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Allen Sumrall

@asumrall.bsky.social
4K followers 696 following 353 posts

Legal Scholar | political & constitutional development, separation of powers, judicial politics | PhD UT Austin | JD Texas Law

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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
I stand by my take from last February. This might deserve more long-form treatment. www.ms.now/opinion/msnb...
ms.now
How Trump could trigger the third constitutional presidency
Trump brings with him a style of leadership that risks transforming the entire constitutional structure, and the president’s role in it.
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
My job-market paper isn't ready for unrestricted public viewing yet, but here's what I have cooking. Thoughts and comments welcome--let me know and I can email a copy.
Article abstract for an article called "The FOMO Court"
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
I attended Bates College. I’m aware of the Atlantic article. Bates is an amazing place. It surely has its own internal issues, just like every other institution or word place. But to hold it up as a beacon of everything wrong with academia is utter nonsense.
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
I paid the FAR form fee! That means that, ten years after starting grad school, I’m finally on the job market!
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
I paid the FAR form fee! That means that, ten years after starting grad school, I’m finally on the job market!
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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
🚨Attention American Political Development Scholars🚨 We are excited to announce a new APD Workshop Series where scholars--especially grad students, post-docs, junior faculty, and folks at institutions with limited research budgets--can present works-in progress. sites.google.com/maine.edu/ap...
sites.google.com
APD Workshop Series
Mission: The APD Workshop Series provides opportunities for scholars of American Political Development--especially advanced graduate students, post-docs, junior faculty, and faculty at institutions wi...
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
It seems that, thanks to @stevevladeck.bsky.social, @beaubaumann.bsky.social and I have accomplished the hat trick nobody knew or cares about: being cited in three Harvard Law Review Forwards in a row.
papers.ssrn.com
The Supreme Court, October 2025 Term<span>—</span>Foreword: The Court Against the Courts
<p>The Supreme Court sits atop a judicial system on which it is deeply dependent. It lacks the capacity to superintend more than a fraction of the cases filed e
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Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
I just posted my draft of this year’s Harvard Law Review #SCOTUS Foreword—“The Court Against the Courts.” It analyzes the challenges, obstacles, and threats district courts have faced in cases involving the Trump administration—and documents how & why the Court bears responsibility for much of it:
papers.ssrn.com
The Supreme Court, October 2025 Term Foreword: The Court Against the Courts
<p>The Supreme Court sits atop a judicial system on which it is deeply dependent. It lacks the capacity to superintend more than a fraction of the cases filed e
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
I just discovered that my piece, “Separation of Powers and the Judiciary Act of 1925” is finally out with the Notre Dame Law Review! ndlawreview.org/separation-o... 1/6
ndlawreview.org
Separation of Powers and the Judiciary Act of 1925 | Notre Dame Law Review
ARTICLE Separation of Powers and the Judiciary Act of 1925 Allen C. Sumrall* Contemporary separation of powers doctrine endorses a vision of the Constitution that sees power neatly distributed across ...
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
I just discovered that my piece, “Separation of Powers and the Judiciary Act of 1925” is finally out with the Notre Dame Law Review! ndlawreview.org/separation-o... 1/6
ndlawreview.org
Separation of Powers and the Judiciary Act of 1925 | Notre Dame Law Review
ARTICLE Separation of Powers and the Judiciary Act of 1925 Allen C. Sumrall* Contemporary separation of powers doctrine endorses a vision of the Constitution that sees power neatly distributed across ...
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Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
1/ I know we've all moved on to Barbara etc., but one observation about Slaughter. In his conclusion, Roberts writes: "Th[e] President is not all powerful—not by any means." He then cites three cases: Milligan, Youngstown, and the Nixon Tapes Case.
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Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 26/06/2026
What makes the modern Supreme Court such a problem for democratic accountability? In a new article, @wsnead.bsky.social and I tackle the longstanding question of the Court's counter-majoritarian potential, and update some political science theory along the way: doi.org/10.1017/S153...
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
I'll never get tired of page proofs.
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Adam Sopko @adamsopko.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Call for papers for a workshop on state public law here in Boulder on August 13-14! Abstracts due May 31. More info below!
The University of Colorado Law School is pleased to announce the inaugural University of Colorado Workshop on State Public Law, to be held August 13-14, 2026, in Boulder, Colorado. We invite proposals at any stage on a broad range of topics that fall within or intersect with state public law, including but not limited to: state constitutional law, state and local courts,
state and local government law and theory, state and local administrative law, and federalism and intergovernmental relations. Abstracts of no more than 500 words due May 31 via email to adam.sopko@colorado.edu. Presentation drafts are due in late July.
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
As far as I can tell, the biggest problem with this book is that I can’t read it NOW.
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Niko Bowie @nikobowie.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
After years of research, Daphna Renan & I are thrilled to announce preorders of SUPREMACY. Why is US democracy so broken? One reason is we've wrongly accepted that 9 justices have the final say over the Constitution. This book traces how that happened—& how we can reclaim power to govern ourselves.
wwnorton.com
Supremacy
From two acclaimed legal scholars, a new history of the Supreme Court that overturns our most basic assumptions about its role in our democracy, showing how it seized the power it now wields., Suprema...
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Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Very happy to announce that The Chadha Presidency is now forthcoming in the @georgetownlj.bsky.social! ssrn.com/abstract=536...
ssrn.com
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Julie Novkov @jnovkov.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
So, law friends. I know that this is about #1000 on your list of concerns, but I write a lot of external evaluation letters for tenure/promotion cases in poli sci. Because of my work, I often write for folks who study law-related topics. Many publish some of their work in law reviews.
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Just discovered that one of my articles was published! In it, I argue that judicial power has multiple components or dimensions, one of which is ideational. In other words, ideas and norms about courts’ proper role empower them over and above the traditional formal sources of power. Check it out!
scholarship.law.marquette.edu
The Ideational Dimension of Judicial Power
The judiciary dominates contemporary American politics. In the United States, courts have overcome their humble origins to act as central figures in nearly every major policy dispute and separation of...
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Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
1/ A few thoughts about @williambaude.bsky.social’s comment in yesterday’s NYT chat that, “It’s amazing how many of our problems today could be solved by a Congress that was willing and able to legislate in response to national problems.” www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | At the Supreme Court, Scenes From a Judicial Backlash
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Thomas Bell @trivesbell.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Today is the release date for my new book The Constitution of Conflict, published by @univpressofkansas.bsky.social! The book argues that the separation of powers is better understood as a political architecture than a judicially-enforced legal doctrine. www.amazon.com/Constitution...
amazon.com
The Constitution of Conflict: How the Supreme Court Undermines the Separation of Powers (Constitutional Thinking)
The Constitution of Conflict: How the Supreme Court Undermines the Separation of Powers (Constitutional Thinking) [Bell, Thomas] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Constitution of Conflict: How the Supreme Court Undermines the Separation of Powers (Constitutional Thinking)
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Sharon Brett @sharonbrett.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
Call for Papers for 15th Annual Fed Courts Junior Scholars conference is now up: law.ku.edu/junior-facul.... Lots of advanced notice, hope you will consider submitting! Will work on distributing this to various listservs and blogs, but please share if you are able.
law.ku.edu
15th Annual Junior Faculty Federal Courts Workshop
April 24, 2026| KU School of Law
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
New from me! A short and sweet book review of a short and sweet book: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
The Sick Chicken Case: The US Supreme Court and the New Deal
Published in Congress & the Presidency (Ahead of Print, 2025)
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Blake Emerson @blakeprof.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
Not if the President can fire them all whenever they like.
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Jake Charles @jacobdcharles.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
NEW: 10th Cir declares that New Mexico’s 7 day waiting period for gun purchases violates the Second Amendment. Evidence shows such laws have a marked effect on firearm suicides, saving untold lives, but no matter — Bruen means history is all that counts. www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/f...
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Maggie Blackhawk @maggieblackhawk.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
Junior faculty and grad students in political science, history, law, and Native American Studies, come take a class with us at the New York Historical Society (and via Zoom) on Native Peoples, American Colonialism, and the U.S. Constitution. To apply, Institute for Constitutional History: 1/2
Native Peoples, American Colonialism, and the US Constitution
Fall 2025 Session
Presented in person at The New York Historical and via Zoom*

Meeting Dates & Times:
Fridays, November 7 and 21, December 5 and 12, 2025 | 11 am–2 pm ET
Instructors: Maggie Blackhawk, Ned Blackhawk

SEMINAR DESCRIPTION:
As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this seminar invites a critical examination of a central paradox in American constitutional history: how can a nation celebrate a founding document and constitutional tradition built, in part, on the dispossession of Indigenous homelands? 

From the Founders’ long-standing relationships with Native nations to the grievances lodged regarding ‘merciless Indian savages’ into the Declaration, Indian affairs and westward expansion were foundational to the creation and evolution of the US Constitution.  The Northwest Ordinance laid the “blueprint for empire” for federal imperial expansion from thirteen states clinging to the Eastern seaboard to a nation that stretched “from sea to shining sea,” while the United States Constitution excluded “Indians not taxed” from American polity—in so doing, also codifying the specific subordination of a people by name within constitutional text. 

Despite this deep entanglement, Native history remains marginalized within the fields of constitutional history and mainstream constitutional scholarship.  This seminar explores emerging historical and legal literature that re-centers Native peoples and American colonialism in the narrative of US constitutional development.  Topics include the role of Native peoples and “Indian affairs” in the Constitution’s initial drafting and ratification and the legal architecture of colonial expansion.  The seminar will also explore how centering Native peoples allows for a rethinking of United States constitutional history and American public law more broadly.
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
Interesting! Worth a read!
cambridge.org
Politicians’ Theories of Voting Behavior | American Political Science Review | Cambridge Core
Politicians’ Theories of Voting Behavior - Volume 119 Issue 3
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
Hey you! If you're a law school and you're hiring, you should probably just go ahead and hire Beau. He's thoughtful, thorough, and curious. He brings fresh approaches to core questions of American constitutional governance. He's a great coauthor, which suggests he'll be a great colleague, too.
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
Something something the least dangerous branch
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Matthew Reichbach @fbihop.com · 06/08/2025
They New York Times examined how much the Trump spending bill will impact New Mexico. Short answer: A lot and "few sectors of the state will be untouched"
nytimes.com
In One of the Country’s Poorest States, Crippling Budget Cuts Loom
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Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
um ...
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Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
The final version of my "Corruption and the Supreme Court" has been published in the Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities, and is available for download here: ssrn.com/abstract=497...
ssrn.com
Corruption and the Supreme Court
Corruption is everywhere at the Supreme Court. The justices routinely rule on what is—and, more frequently, what is not—corrupt. Simultaneously, their off-the-b
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
Happy FAR form submission day to all who celebrate! (Not me--I started but won't be finishing mine. Inquire inside for details.)
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
I'm reading a draft of a @beaubaumann.bsky.social paper and I'm reminded that he needs to be hired quickly and purposefully.
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Remember when shadow docket orders weren't precedential?
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Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
Those "rogue judges" were acting under an express grant of authority provided by Congress—one explicitly permitted by Article II of the Constitution, which says Congress can give the judiciary power to appoint inferior officers.
(c)A person appointed as United States attorney under this section may serve until the earlier of—
(1)the qualification of a United States attorney for such district appointed by the President under section 541 of this title; or
(2)the expiration of 120 days after appointment by the Attorney General under this section.
(d)If an appointment expires under subsection (c)(2), the district court for such district may appoint a United States attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled. The order of appointment by the court shall be filed with the clerk of the court.He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
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Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
I just posted a new paper on @ssrn.bsky.social, titled "The Chadha Presidency". Here's the link, and I'll post the abstract in the next post. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com
The <i>Chadha </i>Presidency
<p><span>Where is Congress? Why hasn’t it reined in some of the worst abuses of the Trump Administration? This Article argues that a significant part of the ans
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David Noll @david.noll.org · 11/07/2025
terrific, spot-on analysis of the Court's agenda in CASA
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etienne toussaint @etiennetoussaint.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
FREE webinar July 30 — join me to learn how to become a law professor! 🎓 I’ll cover qualifications, building your profile, AALS hiring, and thriving in academia. Save your spot: j.st/5bmM #LegalAcademia #LawProf
j.st
Becoming a Law Professor: What Aspiring Academics Need to Know | Justia Webinars | Justia Connect
Click to join our Justia Webinar, Becoming a Law Professor: What Aspiring Academics Need to Know. Justia Webinars are exclusive learning opportunities developed for members of the Justia Connect commu...
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Allen Sumrall @asumrall.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
Re-sharing this piece I wrote last week on Trump v. CASA and universal injunctions. www.yalejreg.com/nc/universal...
yalejreg.com
Universal Injunctions and the Role of the Judiciary, by Allen C. Sumrall - Yale Journal on Regulation
In a startling but unsurprising decision, the Supreme Court last Friday dramatically shrank the ability of federal judges to issue universal injunctions. In Trump v. CASA, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, w...
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