In the mid-1990s, when I joined the faculty at Vermont Law School, people often asked if I taught environmental law, given the school’s national reputation in that area. I used to retort — only partially in jest — that I taught law that was concerned about people, not trees. At the time, environmentalism seemed dominated by emotionally detached men fighting over the wild. It struck me as abstract and disconnected from everyday life. In contrast, I was interested in making a meaningful difference in people’s lives.... Read more

What role should religion play in our public schools? That’s a question Lee Sease, the Addison Central Supervisory Union Superintendent, has had to wrestle with in recent months, after a Middlebury Union High School student filed a lawsuit requesting that a religious club called Youth Alive be given the same recognition and support as other student groups. It’s been a question, as well, for the Williston Central School, which hosts an after-school Christian group for elementary and middle school students called the Good News Club.... Read more

Editor's Note: Peter Freyne is on vacation this week.... Read more

Chief Justice John Roberts gave a rare interview in this month's Atlantic Monthly in which he discusses his views of the Court. Roberts claims that people will lose faith in the rule of law if they believe that judges simply impose their personal politics. For the United States Supreme Court to maintain its legitimacy, he argues, the justices must act less like prima donnas and more like colleagues willing to compromise in order to reach unanimous opinions.... Read more

Editor's Note: Peter Freyne is on vacation this week.... Read more

Editor's Note: Peter Freyne is on vacation this week.... Read more