Erwin Chemerinsky

SoCal Police's Blood Money

When the DA declines to prosecute bad cops, the only justice families can get is financial

You are Here: Orange County in the House at the LA Times Festival of Books

I especially like the title of a 12:30 panel at next weekend's two-day  annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books for its helpful reminder and either existential celebration or complaint. "You are Here:  Perspectives on Life in Southern California," featuring Times columnists suggests tha ... More >>

Dan Walters, Dean of State Political Reporters, v. Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of UCI Law School

The dean of California political reporters, Dan Walters, didn't like the idea of UC Irvine opening a law school six years ago and, in his syndicated column Monday, expressed vindication for that view thanks to a Los Angeles Times story that reports several law school graduates can't find jobs while ... More >>

Erwin Chemerinsky, UC Irvine Law School Dean, Talks Gay Marriage with Jon Gruden?

As the U.S. Supreme Court holds a session on gay marriage for the second straight day, everyone is weighing in on the controversial issue, even those who regularly foist onto the public phony news.And at least one fake newsie has once again latched onto a local muse, Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of t ... More >>

Virginia's Anti-Sodomy Law Ruled Invalid--with an Assist from UC Irvine's Erwin Chemerinsky

Virginia's anti-sodomy law has been struck down, due in part to an assist from the dean of UC Irvine's School of Law, Erwin Chemerinsky.The decision came in a case involving sex between an adult male and a 17-year-old girl, which the Richmond, Va.-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed shoul ... More >>

UCI's First Law School Class Has a Better Cali Bar Exam Passage Rate Than All But Stanford

The end of our October blog post on University of California at Irvine School of Law students helping Nigerian activists present a case to the U.S. Supreme Court mentioned that the local school has its critics.The blasts to the law school and its founding dean, Erwin Chemerinsky, began in 2009, but ... More >>

UCI Law School Professor and Students Fight for Nigerian Activists in U.S. Supreme Court

When the U.S. Supreme Court opened what's billed to be a contentious new term Monday, UC Irvine School of Law students were there.But the future legal eagles were not in Washington, D.C., to observe the proceedings as bystanders but to help one of their professors argue a case before the Supremes.

[UPDATED w/ No Reinstatement] Osama Shabaik, Irvine 11 Member, Dropped From TEDxUCIrvine Conference; No Clear Reason Offered

​UPDATE FEB 29 8:40 A.M.: Despite a petition that has collected over 750 signatures, draft revisions and negotiations, organizers of this weekend's TEDxUCIrvine conference have decided against reinstating Osama Shabaik of the so-called "Irvine 11" as a scheduled speaker. "We have unanimously decid ... More >>

Washburn, Arellano and Chemerinsky Are Ready to Get All Chautauqua! on Your Ass

​Amazingly, it was not our fearless leader Gustavo who shamelessly solicited a plug for an event he was participating in, but the Weekly's pre-millennium No. 2 man Jim Washburn--and justifiably so. Because Chautauqua!--which I can't say and can barely spell--sounds very cool indeed. While most of ... More >>

Four Reasons to Check Out Segerstrom's Off Center Festival

​If you're not an art geek (like I am, admittedly), nine days of experimental music, theater and dance may not sound like your thing. But Segerstrom's Off Center Festival, which kicks off this Friday and ends on Jan. 21, sounds like the kind of off-kilter entertainment that turns the hoity-toity a ... More >>

"Irvine 11" Jury Trial's Opening Statements are Today

​Opening statements begin this afternoon in the misdemeanor criminal trial of the Irvine 11, whittled down to 10 Muslim student-defendants from the University of California at Irvine and Riverside since the February 2010 speech at UCI by Israel's Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren that drew the c ... More >>

Dream Team Assembled at UCI Law School Squeezes Boring Right Out of 2010-11 U.S. Supreme Court Term

​For the UC Irvine School of Law's first-ever Supreme Court Review Wednesday, the assembled panel was saddled with a reportedly "boring" 2010-2011 term. Fortunately, the legal all-stars who enlightened about 170 lunching students, lawyers and professors on campus (and an equal number watching the ... More >>

UCI Law School Wins ABA Accreditation

Dean Chemerinsky​UC Irvine's School of Law was informed today that it has been granted provisional accreditation by the American Bar Association."The ABA's decision puts the official seal of approval on the hard work of scores of faculty, administrators, students, and supporters--both on campus ... More >>

UCI Law Student-Run Conference Looks at Climate Justice

​UC Irvine law students are holding a first-ever, all-day conference today on climate justice. "A3 [Assemble. Advocate.Act]: A Conference on Climate Justice" examines "the social injustices faced by vulnerable populations who are disproportionately affected by climate change," according to organ ... More >>

[UPDATED] Irvine 11 Charged With Misdemeanors, Face Jail, Probation, Community Service if Convicted

Photos by Christopher Victorio/OC WeeklySeven of the Irvine 11​UPDATE, MARCH 11, 4:08 P.M.: The arraignment of the Irvine 11 was continued this morning until April 15 so the court can consider defense motions to seal grand jury documents, remove the Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) from the ... More >>

[UPDATED] Irvine 11 Charged With Misdemeanors, Face Jail, Probation, Community Service if Convicted

​UPDATED, FEB. 28, 8:33 A.M.: The Islamic Institute of Orange County hosts "Stand With the Irvine 11: Community Town Hall and Action" at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the IIOC Multipurpose Room, 1220 N. State College Blvd., Irvine.The event flier follows after the jump. (Also, scroll down a couple posts i ... More >>

William Lobdell, Greatest Religion Reporter Ever, to Speak at Tapestry UU Congregation in Mission Viejo this Sunday

​Next to non-pedophile apologist Catholics, my favorite group of religious-minded folks are Universalist Unitarians, who ground their radical politics on Jesus and a hella other traditions. I've spoken at four separate congregations in the area, and spoke for the second time at Tapestry in Mission ... More >>

OC Legal Scholars Erwin Chemerinsky and John Eastman Pop Up in Florida Federal Judge's Ruling Declaring "Obamacare" Unconstitutional

​Orange County's two most-quoted legal scholars turn up in the Florida federal judge's ruling Monday that found parts of "Obamacare" unconstitutional and declared the entire law must be made "null and void."Specifically cited by U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson is Erwin Chemerinsky, the founding d ... More >>

The Supreme Court and the Future of Church/State Separation

Irvine Ranch Water District

Erwin Chemerinsky, UCI Law School Dean, Writes of Conservative War Against Constitution

​The Conservative Assault on the Constitution (Simon & Schuster, $27) argues that beginning with Richard Nixon and continuing through to George W. Bush, conservative presidents and their supporters have tried to change basic constitutional principles through their policies and appointments ... More >>

OC's Top Law School Deans Spar Over Prop 8

Mary Bell/ OC Weekly​The culture clash sparked by Proposition 8 places a premium on sound legal interpretation and commentary.Two of Orange County's preeminent legal scholars are attracting considerable attention from local and national media outlets alike, from CNN to the Weekly. Mirroring the Ca ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Prop 8 Overturned

​UPDATE: More details on tonight's celebratory rally (see end of post) . . .In a landmark case, Proposition 8, the 2008 California voter initiative that outlawed gay marriage, was overturned. Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco ruled that the voter initiative is unconstitution ... More >>

The "Irvine 11" Fights the Power

​As they fill out their AARP membership cards, '60s burnouts can rejoice that a group of campus agitators has at last come along to rival the infamous Chicago Seven.Mamas and papas, introducing the "Irvine 11"! Something's happening here, and what it is ain't exactly kosher. The Irvine 11 are the ... More >>

Facebook Free Speech Page Denies Free Speech

​A Facebook page has been created "in light of the recent event at UC Irvine in which 11 members of the Muslim Student Union @ UCI were arrested for attempts to silence and censor a speaker whose views they disagreed with. Free speech is NOT negotiable!"Too bad the page does not practice what it p ... More >>

Chemerinsky Damns Muslim Students for Denying Israeli's Right to Free Speech

Erwin Chemerinsky (left) cracks up his pal John Eastman, the former Chapman University law school dean.​UC Irvine School of Law dean Erwin Chemerinsky gives a public talk at noon today titled, "First Amendment in a Multicultural Society." He will include comments about Muslim Student Union members ... More >>

UCI's Chemerinsky to Represent Teacher in 'Jesus Glasses' Appeal

James Corbett​The Register's Scott Martindale reports that the lovably liberal UCI Law dean, Erwin Chemerinsky, will help represent James Corbett in his appeal of the ruling earlier this year that he violated the Constitution by criticizing Creationism in a Capistrano Valley High School classroom. ... More >>

Has the Decline of the Register Created Space for Nonprofit Site the Voice of OC to Put Down Roots?

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

[BEST OF OC] El Profesor (the Professor): Erwin Chemerinsky

UPDATED: UCI's Chemerinsky and Chapman's Eastman to Engage in Ultimate "Battle of the Law Deans" Freeway-Series Smackdown

Courtesy of Chapman UniversityUCI School of Law dean Erwin Chemerinsky (left) and Chapman University School of Law dean John Eastman are friends and often ideological foes. ​UPDATED TO CHANGE LOCATION TO MUCH LARGER MEMORIAL HALL . . . Screw the Dodgers and Angels. More hits, misses and spitballs ... More >>

Another Voice May Enter OC Investigative Journalism Fray

State senator-turned-media-baron Joe Dunn With the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times experiencing shrinking staffs and budgets, another player may fill the perceived investigative news vacuum. The Times reports: A group that includes former state lawmakers, high-profile ... More >>

Resurrected, Boisterous OC Pride Festival "a Smashing Success"

Photo by Christopher VictorioPark rangers talk with OC Pride participants about the noise at Mason Regional Park in Irvine on Saturday.​The crowd was small but boisterous, there was a minor issue with the noise and some participants did not know at first that the showy police presence was for thei ... More >>

Orange County LGBT Pride Festival "Revival" Starts Small

Sasha Baron Cohen's comedy has nothing to do with OC pride festivals. We just can't find photos from past fests. ​Orange County's first-ever gay and lesbian pride festival was held in Santa Ana's Centennial Park in 1988, when angry Christian conservatives showed up not because they'd finally come ... More >>

Laguna Beach Settles Lawsuit Over Homeless Ordinance

Laguna Beach agreed today to settle a lawsuit over the city's treatment of disabled homeless people, according to the ACLU of Southern California.   "Under the agreement, the city's police officers will not cite, arrest or harass people under state law simply for sleeping in public places, ... More >>

OC Shows Respectable Level of Support for Prop. 8 Challenge

According to the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal and the ACLU, among the Orange County contingent filing "friend of the court" briefs in support of Attorney General Jerry Brown's legal challenge of same-sex marriage barring Proposition 8:Irvine United Congregational ChurchOrange Cou ... More >>

ACLU Sues Laguna Beach for Giving Homeless the Boot

The ACLU filed a federal civil rights lawsuit today against the city of Laguna Beach for its "unlawful and inhumane policy of harassing and intimidating disabled homeless people." The suit alleges that the city's prolonged arrests of its small, disabled homeless population under the guise of an anti ... More >>

What do Lindsay Lohan and Hugh Hewitt Have in Common?

Although we're no fans of local talk show host Hugh Hewitt, we couldn't help but to feel a twinge of sympathy for the man, who's also a professor of law at Chapman University. The latest edition of the school's Chapman Magaine has a mini-profile on Hewie, whom you can listen to every weekday at 3pm ... More >>

Hispanic Bar Association Hijinks!

With apologies to Orange County Register sports genius Randy Youngman, notes, quotes and observations from yesterday's Orange County Hispanic Bar Association annual fundraising dinner: *Greeting the well-dressed, well-coiffed crowd as they drove toward the Westin South Coast Plaza hotel were about ... More >>

Sunday's Headlines & Surprises: The Shame of Wayne Gross

Dana Point Gets a Celebrity! Earvin “Magic” Johnson and his wife, Cookie, have purchased a $7.6 million gated-community “vacation” home in Dana Point, according to the Times. Though “Hot Property” reporter Ruth Ryon didn’t share more details about the location, you can assume it’s a ... More >>

Monday - 11/19

“Honesty Is the New Black” at the ARTery, Erwin Chemerinsky at Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum

Thursday's Headlines. No Surprises: Last of the Rat Pack

Last of the Rat Pack: Newport Beach resident Joey Bishop, the last surviving member of the Rat Pack, dies at 89. Coverage: Times, Register. Anti-Semitic UCI probe still on: Yesterday, the Daily Pilot reported that the Hillel Foundation of Orange County called off its investigation of racist activit ... More >>

Who (almost) Dunnit?

The world may never know who leaned on UCI's Michael Drake to unhire Erwin Chemerinsky

Friday's Headlines & Surprises: The Drake Two-Step

Dancing With the Fibber: UC Irvine Chancellor Michael V. Drake has inspired a new dance. We’re calling it the Drake Two-Step, and it goes like this: hire, lie, fire, lie, rehire, wiggle. For a story in today’s Times, Drake admits that he “bungled” the firing last week of Erwin Chemerinsky a ... More >>

OC Conservatives Have Something to Cheer!

On Monday, Orange County conservative activists lost the fight to block liberal law scholar Erwin Chemerinsky from becoming the first UC Irvine law school dean. But this morning must feel better. The United States Attorney's Office based in Los Angeles announced that it has won a guilty plea from Wi ... More >>

Chemerinsky and Drake kiss and make up

UC Irvine Chancellor Michael V. Drake spent the weekend on his knees, begging Duke's Erwin Chemerinsky to return to the dean's post at UCI's law school after Drake dumped the guy for being too liberal last week. At 10:10 a.m., the Times reported that Drake traveled to Durham, N.C. over the weekend t ... More >>

More love for Chemerinsky

Chapman University announced just a few moments ago that it has locked in recently reinstated UCI Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky to be its law school graduation commencement speaker next year. The announcement is the most recent illustration of Chemerinsky's quick ascension from ashy to classy. ... More >>

Sunday's Headlines & Surprises: Register UCI Panic!

OC Gym Crook Arrested in LA: Police arrested Ronald James Navarrette Jr. of Mission Viejo Friday in El Segundo for breaking into men's lockers at the Spectrum Athletic Club not far from LAX. Gym employees had been on the lookout for the 45-year-old crook they knew from surveillance video taken at o ... More >>

Saturday's Headlines & Surprises: Calling Nurse Ratched

UCI Cluster Fuck: News emerged today that Michael J. Schroeder, OC GOP heavyweight, participated with a group of 20 fellow Republicans to pressure the UCI Chancellor from hiring liberal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky as dean of the university's first law school. Michael V. Drake offered the job to Cheme ... More >>

Friday's Headlines: Blunt force trauma or natural causes?

Should UCI Chancellor Michael V. Drake step down? Drake's decision to drop scholar Erwin Chemerinsky for being too liberal to run UC Irvine's new law school has some faculty members calling for his resignation, reports the Times. More folks sue the sheriff: Last week, a Muslim lady sued Sheriff Car ... More >>

Thursday's Headlines & Surprises: Hiii Chemerinsky!

The Government has gone Plasma TV crazy: Even though they have an entire cable television channel to carry their lame communications, Santa Ana city officials are spending at least $242,000 more to install 10, 42-inch flat screen TVs at 10 public locations. These TVs will have no sound, and will br ... More >>