Faculty in the News | USC Gould School of Law

The New York Times

July 1, 2023

Lee Epstein was quoted by The New York Times about the landmark rulings by the United States Supreme Court that have often favored the right wing. “Looking across the entire docket — not just the term’s last two days — the data show a shift from the most conservative and aggressive court in modern history to one that has moderated,” said Epstein.

The Aspen Times

July 1, 2023

Re: Lee Epstein

Lee Epstein, along with other panelists, sat down to discuss potential reforms that could lessen the current state of America's polarization, and partisan politics, at the Aspen Ideas Fest. Epstein noted that the courts have not remained immune to polarization.

KCBS Radio

July 1, 2023

Re: Stephen M. Rich

Stephen Rich was quoted by KCBS to discuss the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action and the ripple effects in the workplace. "Lots of things go into the mix as concerns with DEI, so I supposed the first one would be what's the formal policy. Is there an explicit and observable consideration of race?" said Rich.

LA Sentinel

June 29, 2023

Re: Jody David Armour

Professor Jody Armour was a panelist in the New Frontier Democratic Club "Face The State," which allowed the California community to discuss reparations for Black Americans. “When it comes to thinking about reparations, how does the rest of the African diaspora figure in our thinking about reparations? Should they be part of the discussion, and in what way? Or is this a unique stance whereby American Blacks think differently from other Blacks?,” questioned Armour.

Reuters

June 25, 2023

Re: Adam Zimmerman

Adam Zimmerman was quoted by Reuters about the U.S. lawsuit settlement involving GSK. This story was also run on Investing.com and Yahoo.

PolitiFact

June 22, 2023

Re: Scott Altman

Scott Altman was quoted by PolitiFact about California's Assembly Bill 957, which asks courts to consider a parent's affirmation of a child's gender identity within custody cases. "Between two good-fit parents, there are tiebreakers that can lead to a judge declaring one to be the better fit for primary custody," Altman stated.

Compact Mag

June 21, 2023

Re: Scott Altman

Scott Altman was quoted by Compact Mag about California's Bill, AB 957, which asks courts to consider a parent's affirmation of a child's gender identity within custody cases. “I don’t think there’s any question that this is constitutional,” Altman said.

Daily Trojan

June 20, 2023

Re: Jody David Armour

Professor Jody Armour was one of the faculty members that helped USC celebrate Juneteenth with a ceremony that included speeches from the USC faculty.

Law.com

June 20, 2023

Re: Adam Zimmerman

Professor Adam Zimmerman was quoted about a forthcoming study he co-authored on lawyer diversity in the largest U.S. federal court cases. “Some of the biggest findings were that it’s a deeper bench of lawyers who are participating in some of the highest levels of leadership than we thought,” Zimmerman said. “That demonstrated there was a deep bench for a lot of potential for new faces and voices that could emerge.”

Palo Alto Daily Post

June 16, 2023

Re: Abby K. Wood

Professor Abby Wood was quoted by the Palo Alto Daily Post about the new state law that was passed that restricts public officials from getting paid for speeches. “I think the whole thing is lousy,” said Wood. "But it may be up to the legislature, not the FPPC, to change the broad language of the law."

Reuters

June 12, 2023

Re: Adam Zimmerman

Adam Zimmerman was quoted by Reuters the settlement between JPMorgan and Jeffrey Epstein victims, resulting in a $290 million payout. "A settlement with Epstein's victims frees JPMorgan to begin to turn the page and change the narrative," Zimmerman said.

Election Law Blog

June 8, 2023

Re: Franita Tolson

Dean Franita Tolson wrote an op-ed about the Supreme Court decision in Allen v. Milligan. "In a number of Section 2 cases, courts opposed to the Voting Rights Act have tended to parse the history in order to defeat the claim, i.e., the allegations of discrimination in voting were too long ago to support Section 2 liability," said Tolson. "Roberts did not do that here, simply deferring to the district court on the history of discrimination. That was surprising to me as well given how common it has become for the history to be dismissed as too distant from the violation."

AP News

June 6, 2023

Re: Franita Tolson

Dean Franita Tolson was quoted by AP News on the issues that have risen around voting rights and the Supreme Court. “At that point, you have to ask yourself what’s left of the Voting Rights Act?” said Tolson. This story was also ran on sentinelcolorado and NBCWashington and SeattleTimes and KTLA *This story ran in more than 130 other news outlets.

LLM Guide

June 5, 2023

Re: USC Gould School of Law

Professor Sarah Gruzas was quoted by LLM Guide about how law schools have been adapting to the increase in technological advancements, especially with the increased need for attorneys with the creation of AI. “Attorneys work on the front end, conducting threat assessments to ensure that their clients’ systems and data are protected, and on the back end, to navigate any legal issues that may arise as a result of the attacks," Gruzas said.

India Education Diary

June 4, 2023

Re: D. Daniel Sokol

Professor Daniel Sokol was quoted by the India Education Diary for endorsing USC's new joint degree in economics, law and regulation. “We have found that employers place considerable value on talent with interdisciplinary skills in economics and the regulation of markets that include analytical and written skills,” Sokol said.

The New Yorker

June 2, 2023

Re: John Matsusaka

John Matsusaka was quoted by The New Yorker about how Republican legislators are seeking to raise the threshold for passing constitutional amendments in response to abortion access concerns. “If you go back far enough, you will see that these things come in waves. What typically happens is when voters start to use direct democracy a lot, the politicians start to propose these restrictions," Matsusaka said.

Politi Fact

May 23, 2023

Re: David B. Cruz

Professor David Cruz was quoted by Politi Fact about the controversial bill that was passed in Connecticut. "Paying even modest attention to the bill’s definitions should make it clear beyond doubt that it will not be the source of protections based upon the age of people to whom one is attracted or with whom one has sex," Cruz said.

San Francisco Chronicle

May 16, 2023

Re: Jody David Armour

Jody Armour was quoted in a story about the San Francisco District Attorney's decision not to charge a security guard in the shooting death of a suspected shoplifter, and questions about whether the guard's claims that he acted in self-defense are supported by witness claims and surveillance video. “You let a jury decide that,” said Armour. “It seems, therefore, the decision was more politically motivated than by just the facts.”

Franklin County Times

May 12, 2023

Re: Elyn Saks

Professor Elyn Saks was quoted by the Franklin County Times about the consideration of mental health matters in society. “No one would ever say that someone with a broken arm or a broken leg is less than a whole person, but people say that or imply that all the time about people with mental illness,” said Saks.

The Hill

May 11, 2023

Re: Jonathan Barnett

Professor Jonathan Barnett wrote an op-ed article about antitrust regulations and the effect of the internet on these claims. "The case for caution is especially strong given the absence of persuasive evidence for killer acquisitions in tech markets outside pharma," wrote Barnett.

Bloomberg

May 10, 2023

Re: D. Daniel Sokol

D. Daniel Sokol was quoted in a story about USC Gould's new Master of Innovation Economics, Law and Regulation. “The MIELR degree will train economists and consultants to interface with lawyers, training students to understand the substantial overlap between law and microeconomics, particularly in the fields of antitrust, privacy, data security and intellectual property law,” he said.

LA Progressive

May 9, 2023

Re: Jody David Armour

Professor Jody Armour's “Art and Justice” seminar was mentioned in regard to an interview with Samual Brown.

OperaWire

May 6, 2023

Re: USC Gould School of Law

Elyn Saks was cited in an article by OperaWire about an opera, titled "The Center Cannot Hold," modeled after her memoir.

Bloomberg

May 2, 2023

Re: USC Gould School of Law

The USC Gould School of Law and the University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Department of Economics will launch a joint degree program, the Master of Science in Innovation Economics, Law and Regulation in Fall 2023. "Students in this distinctive program will gain comprehensive knowledge of the economic and regulatory complexities of digital service industries and innovation-driven workplaces that include tech and biotech. The degree is ideal for students with an interest in law looking to study economic theory and data analysis or for students with a background in economics or STEM looking to study relevant laws and economics that govern innovation." This was also covered in other news outlets such as the Business Wire, Yahoo, TMCnet, Acrofan, The AI Journal and more.

Los Angeles Business Journal

May 1, 2023

Re: Kevin Burke

Professor Kevin Burke was quoted by the Los Angeles Business Journal about the effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on law firms that allowed them to grow. "It really precipitously stopped this year. Businesses, because of uncertainty and inflation, scaled back. It became something unappealing to go into transactions or M&A mode. It in effect put a brake on everything," Burke said about law firms during the pandemic.

NBC News

April 30, 2023

Re: Lee Epstein

Professor Lee Epstein was quoted by NBC News when talking about the minimal rulings the Supreme Court hears now in comparison to past decades. "In the 1922-23 term, the court heard 205 cases...This term it was a mere 59." This story also ran on reason and CNBC and Yahoo.

Phys Org

April 28, 2023

Re: Robin Craig

Professor Robin Craig was quoted by Phys Org about the issues with the Colorado River reservoirs beginning to dry up and the plans to change this. "Food, energy and water tend to be regulated separately, which can be problematic. You can't change policy in one of these areas without impacting the others," said Craig.

Los Angeles Times

April 25, 2023

Re: Jody David Armour

Professor Jody Armour wrote an op-ed that was published in the Los Angeles Times about self-defense laws affecting violent racism. "This deeply disturbing legal reality highlights the limited capacity of our legal system to adequately address such incidents even if we repealed “stand your ground” laws for civilians and abolished qualified immunity for law enforcement," Armour said.

Inside Higher Ed

April 24, 2023

Re: Robin Craig

Professor Robin Craig was quoted by Inside Higher Ed about how the lack of water can affect efforts when fighting COVID-19.

Business Insider

April 24, 2023

Re: Clare Pastore

Clare Pastore was quoted by Business Insider about Justice Clarence Thomas choosing not to recuse himself from a 2004 appeals case, and how this resurfacing could likely bring a new code of conduct. "I think it's quite likely we get some movement in one of those ways," Pastore said. "That would be a good step in the right direction." This story was also run on Yahoo

USA Today

April 19, 2023

Re: Scott Altman

Scott Altman was quoted by USA Today in reference to California's new bill, A.B. 957, and the false rumors that have spread throughout the media about the bill. "Altman said the proposed bill allows the state to bypass parental consent for some mental health care, which might be gender-affirming, but it wouldn't allow gender-affirming surgery without consent," USA Today wrote.

Los Angeles Business Journal

April 17, 2023

Re: Kevin Burke

Professor Kevin Burke was quoted by the Los Angeles Business Journal about the development of Somos Group, a new downtown Los Angeles boutique firm. “You might say, ‘We’re providing you with this, but we can also give you a bit of advisory and consulting on land use issues and help you make a decision,’” Burke said. “It’s a cool thing. What they’re doing is creating this expertise ecosystem for service delivery to the client that captures specialties that meet their needs and in some circumstances extend beyond the traditional lawyer thing.”

NPR

April 17, 2023

Re: Robin Craig

Professor Robin Craig was quoted by NPR about the lack of water in regions near Native American tribes. "For tribes like the Navajo, these water rights have never been quantified or delivered. I compared the pandemic experiences of two tribes, the Navajo in Arizona and the Klamath in Oregon, to investigate how minimal access to potable water affected their respective capacities to address COVID-19," Craig said. This story was also run on Insidehighered.

Insider

April 15, 2023

Re: Clare Pastore

Professor Clare Pastore was quoted by Insider about United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' recent scrutiny revolving around the sale of his childhood home. "We don't have those mechanisms with life-tenured justices, so that's why their behavior on the bench is even more important than politicians on whom we do have some checks," Pastore said.

The New York Times Magazine

April 14, 2023

Re: Franita Tolson

Professor Franita Tolson was asked about how much power the courts should have and referenced the importance of Congress' power in the civil rights era.

Los Angeles Times

April 9, 2023

Re: Elyn Saks

Professor Elyn Saks was quoted by the Los Angeles Times about the updates to the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act in California. "Saks argued that denial of mental illness is not proof of a patient’s incompetency — that it can be “'a rational attempt to avoid negative consequences,'” such as the negative side effects associated with medications.

LLM Guide

April 7, 2023

Re: Sarah Gruzas

The Director of Graduate and International Programs at USC Gould School of Law recently gave her opinion on students enrolling in an LL.M. Program. “The LL.M. allows students to interact with professionals from around the world; taking time to seek out these connections and develop lifelong personal and professional relationships [is important]. The LL.M. is also a great time to explore the new city in which they are living,” Gruzas said.

Daily Trojan

March 28, 2023

Re: Deepika Sharma

Professor Deepika Sharma quoted by the Daily Trojan about how the HLPC has been educating students on tenants' rights and protections. “The way the law works in California, you could have a rent increase of 40% one day,” Sharma said. “If that’s the case … at the very least you’ll qualify for a relocation … These ‘just cause’ measures are going to apply and help, I think the last estimate was over 300,000 units in the city.”

Los Angeles Daily News

March 26, 2023

Re: Thomas Lenz

Thomas Lenz was quoted by the Los Angeles Daily News about the historic labor settlement that was reached for Los Angeles Unified School District workers. “I will be expecting the local unions will be ramping up their demands, and the members who hear about this will be increasing their expectations because they know it can be done,” Lenz said.

Zocalo Public Square

March 24, 2023

Re: John Matsusaka

John Matsusaka was quoted by Zocalo Public Square about his takes on the current government and the future of democracy within the United States. "We’re behind the curve in terms of the rest of the world," Matsusaka said. "We used to be the democracy pioneer—everyone would look at us and say here’s how you do it—but nobody looks to us now because our institutions are getting old and will need to be updated for the 21st century."

The Real Deal

March 23, 2023

Re: Deepika Sharma

Professor Deepika Sharma was quoted by The Real Deal about helping start the Gould Housing Law and Policy Clinic. "Sharma made national headlines in 2018 for getting a real estate investment firm to pay $2.5 million to settle a federal lawsuit. The suit alleged the REIT pressured Latino and mentally disabled tenants to leave a rent-controlled building."

Spectrum News

March 22, 2023

Re: Robin Craig

Professor Robin Craig was recently interviewed about her thoughts on the bans on gasoline-powered lawnmowers and leaf blowers. “You get a lot of people who are sitting there right on top of the fumes, breathing them in, so you get a lot of individual damage,” Craig said. “Cumulatively, it adds up. It can be as bad as cars in some respects.”

Daily Trojan

March 22, 2023

Re: Robin Craig

Professor Robin Craig was quoted by the Daily Trojan about the recent Navajo Nation court cases regarding the Colorado River Basin. “It’ll be an interesting case, because the trust that the United States owes to tribal nations has been ill-defined in law,” Craig said. “The Navajo Nation, in particular, has been left without water for a very long time.”

Roll Call

March 16, 2023

Re: Robin Craig

Professor Robin Craig was quoted by Roll Call about the Navajo nation's water issues in a drought-stricken area. "Craig said the 9th Circuit’s approach comes from a 1908 Supreme Court case that found tribes had some water rights where they were not explicitly granted."

Courthouse News Service

March 16, 2023

Re: Robin Craig

Professor Robin Craig was quoted by Courthouse News Service about her thoughts on the Navajo Nation's fight for more water resources. “What the Navajo Nation is doing in this case is saying that the United States, because of all these failures to get those water rights quantified, has breached a trust duty to the tribe,” Craig said. Craig was also mentioned in the Tucson Sentinel.

India Education Diary

March 13, 2023

Re: Robin Craig

Professor Robin Craig discussed the issues with the Colorado River reservoirs beginning to dry up. “When they made their original estimates of the river’s annual yield, states were aware that there probably wasn’t going to be that amount of water available in the years to come,” said Robin Craig.

USC Annenberg Media

March 10, 2023

Re: Andrés Cantero

Professor Andres Cantero was quoted by USC Annenberg Media to discuss the Los Angeles Room and Board's new location opening in LA. “With the state of emergency that was declared around homelessness, Mayor Bass’ efforts have really helped us streamline and expedite the opening of our projects,” said Cantero.

The Economic Times

March 8, 2023

Re: D. Daniel Sokol

Professor D. Daniel Sokol co-authored an opinion piece published by The Economic Times about tourism in India. “If India does not want to be left behind globally and to benefit from increased tourism and business travel, Indian companies need to understand that branding matters, and quality of service will be judged by more global standards. It is not just up to the government in creating appropriate infrastructure. Even corporate response needs to align itself to the global standards,” Sokol and his co-author wrote.

LLM Guide

March 7, 2023

Re: Sarah Gruzas

Professor Sarah Gruzas was quoted by LLM Guide about why earning an LL.M. degree is beneficial and useful for students. “The LL.M. allows students to interact with professionals from around the world; taking time to seek out these connections and develop lifelong personal and professional relationships [is important]," Gruzas said.

USC Annenberg Media

March 6, 2023

Re: Jeffrey Pearlman

Jeff Pearlman discusses the importance of properly giving credit to prevent plagiarism in regard to the current investigation involving a USC oncologist and plagiarism. "Maybe the solution to this is simply to give credit depending on much he's taken," Pearlman said.

Daily Trojan

February 17, 2023

Re: Henna Pithia

Professor Henna Pithia along with other Gould School students was acknowledged by the Daily Trojan for recently helping a Ukrainian family with the refugee and immigration process in America.

Fox11 Los Angeles

February 15, 2023

Re: Jody David Armour

Professor Jody Armour was asked about his work with USC students and Los Angeles community members during Black History Month. "We don't have any politically correct opinions. We challenge boundaries," Armour said. "We interrogate one another's position and I tell them to be an effective advocate, you have to be able to make an argument for the other side that's more even eloquent than they can make and then take on that argument, so you have to see both sides as much as possible."

The Malibu Times

February 11, 2023

Re: Jody David Armour

A recent quote from Professor Jody Armour in the New York Times was referenced in the Malibu Time op-ed post. “We have a very simplistic way of approaching the problem of policing and believing that representation is some kind of silver bullet … it’s not just a Black and white issue, but a Black and blue one," said Armour.

Los Angeles Times

February 8, 2023

Re: John Matsusaka

Professor John Matsusaka was recently interviewed about two major corporations' win to have a ballot vote against progressive policies approved by Democratic California officials. “Anybody with enough money or signatures can put it on the ballot, but ultimately, they can’t pass it,” Matsusaka said. “Ultimately, it goes to the voters of California and the majority rules.”

Rolling Stone

January 31, 2023

Re: Jody David Armour

Professor Jody Armour paid sentiment to songs, like "Fuck the Police" which opened the eyes of citizens in suburban America regarding issues involving police brutality. “You start to recognize that there are alternative perspectives on the police… that’s inviting you to adopt a new perspective," Armour said. "That’s what great art does.”

The New York Times

January 28, 2023

Re: Jody David Armour

Professor Jody Armour was interviewed by the New York Times about the recent policy brutality incident that led to the death of Tyre Nichols. “It’s not just a Black and white issue, but a Black and blue one. And when you put on that blue uniform, it often becomes the primary identity that drowns out any other identities that might compete with it," Armour said.

KNBC TV

January 27, 2023

Re: Jody David Armour

Professor Jody Armour was interviewed by KNBC TV about the recent police brutality incident that led to the death of Tyre Nichols. Armour was also recently interviewed about the death of Tyre Nichols by the BBC.

LLM Guide

January 18, 2023

Re: USC Gould School of Law

Nicholas Kajimoto was recently interviewed about if LL.M.s are right for students since law schools are now more invested in learning new online infrastructure programs. “Students do not have to disrupt their lives to move to a certain location for a specific period of time, so they can obtain a quality education anywhere by learning online,” Kajimoto said.

Bloomberg Tax

January 18, 2023

Re: Michael Simkovic

Michael Simkovic recently discussed how many crypto firms are working to reorganize after the economic market downturns. “Cryptocurrency firms basically have to answer the question, ‘What is the value that they provide that existing financial institutions cannot provide just as well,’” Simkovic said.

The New Yorker

January 16, 2023

Re: Edward McCaffery

Professor Edward McCaffery was recently interviewed about the controversy over America's taxes and the effects it has on the country's current political divide. “Tax, which is supposed to be a cure, is in fact one of the problems," McCaffery said. "This is a pattern that recurs throughout history. Capital keeps getting more and more unequal, until there’s a crash.”

KPCC Air Talk

January 10, 2023

Re: Jody David Armour

Jody Armour was interviewed for a program about changing your look and discussed the reactions to his hair, now worn in cornrows, and the difficulties African Americans have had with attitudes about their hair. “I’m glad that here in California we have the CROWN Act now that was signed into legislation by Gavin Newsom; (Los Angeles County Supervisor) Holly Mitchell led the charge on it, and it protects African American hairstyles from discrimination in the workplace.”

Blue Toad Publication

January 1, 2023

Re: Jody David Armour

Professor Jody Armour was included in the list of Dream Team Law Professors by the preLAW publication in the Winter 2023 addition. "II can't think of any issue that I've covered that I can't break down into plain and simple terms," Armour said about his beliefs when it comes to legal arguments.

CNN

December 30, 2022

Re: Edward McCaffery

Ed McCaffery wrote an op-ed about Trump’s tax returns, noting that the release highlights that nothing has been done so far to make the rich pay their fair share of taxes but that there is hope that the tax returns also highlight the need for action. “Maybe, just maybe, 2023 will be a better year for all. I can write nothing at all about Trump’s tax returns. And we can all celebrate Congress doing something (by providing nearly $80 billion to strengthen the IRS as part of the Inflation Reduction Act – a good start) about making the wealthiest Americans pay… something,” McCaffery writes.

The New York Times

December 19, 2022

Re: Rebecca Brown

Rebecca Brown was quoted in a story about how the U.S. Supreme Court appears to be withdrawing power from other branches of the government. The story cited a study by Brown and Lee Epstein indicating that SCOTUS is "establishing a position of judicial supremacy over the president and Congress." “When the court used to rule in favor of the president, they would do so with a sort of humility,” Brown said. “They would say: ‘It’s not up to us to decide this. We will defer to the president. He wins.’ Now the court says, ‘The president wins because we think he’s right.’”

Yahoo! News

December 14, 2022

Re: Edward McCaffery

McCaffery was recently interviewed about singer Kanye West's apparel brand, Yeezy, intense tax debt. “That’s certainly a sign of either extreme incompetence or extreme cash problems,” McCaffery said. West's brand owes $600,000 to the state of California. The story also appeared in several other news outlets including Daily Mail , NBC News , Business Insider , Rolling Stone and Huff Post

TechDirt

December 12, 2022

Re: Jody David Armour

Jody Armour was quoted in a story about whether incoming Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna will live up to his promises to reform the sheriff’s department. “Voters who wanted a real alternative had one candidate,” he said.

Democracy Now!

December 8, 2022

Re: Franita Tolson

Franita Tolson was quoted in a story about Moore v. Harper, a North Carolina redistricting case under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court. "The stakes are really, really high because, just from a practical standpoint, the state legislature can operate free of state constitutional constraints. That means that with respect to federal elections they can remove a lot of the protections that state law provides for voters. A free and fair election provision is very important for ensuring that voters can exercise a right to vote that's meaningful."

Los Angeles Times

December 8, 2022

Re: Elyn Saks

A quote from Elyn Saks' memoir was included in a story about schizophrenia and one patient's journey through the broken California mental health system. “Every sight, every sound, every smell coming at you carries equal weight; every thought, feeling, memory and idea presents itself to you with an equally strong and demanding intensity,” Saks wrote in the memoir "The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness."

KPCC Air Talk

December 7, 2022

Re: Jody David Armour

Jody Armour was quoted about the legacy of outgoing LA Mayor Eric Garcetti. “He did help pass Measure HHH and has really gotten behind some efforts to help ameliorate the problem of houselessness in LA but we’ve seen how feckless those interventions have proven to be. They have not moved the needle in a significant way, and that is really the problem he’s saddled with.”

The New York Times

December 2, 2022

Re: Lee Epstein

Lee Epstein, in a story about rulings by judges appointed by President Trump, noted that a preliminary analysis of 25,000 votes by appeals court judges from 1995 to 2020 on cases of politically charged topics showed that Trump appointees appeared to be the most conservative judges on the bench.

China Daily

December 2, 2022

Re: Robin Craig

Environmental law professor, Robin Craig, was interviewed about the continuous and extreme acceleration of species extinction across the globe. "Among other things, climate change complicates efforts to provide species and ecosystems with room to flourish because they are both shifting their ranges and rearranging their interactions as a result of warmer temperatures," Craig said.

Law360

December 1, 2022

Re: Rebecca Brown

Rebecca Brown and Lee Epstein were recently cited for their paper published this October that divulges into the ideologies of the United States Supreme Court justices. "Instead, there are increasingly frequent indications that the court is establishing a position of judicial supremacy over the president and Congress," Epstein and Brown said.

South China Morning Post

December 1, 2022

Re: Elyn Saks

Saks was recently interviewed about living with Schizophrenia and how she has spread awareness about being diagnosed with one of the most stigmatized mental illnesses. “A common misconception is that we’re unable to care for ourselves, and that’s not true. For some people it is, but not for all of us. We can have relationships – romantic [ones] and friendships. But we often don’t see that [in the media] because of the emphasis on sensationalism and ‘othering’ us" Saks said.

The Washington Post

November 30, 2022

Re: Elyn Saks

Elyn Saks was recently interviewed about New York City's new motives to force mentally ill people from the streets of the city and into psychiatric care facilities. "Saks, who has written about her own experience being involuntarily committed, said the focus should be on finding ways to get people to seek or agree to help on their own, which she said was “'a more sustainable solution.'”

The Washington Post

November 30, 2022

Re: Elyn Saks

Elyn Saks was quoted in a story about New York City Mayor Eric Adams' directive that authorities involuntarily commit people who are thought to be a danger to themselves and others, even if they are not an imminent threat to the public. Saks said the directive was probably legal, though that doesn't mean "that it's desirable or a good thing," she said, adding that the focus should be on encouraging them to seek treatment on their own, which she called "a more sustainable solution."

USA Today

November 28, 2022

Re: Elyn Saks

Elyn Saks was interviewed about what schizophrenia really is. "A common misconception is that we're unable to care for ourselves and that's not true," she said. "For some people it is, but not for all of us. We can have relationships –romantic and friendships. But we often don't see that (in the media) because of the emphasis on sensationalism and 'othering' us."

CNN

November 24, 2022

Re: Edward McCaffery

Ed McCaffery wrote an opinion piece about the release of President Trump's tax returns and the opportunities the release presents for reform: "For here is something that all Americans should be able to agree on: something is wrong with a system in which a billionaire president can pay no taxes. Either that’s not legal, and someone should be holding him or her to account, or it is legal and the laws should change. We have to better watch the watchdogs enforcing the present law, and we have to take a harder look at that law itself," McCaffery wrote.

Law360

November 23, 2022

Re: Thomas Lenz

Thomas Lenz was interviewed about The National Labor Relations Board's warning that it may have to furlough workers if Congress does not add to its budget. "It would take a fully staffed NLRB and one that has funding to embark on the force of litigation and activities that the general counsel has very openly aspired to pursue," he said.

Los Angeles Times

November 21, 2022

Re: Jody David Armour

Jody Armour was interviewed about the dangers of grouping all non-white races into a "people of color" category. “We have talked about this a lot over the years,” he said. “I’ve always been skeptical of the ‘people of color’ category.” He considers it “potentially deleterious to the well-being of Black people.”

The New York Times

November 21, 2022

Re: Lee Epstein

Research by Lee Epstein and colleagues was cited in a story about SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts' failure to protect the court's legitimacy by encouraging consensus and narrow rulings. As an example, Epstein's research highlighted at least one dissent in 72 percent of the court's signed decisions in argued cases, the highest rate in four decades.

Los Angeles Daily News

November 18, 2022

Re: Eileen Decker

Eileen Decker was mentioned in an article about Sheriff-elect Robert Luna's transition team, which includes Decker, a member of the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners and a former deputy U.S. attorney. Decker was also mentioned in ABC7, LAist, American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest and The Antelope Valley Times.

Law360

November 14, 2022

Re: USC Gould School of Law

Thomas Lenz was interviewed about how digital platforms are a minefield of potential labor violations when employers and unions use them to communicate with organizing workers. "Probably now more than ever, reasonable minds may very well differ on whether something is truly unlawful and tending to interfere with someone's rights," he said.

Los Angeles Times

November 14, 2022

Re: USC Gould School of Law

Jody Armour was quoted in a story about the LAPD changing tactics on pretextual police stops, leading to fewer stops for minor violations, after concerns about racial disparities in who was usually pulled over. “You had the kind of powder keg that built up in L.A. through the ’80s and ’90s as a lot of policymakers and other decision-makers in the Southland and L.A. decided that the way to fight rising crime in L.A. was by allowing more pretextual stops, more investigative searches, more stop-and-frisk on wheels, more broken windows policing, zero-tolerance policing,” he said.

Annenberg Media ATVN

October 27, 2022

Re: Thomas Lenz

Thomas Lenz was interviewed about the hold on the construction of LA Metro's Purple Line due to numerous injuries. "LA Metro certainly has an interest in exploring this to figure out why are these things happening, what can we do to fix it and get this job done in a safe way.

Law360

October 24, 2022

Re: Thomas Lenz

Thomas Lenz was interviewed about how warehouse workers at a California Amazon facility have withdrawn their petition for a union representation election. "I think that it is something where if momentum can be maintained by labor, they're going to perhaps not win with all of their efforts, but they're going to be able to maintain constant pressure where they make gradual gains. And that is remarkable."

Law360

October 20, 2022

Re: Thomas Lenz

Thomas Lenz was interviewed about how the National Labor Relations Board's top prosecutor directed field attorneys to pursue interim settlements of unfair labor practice claims rather than seek federal court orders. Lenz characterized the memo as "the NLRB's way of saying, 'We're trying to be aggressive, but we're facing budget problems.'"

Dr. Phil

October 19, 2022

Re: Jody David Armour

Jody Armour was quoted as a member of a panel discussing parental rights regarding school curricula, stemming in part from Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill, which Armour criticized for its vagueness that leads to “a chilling effect.” “If you don’t know if you’re going to run afoul of them, you just avoid those conversations altogether,” he said.

LLM Guide

October 18, 2022

Re: Sarah Gruzas

Sarah Gruzas was interviewed about how online LL.M. courses lower barriers and improve access to law school. “Online learning provides a new pathway for students to access instruction and connect with other online learners in a more accessible and convenient way,” she said.

CBS News Los Angeles

October 12, 2022

Re: Jody David Armour

Jody Armour was interviewed as part of a "town hall" panel discussion about the leaked recording of LA City Council members making racist comments that have exacerbated existing tensions in Los Angeles. "We gotta keep the work going, there's a lot of work still to be done. Anti-blackness runs deep," he said. "Even among my Asian students, they'll point out that darker Asians are sometimes discriminated against. We know within the Latinx community that happens. Anti-blackness is the core issue that we keep coming back to."

Schmoozin' with Forouzan

October 11, 2022

Re: Thomas Lenz

Thomas Lenz was interviewed about the defense attorney's prospective. "I work with employers in a variety of industries," he said. "I work in the perspective of helping them manage their workforce in a lawful and responsible way." Note: this is a video podcast.

KPCC AirTalk

October 10, 2022

Re: Jody David Armour

Jody Armour was interviewed about Nury Martinez' resignation as City Council President after leaked recordings of racist comments. “I wouldn’t exceptionalize it … and say it’s a few bad apples," said Armour. "I think it reflects something systemic, a kind of anti-Blackness that we have to contend with in a deeper way.”

FOX 11 Los Angeles

October 10, 2022

Re: Jody David Armour

Jody Armour was cited about Nury Martinez's racist remarks against councilman Mike Bonin’s then two-year-old son. "LA has led the country in a lot of ways when it comes to racial justice," he said. "And, so now, it's really our chance to take the torch and figure out how we can translate our rhetoric about multiculturalism into a reality among different groups."

The American Prospect

October 5, 2022

Re: Robin Craig

Robin Craig was interviewed about water lawsuits in Georgia. The media story line that pitted metro Atlanta residents against the oyster fishermen of Apalachicola is “a caricature,” she said. The agriculture sector is the biggest user of water in the basin. Producing roughly $2 billion in crops annually, Southwest Georgia farmers rely heavily on the Flint River. The Chattahoochee also provides water for power generators and other municipal and industrial users.

The Volokh Conspiracy

October 1, 2022

Re: Robin Craig

Robin Craig was cited in an article about Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, in which the Sacketts are challenging the EPA's authority to regulate the use of their land under the Clean Water Act. Even if a given parcel (such as the Sackett's property) is not part of the "waters of the United States," activities on that parcel that result in pollution reaching regulated waters could be sufficient to subject such activities to federal regulation, she said. Please note this is a citation of a blog post by Craig on the American College of Environmental Lawyers website.

KPCC AirTalk

September 30, 2022

Re: Heidi Rummel

Heidi Rummel was interviewed about sentencing reform and the state of California prisons. "Almost all of the changes in sentencing laws related to people who've committed serious crimes or violent crimes in the community have a public safety component to them," she said.

USC Annenberg Media

September 30, 2022

Re: Thomas Lenz

Thomas Lenz was interviewed about Newsom signing a law allowing California farmworkers more opportunities to unionize. “This legislation will be a game changer if it is allowed to stand as written and enacted. It won’t surprise me to see agricultural employers [or] business groups try to challenge it in court,” he said.

NBC News

September 29, 2022

Re: Franita Tolson

Franita Tolson was interviewed about how Chief Justice Roberts is in the spotlight as the Supreme Court tackles race cases. For Roberts, a ruling in the state’s favor would be “consistent with his view of a colorblind Constitution,” she said. “That would be devastating for minority voting rights in this country,” she added.

USC Annenberg Media

September 28, 2022

Re: David Kirschner

David Kirschner was interviewed about USC Gould's new need-based grant assisting students from under-resourced backgrounds. “Very few private law schools offer need-based assistance,” he said. “It’s our desire to enroll as many low-income and economically challenged students as we can and providing need-based funds is a significant part of that.”

India Education Diary

September 27, 2022

Re: Andrew T. Guzman

Dean Andrew Guzman was quoted about the USC Gould JD Class Of 2025. “This is an important time to be studying law, as there is no profession that is more essential to the success of democracy,” he said. “Even the smallest legal changes can affect the lives of so many.”

Los Angeles Business Journal

September 26, 2022

Re: Michael Chasalow

Michael Chasalow was interviewed about how Beverly Crest-based educational platform Generation Genius Inc. has grown substantially, all without any venture capital backing. If startups can avoid venture capital, it’s definitely a better way to go because they are not beholden to investors, Chasalow said.

The Conversation

September 20, 2022

Re: Jean Lantz Reisz

Jean Reisz wrote an op-ed explaining why Ron DeSantis dropping migrants off on Martha’s Vineyard may be illegal. "Certain factors – like DeSantis’ intent and knowledge of the migrants’ immigration status – could create potential civil and criminal liability," she wrote. The op-ed also appeared in Salon, Houston Chronicle, Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Yahoo and 63 other outlets.

Spectrum News 1

September 20, 2022

Re: Jody David Armour

Jody Armour was interviewed about the guilty plea by former USC social work Dean Marilyn Flynn to bribery for funneling money to a nonprofit run by the son of LA City Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas. "If politicians are using their decision-making power to respond to bribes or undue influence from third parties, rather than the concerns of their constituents, rather than the concern of the electorate, then they’re being unfaithful to those constituents and their corruption is robbing the democratic process of integrity and the confidence of the people," Armour said.

The Atlantic

September 18, 2022

Re: Nomi Stolzenberg

Nomi Stolzenberg co-wrote an op-ed arguing that private religious schools have public responsibilities too. "They should not be able to receive government funding for their private educational system while flouting minimal educational requirements—including basic English literacy—that augment but don’t upend the community’s own educational norms," she wrote. "A basic education in math and English will not undo years and years of deep exposure to biblical and rabbinic sources."

Rolling Stone Magazine

September 15, 2022

Re: Jean Lantz Reisz

Jean Reisz was quoted in a story noting that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may have violated federal law by flying immigrants to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Reisz said that if the immigrants were deceived by transport organizers, the federal government could have legal standing to argue that such actions are "frustrating the government’s enforcement ability.” Interfering with government oversight of asylum seekers also could also prompt legal action, as Reisz noted that they are typically “under some kind of ICE supervision” when they appear before immigration officers and courts.

Daily Trojan

September 15, 2022

Re: Robert K. Rasmussen

Robert Rasmussen was quoted in a story about USC Gould offering a new bachelor's degree in Legal Studies. Rasmussen noted that the degree is an important area of study whether students pursue law school or not. “Everyone who graduates from USC is going to be a leader in something — whatever that something is, law is going to affect that. If they have a nuanced appreciation for how law affects things, they can use [the major] to their advantage to be more successful in their careers and maybe help guide us to a more just and equitable society,” he said.

AP News

September 6, 2022

Re: Deborah Call

Deborah Call was quoted in a press release about USC Gould and the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work launching two joint graduate certificates in fall 2022 focused on the intersection of law and social work. “The law has a tremendous impact on social work and social justice,” Call said. “Understanding the legal policies will help strengthen professionals’ advocacy for the individuals they serve.” The release also appeared in Yahoo!, The Bakersfield Californian, Bloomberg, The Joplin Globe, StreetInsider, Benzinga, Morningstar, The Daily News, Bluefield Daily Telegraph, The Maryville Forum, Valdosta Daily Times, Yahoo! Finance (Hong Kong), West Virginia's News, The Eagle-Tribune, Kentucky Today, The Facts, Acrofan and The Tullahoma News.

KCRW

August 29, 2022

Re: Jody David Armour

Jody Armour was interviewed about a proposed California bill that protects rap lyrics and other creative expressions from being used against defendants in court cases. “The sneaking suspicion of many is that the low-hanging fruit for these kinds of cases … [is] our young Black folk, especially young Black males, who are … some of the leading architects of this genre of music, especially so-called gangsta rap," he said.

Business Insider

August 19, 2022

Re: Clare Pastore

Clare Pastore was interviewed about how elite law schools push students onto a 'conveyor belt' to Big Law firms. "It certainly can appear to students that everyone is getting on that conveyor belt," she said. "And they think, 'I don't know what else is out there. I think I should get on, too.'"

Los Angeles Times

August 19, 2022

Re: Robert K. Rasmussen

Robert Rasmussen was quoted in a story about the Tom Girardi scandal and efforts of a court-appointed trustee to recoup funds and valuables allegedly misappropriated by Girardi. According to Rasmussen, the law allows a trustee to seek gifts distributed by a debtor in the four years before they entered bankruptcy. “The thought is you really shouldn’t be giving away money when it is coming out of the hide of the people to whom you owe money,” he said. “When you are insolvent, every dollar you give away is one dollar less for you to give your creditors.”

Daily Trojan

August 17, 2022

Re: Nomi Stolzenberg

Nomi Stolzenberg and Mark Haddad were quoted about the impacts of the Roe v. Wade overturn. “It’s basically saying this is a matter for the legislature, not the courts to decide, and that could be the federal legislature or Congress, or it could be the legislatures of individual states," said Stolzenberg. Why would we look to a tradition in which women were completely subjugated as a matter of law, in which they could not vote and they could not hold office at the time of the founding of the Constitution?” Haddad said. “Why would we look to that tradition and ask about whether it’s a reasonable guide, in this century, to decide whether to recognize this right [to abortion]?”

The Hollywood Reporter

August 17, 2022

Re: Jonathan Barnett

Jonathan Barnett was quoted in a story about recently-merged Warner Bros. Discovery shelving the HBO Max movie Batgirl, a move seen by critics as stifling diverse and inclusive programming that consumers prefer - possibly indicating too much market power for WBD under antitrust laws. “You have to ask if this combined entity has sufficient market share to act unilaterally with respect to the traditional parameters of competition, like pricing and output,” said Barnett. “You’d be concerned by some of the post-closing actions.”

The Guardian

August 15, 2022

Re: USC Gould School of Law

Jody Armour was quoted in a story about the failed effort to recall LA District Attorney George Gascón, and how it demonstrates that a successful recall of the San Francisco DA does not indicate a trend. “This establishes that there’s no buyer’s remorse from voters who supported criminal justice reform. If anything, the Chesa Boudin recall is more the aberration than the pattern.”

Daily Breeze

August 12, 2022

Re: Jody David Armour

Jody Armour was cited in an op-ed on Proposition 31, which concerns a law that bans the sale of tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes. “Many in support of menthol cigarette bills may not recall the impact of the War on Drugs, especially on Blacks," he said. "It demonstrated how laws that invite therapeutic policing, and paternalistically protect people from their own desires, preferences, and wants have only one endgame: They pave the way to hell through good intentions by not respecting a citizen’s right to make adult choices.” Note: this article is behind a paywall.

Financial Times

August 9, 2022

Re: Lee Epstein

Lee Epstein wrote an op-ed about how pro-business the Roberts Court is. "Its pro-business positions do not match up with public opinion," she wrote. "If anything — and as we have seen this past term with abortion and gun rights — this Court seems willing to buck public opinion."

Concord Monitor

August 7, 2022

Re: Elyn Saks

Elyn Saks was cited in an opinion piece about mental illness, alternative lifestyles and acceptance of diversity as a way to undercut stigma.

Law360

August 5, 2022

Re: Jonathan Barnett

Jonathan Barnett wrote an op-ed warning against a trend by investors and regulators to over-value the market power of Big Tech platforms. "Technology history casts doubt on the staying power of the lock-in effects that support any economically rational justification for proposed regulatory interventions in platform markets. If antitrust law is to be based on fact and evidence, rather than rhetoric and narrative, legislators and regulators who are keen to intervene may be wise to hit the pause button," Barnett wrote.

Axios

August 4, 2022

Re: Lee Epstein

Lee Epstein's research was cited in an article about the most pro-business Supreme Court ever. "The new data shows a degree of pro-business sentiment today far exceeding even the pre-Depression highs," the article read.

Politico

August 4, 2022

Re: John Matsusaka

John Matsusaka wrote an op-ed arguing to let the people decide on the issue of abortion. "Ultimately, our system is only strengthened when the people have a say in how they are governed," he said.

Los Angeles Times

August 3, 2022

Re: USC Gould School of Law

Ed Kleinbard was quoted about the luxury buildings in LA in the midst of homeless tents. "As USC professor Ed Kleinbard argued in my column on the $35-million tear-down, real estate is a big factor in wealth inequality, and the government subsidizes home ownership through various tax credits and deductions," read the article.

The Hill

July 27, 2022

Re: USC Gould School of Law

Seth Stodder wrote an op-ed about how the new national gun law doesn’t come close to addressing the danger. "For example, Uvalde suspect Salvador Ramos, a troubled kid with a history of violent threats — but no criminal record — was able to buy two AR-15s, and he would still have been allowed to do so under the new law," he wrote.

ABA Journal

July 26, 2022

Re: Clare Pastore

Clare Pastore was interviewed about the potential risks and rewards for law firms aiding staffers to secure abortions in a post-Dobbs world. “It’s unbelievable, staggering and inflammatory to openly call lawyers murderers, and it hands to Sidley on a silver platter standing to challenge Texas’ anti-abortion law," she said.

American Constitution Society

July 19, 2022

Re: Julie Werner-Simon

Julie Werner wrote a blog post about how the recent Supreme Court cases have changed what she tells law students about the Supreme Court. "These five decisions over the last eight days of the term have changed how I view the high court and how I will talk about the Supreme Court of my time," she wrote.

Spectrum News 1

July 15, 2022

Re: Thomas Lenz

Thomas Lenz was interviewed about a union representing concession workers at Dodger stadium's decision not to strike during the All-Star Game. "I think that management is going to want to avoid anything that would be disruptive, and they certainly want to keep the employees happy, particularly when you have long-term, dedicated workers," he said.

The Hill

July 13, 2022

Re: Scott Altman

Scott Altman authored an opinion piece on how distrust in science and government, a factor in political divisions today, has damaged the balance of parental decision-making and government intervention, and the importance of respect for good-faith differences in restoring that balance for the sake of vulnerable children, especially LGBTQ children whose parents seek supportive therapy for them. “With sensible boundaries and mutual understanding, we can hope to re-establish trust and de-escalate from war to respectful engagement,” he writes.

The Hill

July 9, 2022

Re: Michael Simkovic

Michael Simkovic wrote an op-ed about how the polarizing effects of the culture wars distract from more important issues facing the nation, and can be alleviated by focusing on public investment, especially in less developed parts of the country: “The time, energy and money that have been spent arguing about whether Missouri’s abortion laws should be adopted by Illinois or vice-versa could better be spent improving the speed and frequency of trains connecting St. Louis to Chicago,” he writes.

Law360

July 6, 2022

Re: Thomas Lenz

Thomas Lenz was interviewed about how more workers are opting to organize without the formal backing of established unions following the upstart Amazon Labor Union's landmark election win. However, "A small, grassroots union is not going to have or is not likely to have the resources to encourage employees to stay out for any length of time," Lenz said.

Reason

July 6, 2022

Re: Franita Tolson

Franita Tolson was mentioned in an article about National Constitution Center released its series of reports on "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy," for which she co-authored the Team Progressive report.

Daily Beast

July 6, 2022

Re: Alexander Capron

Alex Capron was interviewed about the scientific line between life and death. Without a universal standard, Capron argued, death in the United States could become a legal and ethical hodgepodge, with different criteria in different states.

The New York Times

July 5, 2022

Re: Lee Epstein

Lee Epstein was quoted in a story about the six-justice conservative majority in the U.S. Supreme Court, handing down decisions that have had a powerful impact on American life, with some calling the current court the most conservative since 1931. “The data provide stunning confirmation of the Republican-conservative takeover of the Supreme Court,” Epstein said.

Courthouse News Service

July 5, 2022

Re: Gregory Keating

Gregory Keating was interviewed about two new pieces of legislation allowing private rights of action against gun manufacturers and dealers in California. “AB 1594 just broadens the rights of individuals to go after manufacturers and dealers who sell and distribute guns that are illegal under California law,” he said. “It does not take away the right for people to own guns.”

The New York Times

July 1, 2022

Re: Lee Epstein

Lee Epstein was quoted in a story about the six-justice majority on the U.S. Supreme Court, which has handed down decisions with a powerful impact on Americans and is considered by some the most conservative court since 1931. “The data provide stunning confirmation of the Republican-conservative takeover of the Supreme Court,” Epstein said.

WisEye

July 1, 2022

Re: Franita Tolson

Franita Tolson was interviewed about the Voting Rights Act and redistricting law. "Even if we could envision a democracy where the independent state legislature doctrine will be enacted in this good faith way, I think 2020 taught us that in the times that the doctrine came up, it was in undemocratic situations," she said.

The Orange County Register

July 1, 2022

Re: Robin Craig

Robin Craig was interviewed about the push by local House democrats for EPA to strengthen air and water quality rules. Remove all lead service lines from public water systems within a decade at no cost to property owners, set acceptable levels of lead at 5 parts per billion at the tap, and increase testing for lead in water. Such rules are in the works, Craig said. “It becomes a bit of a Catch-22 in the absence of significant federal money to help with the upgrades,” she said, requiring coordinated infrastructure legislation to make it plausible. Note this article is behind a paywall.

About USC Gould

Academics

Student Quick Links:

Admissions

Students

Student Quick Links:

Careers

Faculty

Alumni and Giving

IN THIS SECTION

Faculty in the NewsUSC Gould School of Law

2022-2023 Academic Year

July 1, 2023

July 1, 2023

July 1, 2023

June 29, 2023

June 25, 2023

June 22, 2023

June 21, 2023

June 20, 2023

June 20, 2023

June 16, 2023

June 12, 2023

June 8, 2023

June 6, 2023

June 5, 2023

June 4, 2023

June 2, 2023

May 23, 2023

May 16, 2023

May 12, 2023

May 11, 2023

May 10, 2023

May 9, 2023

May 6, 2023

May 2, 2023

May 1, 2023

April 30, 2023

April 28, 2023

April 25, 2023

April 24, 2023

April 24, 2023

April 19, 2023

April 17, 2023

April 17, 2023

April 15, 2023

April 14, 2023

April 9, 2023

April 7, 2023

March 28, 2023

March 26, 2023

March 24, 2023

March 23, 2023

March 22, 2023

March 22, 2023

March 16, 2023

March 16, 2023

March 13, 2023

March 10, 2023

March 8, 2023

March 7, 2023

March 6, 2023

February 17, 2023

February 15, 2023

February 11, 2023

February 8, 2023

January 31, 2023

January 28, 2023

January 27, 2023

January 18, 2023

January 18, 2023

January 16, 2023

January 10, 2023

January 1, 2023

December 30, 2022

December 19, 2022

December 14, 2022

December 12, 2022

December 8, 2022

December 8, 2022

Faculty in the News
USC Gould School of Law