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LPE Blog

Can DEI Workers Strike Back?

Even as the Trump administration seeks to dismantle DEI in the name of “merit,” the law it distorts still harbors possibilities for resistance. Title VII prohibits retaliation against employees who oppose discrimination, and workers purged for their past DEI efforts should consider pursuing retaliation claims against their employers. Such lawsuits would. . .

The Rise of OIRA 2.0

The Trump Administration’s use of individualized, firm-level waivers and exemptions marks a new frontier in presidential control of the administrative state. This strategy allows the administration to bypass the formal process for repealing regulations while turning deregulation itself into a tool for distributing political favors.

Weekly Roundup: Oct 24

James Tierney on Intel and American State Capitalism, David Abraham on Capitalism, Democracy, and Weimar Germany, and Rana Jaleel and Risa Lieberwitz on the weaponization of Title VI. Plus, Veena Dubal and Genevieve Lakier on why universities should reject Trump’s Compact, Oren Bracha on IP Law and the shortcomings of originalism and textualism, Chris. . .

Intel and the New State Capitalism

While some have cast the U.S. government’s $8.9 billion equity stake in Intel as the first step on the road to socialism, upon closer examination it looks more like a distinctive form of American state capitalism: one that entrenches corporate power while foreclosing more democratic and effective alternatives.

Weekly Roundup: Oct 17

Marshall Steinbaum on anti-monopolism as an ideology of the left, and Amna Akbar, Sameer Ashar, and Jocelyn Simonson on movement law under fascism. Plus, Dave Pozen and Jed Purdy examine three competing narratives of the Trump Administration, Amanda Shanor & Serena Mayeri explain why universities should reject the Compact for Higher Education, California. . .

Movement Law Under Fascism

As fascist tendencies intensify across the United States, social movements continue to organize against the forces of state repression. Legal scholars must stand with these movements, grounding our analysis in struggle and supporting those fighting on the frontlines with our relative social power and institutional resources.

Anti-Monopolism as an Ideology of the Left

Some on the left dismiss anti-monopolism as a distraction from the core conflict between labor and capital. But this view misunderstands both history and strategy: antitrust has long been a tool for democratizing economic power, and it remains essential for resisting attempts to control economic production wherever and whenever it occurs.

Weekly Roundup: Oct 10

Luke Herrine on neoliberalism and authoritarianism in higher ed, Beau Baumann on losing and regaining administrative legitimacy, and Matthew Dimick on the dreaded double distortion argument against predistribution. Plus, higher ed “compact” reflections from Joey Fishkin, Genevieve Lakier, and Henry Farrell, an upcoming event on tenant unions, a. . .

Predistribution and the Law and Economics of Income Inequality

Law and Economics scholars argue that if income redistribution is to happen at all, it should occur exclusively through the tax system, rather than through supposedly less efficient methods, such as the minimum wage, collective bargaining, or housing regulation. Yet even by their own lights, these arguments fail: in many cases, predistributive policies are. . .

Rebuilding State Authority In A Post-Trump America

In the ruins of the administrative state after Trump, many on the left see an opportunity to design a New Deal-type reconstruction agenda. But building state capacity requires a government that is seen as legitimate, and it is precisely the erosion of legitimacy in the eyes of the public that has enabled Trump to carry out his deconstructive agenda.

Weekly Roundup: Oct 3

Steffen Seitz on conspiracy law and social movements, Darryl Li on the weaponization of campus antisemitism investigations, and Erik Peinert on the staying power of the antimonopoly movement. Plus, two upcoming events in NYC, a cool internship with the movement law lab, a Big Law organizing guide, and new items from Luke Herrine, Lily Hu, Adam Przeworski, and. . .