Articles

Supreme Court should wipe Thomas Jefferson High School ruling ‘off the books,’ Justice Alito says in dissent

February 22, 2024 | By CHRIS KIESER

We received heartbreaking news this week when the Supreme Court denied our petition for a writ of certiorari in Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax County School Board. The case challenged the school board’s overhaul of admissions at Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology—one of the best public high schools in America—undertaken t ...

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The Boston Globe : Should Massachusetts pass legislation to expand public access to beaches?

February 25, 2022 | By CHRIS KIESER

With just one word, the Massachusetts Legislature might upend almost 400 years of stable property rights along the state’s coastline. Lawmakers should think twice before going down this perilous road. In the early days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the General Court extended private ownership of coastal lands to the mean low-tide line (the ...

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National Review : A SCOTUS case that could shape property rights for years to come

March 22, 2021 | By CHRIS KIESER

California growers Cedar Point Nursery and Fowler Packing Company pride themselves on treating their employees with dignity and respect. Neither company’s employees wanted to unionize. Perhaps that is why the United Farm Workers invoked a California Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) regulation that grants union organizers the right to ...

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SCOTUSblog : Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act

February 17, 2021 | By CHRIS KIESER

The following article appeared in a SCOTUSblog symposium on Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee. PLF filed an amicus brief in support of the Arizona attorney general and the Arizona Republican Party. Our case preview is here. In the aftermath of the chaos that was the 2020 election-related litigation, it is easy to forget that the … ...

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Daily Journal : This land is your land – but Malibu won’t let you tell anyone

November 05, 2020 | By CHRIS KIESER

Whether you live in a city, a suburb, or out in the country, you have probably seen a “private property” or “no trespassing” sign. Such signs are ubiquitous across America and can be extremely helpful in protecting and preserving property rights. But some property owners find that it is harder than expected to put up … ...

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Daily Journal : Supreme Court to hear important Voting Rights Act case

October 13, 2020 | By CHRIS KIESER

The Voting Rights Act is one of the most successful pieces of legislation ever enacted. In the years immediately after its passage, record numbers of African-American registered and voted. Indeed, by 2012 African-American voting rates were the highest of any demographic in the country. Nevertheless, each election cycle Americans have grown accustom ...

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The Times of Northwest Indiana : Indiana Supreme Court’s decision on Lake Michigan beach access is unconstitutional. Here’s why.

January 07, 2020 | By CHRIS KIESER

Randy and Kimberley Pavlock built their small family home along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Porter, Indiana, with their own hands. The Pavlocks have owned the property for five generations, and love being “beach people.” Their home and private beach on Lake Michigan are the center of their family life, as they often hold fish … ...

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PLF client publishes op-ed on racial discrimination in New York City schools

March 04, 2019 | By CHRIS KIESER

This past weekend, the New York Post published a powerful op-ed written by Wai Wah Chin, president of PLF client Chinese American Citizens Alliance of Greater New York (CACAGNY). In the piece, Wai Wah decries Mayor Bill de Blasio and Education Chancellor Richard Carranza’s effort to racially balance New York City’s renowned specialized ...

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De Blasio’s attempt to reduce the number of Asian-American students in the Discovery Program is unconstitutional

December 15, 2018 | By CHRIS KIESER

Originally published by the Daily News, December 15, 2018. New York City’s specialized high schools are the envy of the nation. Schools like Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech provide a world-class public education for about 12,000 children throughout the city each year, many of whom are economically disadvantaged. For parents who ca ...