Legal News
Reports on lawmaking, constitutional issues, and court cases. The Daily Signal combines news reporting with conservative commentary and legal analysis.
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- Opinion
Justice Alito Is Right, Again, on First Amendment
The fact that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito gave the keynote address to the Federalist Society in and of itself should be neither surprising nor controversial. Since the theme of the conservative legal group’s 2020 National Lawyers Convention was “The Rule of Law and the Current Crisis,” the content of Alito’s remarks on emerging legal…Lathan Watts -
- Opinion
Religious Liberty on Trial in Supreme Court’s Foster Care Case
Foster parents offer hope and critical support to children facing tremendous challenges. But the city of Philadelphia has threatened that hope by telling longtime foster parents that they can’t work with Catholic Social Services because of the religious organization’s belief in marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The case Fulton v….Virginia Allen -
- News
‘Networks Don’t Get to Decide Elections, Courts Do’: Giuliani Announces Lawsuit
The Trump campaign is moving ahead with a lawsuit in Pennsylvania, saying President Donald Trump was denied a “fair count” of votes in his contest against Democratic challenger Joe Biden and that poll watchers were not able to properly oversee the process. Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump’s attorneys and the former mayor of New York…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
3 Young Conservative Women Reflect on What Justice Amy Coney Barrett Means to Them
Three members of The Heritage Foundation’s Young Leaders Program, who are currently interning at Heritage’s Feulner Institute, share their thoughts on what the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett means to them personally. ‘A Role Model to Conservative Women,’ by Rose Laoutaris Justice Amy Coney Barrett is a powerful role model for conservative women like…Rose Laoutaris -
- Opinion
Memo to the Supreme Court: Keep the Faithful Free to Foster
Foster families provide lifesaving care to hundreds of thousands of children each and every year in the United States. Sadly, more children are in need than there are families ready to provide care. To best serve these children, public policy needs to maximize the number and diversity of foster agencies (including faith-based agencies). This increases…Ryan T. Anderson -
- Opinion
The Left Doesn’t Fear Amy Coney Barrett, It Fears the Constitution
Nothing threatens the progressive project more than the existence of a Supreme Court that adheres to the Constitution. It’s really that simple. That’s what the tantrum over Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation is all about. The notion that the same Democrats who shelved the judicial filibuster and now threaten to destroy the separation of powers…David Harsanyi -
- Opinion
What Amy Coney Barrett Means to Conservative Women
If the last four years taught us anything, it’s that Americans love politics but they hate politicians. Thankfully, the country has a new, non-political figure to admire: Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Last night, Barrett was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in as an associate justice to the U.S. Supreme Court. The optics alone were…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
Reps. Ocasio-Cortez, Omar Call for Expanding Supreme Court After Justice Amy Coney Barrett Confirmed
Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan on Monday called to expand the Supreme Court after the Senate confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the high court. Their call for expanding the court came just minutes after the Senate confirmed Barrett in a 52-48 vote. “Expand the court,”…Peter Hasson -
- Opinion
The Triumph of Justice Amy Coney Barrett
“There is a tendency in our profession,” Judge Amy Coney Barrett declared at the outset of her Senate confirmation hearing, “to treat the practice of law as all-consuming, while losing sight of everything else.” But, Barrett added in her Oct. 12 opening statement, “I never let the law define my identity or crowd out the…GianCarlo Canaparo -
- News
Amy Coney Barrett Joins Supreme Court After 52-48 Senate Vote
Amy Coney Barrett, fresh from a Senate confirmation vote, was sworn in Monday night as the Supreme Court’s newest justice at an outdoor ceremony at the White House. The Senate, in a roll call that began just before 8 p.m., voted 52-48, mostly along party lines, to confirm Barrett as President Donald Trump’s third nominee…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
How ‘Court Packing’ Would Damage Both the Judicial and Legislative Branches
The concept of “court packing” has received a lot of attention recently, and rightly so. That radical move—which Democrats rejected in the 1930s—would permanently damage the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. But it’s even worse than that. The steps necessary to achieve that goal would also permanently weaken the legislative branch. America’s Founders applied…Thomas Jipping -
- Opinion
Using COVID-19 to Attack Amy Coney Barrett’s Nomination Is Beyond Absurd
Olympus has spoken. Michael Gerson, a Washington Post columnist and former speechwriter for the George W. Bush administration, has proclaimed that President Donald Trump blinded pro-life supporters into trading mass death at the hands of COVID-19 in exchange for a false promise of lives saved from abortion. In an absurd column in this most absurd…Chuck Donovan -
- Opinion
For 29 Years, Justice Clarence Thomas Has Been the North Star for Originalism on the Supreme Court
With the expected confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court, some conservative commentators have heralded the coming of the “Thomas Court,” as in Justice Clarence Thomas. This term usually applies to either the chief justice or the justice who is the swing vote on 5-4 decisions, but Thomas has not played that…Mark Paoletta -
- Opinion
Venezuela’s Dictator Hugo Chavez Packed the Courts
Almost from the moment Republicans said they intended to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Democrats began to vow they would pack the court if Republicans went through with their plan. “If [Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell] holds a vote [on a Supreme Court nominee] in 2020,…Carlos Ron -
- News
Amy Coney Barrett Has More Support Than 2 Other Trump Supreme Court Nominees, Poll Shows
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has more support than either of President Donald Trump’s previous nominees, a poll released Wednesday found. A Morning Consult poll released Wednesday found that 51% of voters said the Senate should confirm Barrett, numbers which have risen 3 percentage points from last week. The poll surveyed 1,994 voters between Oct. 16…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
What to Expect Ahead of Amy Coney Barrett’s Confirmation Vote Next Week
Senate Republicans are looking to confirm Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett next week, likely on Monday. The Senate Judiciary Committee is poised to vote on the nomination of Barrett, currently a judge on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, on Thursday. >>> Who’s the real Amy Coney Barrett? Here’s what some of…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
Here’s How Many Times Democrats Interrupted Amy Coney Barrett During Her Confirmation Hearings
Democratic senators interrupted Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett 78 times during her confirmation hearings, according to the Republican National Committee. President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee was interrupted 78 times throughout the hearings, RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel announced Friday morning. McDaniel claimed that these interruptions were met with “zero cries of sexism or ‘mansplaining’…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
‘Smart as a Whip’: American Bar Association Members Praise Amy Coney Barrett
A panel of American Bar Association leaders praised Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett Thursday morning, saying that Barrett is “well-qualified” to serve on the Supreme Court. American Bar Association Standing Committee Chair Randall Noel and ABA Lead Evaluator Pamela Roberts both spoke before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday and discussed why the ABA gave…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
Amy Coney Barrett Will Protect the Constitution
Modern debates over judicial nominees, to our great national shame, seem to feature more attacks on the person than sincere deliberation about his or her professional credentials. Missing is any reflection on the nominee’s judicial philosophy and demonstrated commitment to upholding the Constitution. Want better access to more videos from The Daily Signal? Subscribe to…Stephanie Taub -
- News
6 Top Takeaways From Final Day of Barrett’s Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee debated when they would vote on the nomination of federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court and listened to testimony from witnesses on the fourth and final day of hearings to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. President Donald Trump nominated…Fred Lucas