower's second home. Borrower will maintain exclusive control over the occupancy of the Property, including short-term rentals, and will not subject the Property to any timesharing or other shared ownership arrangement or to any rental pool or agreement that requires Borrower either to rent the Property or give a management firm or any other person or entity any control over the occupancy or use of the Property. Borrower will keep the Property available primarily as a residence for Borrower's personal use and enjoyment for at least one year after the date of this Second Home Rider, unless Lender otherwise agrees in writing, which consent shall not be unreasonably with-held, or unless extenuating circumstances exist which are beyond Borrower's control. 8. Borrower's Loan Application. Borrower shall be in default it, during the Loan application process, Borrower or any persons or entities acting at the direction of Borrower or with Borrower's knowledge or consent gave materally false, mislead-ing, or inaccurate information or statements to Lender (or failed to provide Lender with material information) in connection with the Loan. Material representations include, but are not limited to, representations concerning Borrower's occupancy of the Property as Borrower's second home. BY SIGNING BELOW, Borrower accepts and agrees to the terms and covenants contained in this Second Home Rider.
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Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele

annabower.bsky.social
Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 3d
Important discovery fight taking shape in Kilmar Abrego Garcia's criminal case.

The question: Can the government assert privilege to avoid handing over documents that may be relevant to a defendant's vindictive prosecution claim?

Abrego's counsel says no.

www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
www.documentcloud.org
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