Tag Archives: Executive LL.M. program

Ian’s Legal Fact of the Week 11/27/17: Marriage Age in the U.S.

Posted on by November 27, 2017

Despite what is popularly believed, the U.S. does not offer robust protection against child marriage. Twenty-five states do not have a legal minimum age for marriage, while 8 others set the age at under 16. New Hampshire, for example, sets … Continue reading →

Ian’s Legal Fact of the Week 11/23/2015: Election of the President

Posted on by November 23, 2015

It was originally proposed that the President be chosen by popular vote, but the delegates to the Constitutional Convention agreed (after 60 ballots!) on a system known as the Electoral College. The procedure for election of the President and Vice President … Continue reading →

Ian’s Legal Fact of the Week 1/5/15: The Declaration of Independence

Posted on by January 5, 2015

While some have argued that the Declaration of Independence is part of the “organic law” of the U.S., the prevalent view is that the Declaration is not a legal document. It did not create a new government or enact any laws, … Continue reading →

Ian’s Legal Fact of the Week 11/17/14: Massachusetts and the Bill of Rights

Posted on by November 17, 2014

The Massachusetts delegation was deeply divided over ratifying the Constitution and was dominated by anti-federalists. The “Massachusetts compromise” to introduce amendments, led by John Hanckock and Samual Adams, convinced states such as New York, New Hampshire and Virginia to vote to … Continue reading →

Ian’s Legal Fact of the Week 10/27/14: Titles of Nobility Amendment

Posted on by October 27, 2014

Approved by Congress in 1810 as a proposed 13th Amendment, the Titles of Nobility Amendment was designed to strip U.S. citizenship from any citizen who accepted an aristocratic title from a foreign country. Ratified by tweleve states (the last in 1812) … Continue reading →

Ian’s Legal Fact of the Week 10/20/14: English Origins of Our Bill of Rights

Posted on by October 20, 2014

The U.S. Bill of Rights was inspired by several documents including the U.K.’s Bill of Rights passed in 1689. This Act set out certain basic rights, including: no royal interference with the law; freedom to petition the monarch with grievances; … Continue reading →

Ian’s Legal Fact of the Week 10/13/14: Medical Marijuana

Posted on by October 14, 2014

Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for medical use, with legislation pending in three more states. Massachusetts legalized medical marijuana in 2012 as a result of a ballot measure approved by 63% of state voters.

Ian’s Legal Fact of the Week 10/6/14: Sheriff

Posted on by October 14, 2014

In Anglo-Saxon England the chief magistrate of a district (or “shire”) was known as the “reeve”. The shire-reeve eventually became known as “sheriff”, or the main law enforcement officer of a county, and was used in the U.S. from the … Continue reading →

The Origins of “Passing the Bar”

Posted on by July 17, 2014

One question that I am asked from time to time has to do with the origins of the expression “passing the bar”. A common assumption is that there is some connection with admission to the legal profession and the ancient relationship between lawyers and … Continue reading →

Ian’s Legal Fact of the Week 2/10/14: Presidential Pardons

Posted on by February 10, 2014

The President is given the pardon power for federal crimes under Art. II, section 2 of the Constitution, which states that the President “shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment”. Pardon petitions are addressed to the President but usually referred further to the Office of the Pardon Attorney for a non-binding recommendation. A symbolic use of this power is the annual pardoning of a turkey as part of the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation.

Ian’s Legal Fact of the Week 2/3/14: Parole

Posted on by February 3, 2014

Parole–the discretionary, provisional release of an inmate who agrees to abide by the terms of his or her early release–can be said to have its origins in antiquity, when soldiers defeated in battle pledged not to take up arms again in exchange for their release. Parole in the U.S. criminal justice system is a fairly recent invention, first introduced in 1876 in New York’s Elmira Reformatory.

Ian’s Legal Fact of the Week 1/27/14: The Only Impeachment Trial of a Supreme Court Justice

Posted on by January 27, 2014

Only one Justice of the Supreme Court has ever faced impeachment: Samuel Chase,  signer of the Declaration of Independence, was appointed by President George Washington and served from 1796 – 1811. In 1805, articles of impeachment were brought against him in … Continue reading →