James Fallows Tierney
@jamesftierney.bsky.social
Associate dean for academic affairs and Associate professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law (Illinois Tech). I study financial markets regulation & law of capitalism. But this ≠ IIT. DSA Fund board 🌹🤝, Rstats, NLP, Phish dad, etc. Semper ubi sub ubi.
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
We took our kids volunteering at a church affiliated event. The organizers asked for music recommendations and my wife suggested K Pop Demon Hunters. Aghast, the organizers said "lol what? No obviously not" each time my wife asked them to play the demon music
November 29, 2025 at 3:18 PM
We took our kids volunteering at a church affiliated event. The organizers asked for music recommendations and my wife suggested K Pop Demon Hunters. Aghast, the organizers said "lol what? No obviously not" each time my wife asked them to play the demon music
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
An issue we're seeing at all levels of university is that many students are simply refusing to do *anything*. They aren't reading the syllabus, aren't following assignment guidelines, aren't engaging with material, ignoring deadlines. And this might seem like old news, but it truly has ramped up.
November 28, 2025 at 10:15 PM
An issue we're seeing at all levels of university is that many students are simply refusing to do *anything*. They aren't reading the syllabus, aren't following assignment guidelines, aren't engaging with material, ignoring deadlines. And this might seem like old news, but it truly has ramped up.
We took our kids volunteering at a church affiliated event. The organizers asked for music recommendations and my wife suggested K Pop Demon Hunters. Aghast, the organizers said "lol what? No obviously not" each time my wife asked them to play the demon music
November 29, 2025 at 3:18 PM
We took our kids volunteering at a church affiliated event. The organizers asked for music recommendations and my wife suggested K Pop Demon Hunters. Aghast, the organizers said "lol what? No obviously not" each time my wife asked them to play the demon music
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
marc trachtenburg dropped
direct.mit.edu/isec/article...
direct.mit.edu/isec/article...
November 29, 2025 at 3:08 AM
marc trachtenburg dropped
direct.mit.edu/isec/article...
direct.mit.edu/isec/article...
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
What would your automatic typing machine say?
Mine: "I'm so sorry for the delayed response,"
Mine: "I'm so sorry for the delayed response,"
November 29, 2025 at 1:35 PM
What would your automatic typing machine say?
Mine: "I'm so sorry for the delayed response,"
Mine: "I'm so sorry for the delayed response,"
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
universities aren’t capitulating to Trump, they’re collaborating. the modern university is a hedge fund with an academy incidentally attached to it, the ghouls in charge want to scrap programs, reject “wokeness,” think racial equality has gone too far, etc. it’s just an excuse to do what they want!
November 29, 2025 at 2:36 AM
universities aren’t capitulating to Trump, they’re collaborating. the modern university is a hedge fund with an academy incidentally attached to it, the ghouls in charge want to scrap programs, reject “wokeness,” think racial equality has gone too far, etc. it’s just an excuse to do what they want!
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
If I have to learn about this, so help me
The DuPage County Board voted this week to censure DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek for repeatedly refusing to comply with the board’s established system of accounting and obstructing lawful financial oversight, board members said.
DuPage County Board censures county clerk for ongoing financial problems
The DuPage County Board has voted to censure county Clerk Jean Kaczmarek for refusing to comply with the board’s accounting system.
trib.al
November 27, 2025 at 3:36 AM
If I have to learn about this, so help me
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
You've heard of the Friday night news dump. Here's the Friday night of Thanksgiving wknd dump. For special circumstances, like when the faculty assembly votes 595-4 against paying to end a shakedown and you do it anyway. Link to agreement here: bulkmail.northwestern.edu/trk/click?re...
BREAKING: Northwestern University has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $75 million, over the course of three years as part of an agreement with the federal government to restore funding and end investigations into the university
Full statement from NU below:
Full statement from NU below:
November 29, 2025 at 12:34 AM
You've heard of the Friday night news dump. Here's the Friday night of Thanksgiving wknd dump. For special circumstances, like when the faculty assembly votes 595-4 against paying to end a shakedown and you do it anyway. Link to agreement here: bulkmail.northwestern.edu/trk/click?re...
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
Just one of the many ways in which being an above-replacement-level lawyer means knowing what arguments not to make
Additionally, OpenAI argues its not liable because Raine, by using ChatGPT for self-harm, broke its terms of service
November 26, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Just one of the many ways in which being an above-replacement-level lawyer means knowing what arguments not to make
If I have to learn about this, so help me
The DuPage County Board voted this week to censure DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek for repeatedly refusing to comply with the board’s established system of accounting and obstructing lawful financial oversight, board members said.
DuPage County Board censures county clerk for ongoing financial problems
The DuPage County Board has voted to censure county Clerk Jean Kaczmarek for refusing to comply with the board’s accounting system.
trib.al
November 27, 2025 at 3:36 AM
If I have to learn about this, so help me
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
Today I’m recommending that NYC’s pension fund boards drop BlackRock and 2 other (out of 49) public markets asset managers due to inadequate decarbonization plans.
Climate risk is financial risk – we need asset managers who will invest responsibly.🧵
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Climate risk is financial risk – we need asset managers who will invest responsibly.🧵
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
NYC’s Lander Recommends Dropping $42 Billion BlackRock Mandate
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is urging three of the city’s pension funds to drop BlackRock Inc. because of “inadequate” climate plans, the latest move to penalize investment firms for failing...
www.bloomberg.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Today I’m recommending that NYC’s pension fund boards drop BlackRock and 2 other (out of 49) public markets asset managers due to inadequate decarbonization plans.
Climate risk is financial risk – we need asset managers who will invest responsibly.🧵
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Climate risk is financial risk – we need asset managers who will invest responsibly.🧵
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
My kids have somehow convinced themselves there’s a folkloric Thanksgiving figure called “Turkey Claus”
November 25, 2025 at 2:05 AM
My kids have somehow convinced themselves there’s a folkloric Thanksgiving figure called “Turkey Claus”
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
maybe i am going insane
November 24, 2025 at 6:49 PM
maybe i am going insane
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
Only someone this wealthy would so flippantly suggest you uproot your life, sell your house, pull your kids out of school, quit your job, request a transfer — all to save 50 basis points on CPI. 🤡
Bessent: "You know the best way to bring your inflation rate down? Move from a blue state to a red state. Blue state inflation is half a percent higher."
November 23, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Only someone this wealthy would so flippantly suggest you uproot your life, sell your house, pull your kids out of school, quit your job, request a transfer — all to save 50 basis points on CPI. 🤡
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
November 24, 2025 at 12:47 AM
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
Forbidden rollercoaster
November 24, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Forbidden rollercoaster
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
the steve dallas as crooked lawyer strips in bloom county are a great bit
November 22, 2025 at 3:36 PM
the steve dallas as crooked lawyer strips in bloom county are a great bit
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
Especially for the 1Ls out there, preparing for their 1st set of law school exams, I wrote this post back in 2007 about how to get a good grade on a law school issue spotter. The post, "Bad Answers, Good Answers, and Terrific Answers," is available here:
volokh.com/posts/116838...
volokh.com/posts/116838...
November 22, 2025 at 6:12 AM
Especially for the 1Ls out there, preparing for their 1st set of law school exams, I wrote this post back in 2007 about how to get a good grade on a law school issue spotter. The post, "Bad Answers, Good Answers, and Terrific Answers," is available here:
volokh.com/posts/116838...
volokh.com/posts/116838...
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
a 34-year old DSA legislator turned mayor has MAGA's god emperor at heel like a geriatric puppy, what a world
Q: Just days ago you referred to Trump as a 'despot.' Will you retract?
MAMDANI: We're both very clear on our positions & what I really appreciate about the president is our meeting focused not on places of disagreement but shared purpose we have
TRUMP: I've been called much worse than a despot
MAMDANI: We're both very clear on our positions & what I really appreciate about the president is our meeting focused not on places of disagreement but shared purpose we have
TRUMP: I've been called much worse than a despot
November 21, 2025 at 8:54 PM
a 34-year old DSA legislator turned mayor has MAGA's god emperor at heel like a geriatric puppy, what a world
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
A request to my property and geography friends: is there a list of county assessors' offices with APIs?
November 21, 2025 at 10:54 PM
A request to my property and geography friends: is there a list of county assessors' offices with APIs?
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
Laughing at Donald Trump saying he'd definitely feel comfortable living in Zohran Mamdani's New York on the same day that half the consultant brain-poisoned Democratic party voted to condemn socialism
November 21, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Laughing at Donald Trump saying he'd definitely feel comfortable living in Zohran Mamdani's New York on the same day that half the consultant brain-poisoned Democratic party voted to condemn socialism
Reposted by James Fallows Tierney
This is a *great* piece, which I have been touting for weeks, by wonderful (lawyer/writer) Lincoln Caplan, on why John Roberts deserves at least as much focus as Trump himself (or Alito, Thomas, Miller, JDV, etc) for war on US institutions.
He has replaced Roger Taney in Scotus Hall of Shame.
He has replaced Roger Taney in Scotus Hall of Shame.
Harvard Magazine on Harvard alum John Roberts:
"The leader of the nation’s judicial system has empowered the president who is the most disdainful in history of the decrees of judges, the provisos of the Constitution, and the workings of American democracy." www.harvardmagazine.com/legal/suprem...
"The leader of the nation’s judicial system has empowered the president who is the most disdainful in history of the decrees of judges, the provisos of the Constitution, and the workings of American democracy." 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
November 20, 2025 at 8:32 PM
This is a *great* piece, which I have been touting for weeks, by wonderful (lawyer/writer) Lincoln Caplan, on why John Roberts deserves at least as much focus as Trump himself (or Alito, Thomas, Miller, JDV, etc) for war on US institutions.
He has replaced Roger Taney in Scotus Hall of Shame.
He has replaced Roger Taney in Scotus Hall of Shame.