Reposted by Adam DavidsonAlejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 14/09/2026Cis people do not understand how much trans people's rights have regressed in just 5 years. 5 years ago, there were none of these restrictions. 19 states banned legal recognition 21 states have bathroom bans 8 states ban gender marker changes on DLs 25 ban gender affirming care for trans youth 11477893646
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 02/09/2026In @statecourtreport.org today discussing state pushes to go beyond the 13th amendment to ban slavery and involuntary servitude with no exceptions and what needs to happen to turn those rights on paper into on-the-ground change. statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...statecourtreport.orgTransforming the Modern Push to Abolish Slavery and Involuntary ServitudeNine states have amended their constitutions to eliminate or narrow the use of slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. The exception exists in the federal 13th Amendment. 04319
Reposted by Adam DavidsonKevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 24/08/2026I've said it before, and I'll say it again: state constitutions provide resources & affordances for progressive politics that have yet to be fully exploited. They're all easier to change than the federal one & many have been updated to reflect emerging problems...y'know, like a democracy should. 413244
Reposted by Adam DavidsonAnn Monster Lipton @annmlipton.bsky.social · 30/06/2026It's 5 4 in that there are 4 votes that the constitution does not mandate birthright citizenship. 210323
Reposted by Adam DavidsonAnn Monster Lipton @annmlipton.bsky.social · 26/06/2026Ilhan Omar represents the best of what America can be. 1404
Reposted by Adam DavidsonMark Lemley @marklemley.bsky.social · 22/05/2026My colleague Nora Freeman Engstrom has put together a guide for bringing tort suits against ICE law.stanford.edu/wp-content/u...law.stanford.edu 4246163
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Every time I think I’ve seen the worst qualified immunity decision I can imagine, the federal courts release some new, fresh hell on my psyche. 040
Reposted by Adam DavidsonEliza Orlins @elizaorlins.bsky.social · 03/05/2026Hi. There is some drama over on LawyerThreads. There’s a lawyer (who is also very active on Facebook) who is out in the world saying that the law is neutral. Just want to chime in as a career public defender and say THE LAW IS NOT AND NEVER HAS BEEN FUCKING NEUTRAL. 🧵 79417
Reposted by Adam DavidsonCharlotte Garden @charlottegarden.bsky.social · 29/04/2026There is *a lot* to unpack here but I have to go meet with students so I'll just say: not enough "yikes" in the world. 2338
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 28/04/2026I assume Georgetown will do the same as other schools when a professor comes out as a bigot, and make sure they don’t teach any mandatory classes. It’s an imperfect solution (and arguably a reward depending on how the person feels about teaching), but it does put a wall up between them and students. 120
Reposted by Adam Davidsonjamelle @jamellebouie.net · 28/04/2026there is something genuinely clarifying and useful about this kind of stuff. they are totally hoods off and proud of it, which means we should not hesitate to describe them accordingly 223121072334
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 23/04/2026I really wish these people had no power so that I could enjoy how hilarious this is instead of being terrified for what it means about how they’re going to further destroy our public health system. 040
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 22/04/2026Donald Trump 🫱🏻🫲🏽 Terrence Howard Making up fake ways to do math that make no damn sense. 021
Reposted by Adam Davidsonjamelle @jamellebouie.net · 22/04/2026i think it is cool that the president of the united states routinely slurs black people as biological inferior 20460871149
Reposted by Adam DavidsonDaniel Solove @daniel-solove.bsky.social · 09/04/2026Interested in becoming a law professor focusing on privacy and AI? Apply as soon as possible to GW Law’s VAP in Privacy & Technology Law. We start reviewing applications soon: www.law.gwu.edu/privacy-and-...law.gwu.eduPrivacy and Technology Law Fellowship | GW Law | The George Washington UniversityThe Privacy and Technology Law Fellowship is designed to assist attorneys who are interested in pursuing a legal academic career in an area of privacy and technology law. 01215
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 09/04/2026This is now so quaint that I saw the “Secretary of Education Omarosa” joke in the corner and my first thought was that she seems way too qualified and reasonable to be appointed now. 001
Reposted by Adam DavidsonAndrew Solender @andrewsolender.bsky.social · 07/04/2026By my count, there are now over 50 House Democrats, along with two Senate Democrats, who have called for Trump to be impeached or removed via the 25th Amendment for his post on Iran. More here: www.axios.com/2026/04/07/t... 41242911444
Reposted by Adam Davidsongelbach @gelbach.bsky.social · 07/04/2026This is an appropriate statement. 1124
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 06/04/2026If you find yourself plotting political violence online, best case scenario you are talking to a Fed. Worst case scenario is you are involved in a Pooh Shiesty wearing an ankle monitor to the robbery stupid-level plot that could get people—including you—hurt for no good reason. Don’t do it. 010
Reposted by Adam DavidsonAlejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 03/04/2026Right after they finish with trans youth, their moving on to target youth with ADHD and autism to satisfy their austerity driven eugenics project. They don't even dignify us with new talking points. 291014332
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 02/04/2026Despite coming out on April 1, this is not an April Fool’s joke. 010
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026Here, that means that it is not costless for SCOTUS to strike down this law. The more protests, op-eds, academic work, popular media, political organizing, etc. makes clear just how costly striking it down would be; the less obvious it becomes to SCOTUS that it’s worth spending the capital to do it. 000
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026So if you’re a lone district court judge who’s going to do something that might make the President order his subordinates (including all of the law enforcement officials that implement your orders) to stop listening to you, you better make your shot count. 100
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026That’s part of the reason courts have been so hesitant to do things like hold government lawyers in contempt. If you’re a judge, all you’ve got is your words and the hope that other people have enough respect for your position that they’ll do what you say. 100
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026Admittedly, I wouldn’t predict that’s what will happen, but also the secret is that courts generally hate making powerful actors like states do big, policy shifting things. So they prefer to set litigants down a road and hope the litigant will get the hint to walk to the end of it on their own. 100
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026That is an important distinction because it means there is still time to put pressure on the courts so that they realize this law should survive strict scrutiny. It is still possible for the lower courts to do the analysis SCOTUS requires and uphold the ban. Then SCOTUS might just let the case go. 100
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026I guess I’ll join the chorus of lawyers explaining that SCOTUS didn’t strike down CO’s law yesterday, they said courts have to more closely interrogate it before upholding it. This, to be clear, is BAD for anyone who thinks CO’s ban is good and legal. But the fight in the courts is not over. 120
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026After the argument it’s hard to see the first possibility, but it says a lot about the state of the Court if they can’t even get unanimity in the “does the universal citizenship amendment actually create a huge class of noncitizens and we just didn’t realize it for 150 years” case. 020
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026When they granted cert, I thought they were either seriously considering limiting birthright citizenship, or wanted to tell a Brown v. Board, 9-0 unity story with a politically salient, but legally slam dunk case. 110
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 27/03/2026A related fact people are surprised by: I’m part of the first generation of my family to be an equal citizen of this country. I was born in 1989. 020
Reposted by Adam DavidsonKyle Barry @kylecbarry.bsky.social · 26/03/2026BREAKING: The PA Supreme Court holds that mandatory life without parole sentences for all "felony murder" convictions -- a sentence more than 1,000 people in PA are serving -- violates the state constitution's "cruel" punishment ban. This is GROUNDBREAKING: www.pacourts.us/assets/opini... 121488394
Reposted by Adam DavidsonR. S. DIENG @drlandislife.bsky.social · 25/03/2026www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukUN votes to recognise slavery as 'gravest crime against humanity'The landmark resolution calls for an apology and contributions to a reparations fund, without specifying an amount. 210643
Reposted by Adam DavidsonAlison Siegler @alisonsiegler.bsky.social · 23/03/2026Incredibly excited and proud to share that last night, the Federal Criminal Justice Clinic’s groundbreaking litigation to end ATF’s discriminatory stash house stings—spanning four years and dozens of clients—was featured on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver! Watch the segment here at 9:05 (1 of 4) 262
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 23/03/2026The Court had done much less of this sort of reaching out to bolster qualified immunity post-George Floyd. If they’re back to their old habits, we’re seeing yet another line of attempted retrenchment from that brief flash of civil rights gains. 010
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 23/03/2026At some point I want to collect all of the warnings that the liberal justices have been putting into their dissents about the conservative majority. This one’s less dramatic than some others, but Sotomayor noting that this is a “resurgence” of protecting violent cops is right. 110
Reposted by Adam DavidsonIsaac Chotiner @ichotiner.bsky.social · 16/03/2026New Interview: www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a... 1601228179
Reposted by Adam DavidsonState Court Report @statecourtreport.org · 13/03/2026Are you a law student or recent graduate looking for clerkship opportunities? State Court Report is hosting a free virtual event on everything you need to know about clerking on a state supreme court. Judges from high courts across the country will share insights. RSVP today:brennancenter.orgWhat to Know About Clerking on a State Supreme CourtJudges from high courts across the country share insights for law students and recent graduates. 03224
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 14/03/2026I consider reading your rambling as additional helpful reading, so thank you for the suggestions on all fronts 110
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 14/03/2026Well that’s fascinating. Who would you recommend I start reading to learn more about this? Because the idea that the US saw the risk of (in its view) biased use of a criminal legal system and decided the best course of action was to opt out is, you might’ve guessed, relevant to my interests. 160
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/03/2026If you want to learn more about how all this works, you can read my articles Administrative Enslavement, and No Exceptions: The New Movement to Abolish Slavery and Involuntary Servitude. /🧵 www.columbialawreview.org/content/admi... lawreview.uchicago.edu/print-archiv...columbialawreview.orgADMINISTRATIVE ENSLAVEMENT - Columbia Law ReviewIntroduction In 2020, there were at least 600,000 slaves in the United States. They cooked. They cleaned. They did building maintenance and repair work. Some fought fires. And others, harking back to ... 030
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/03/2026The TL;DR here is simple. If Polis believes his prisons don’t use involuntary servitude, there are lots of ways to give legal effect to that belief. 131
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/03/2026Of course, much of this was taken out of the governor’s hands by Colorado voters in 2018 when they passed a slavery and involuntary servitude ban without an Except Clause. My point is that Polis is leaving the creation of a state free of involuntary servitude to the courts, but he doesn’t have to. 141
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/03/2026And in Colorado, the threat of, and potential deterrent effect of, damages seems particularly acute because it is one of the few states that abolished qualified immunity as a matter of state law. 132
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/03/2026A skeptic might wonder why any of this would make a difference. My answer to that is simple: civil rights damages. If incarcerated people have Thirteenth Amendment rights, or similar rights as a matter of state law, then both federal and state actions provide damages. 141
Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/03/2026Likewise, prosecutors’ offices could make clear that the punishment of involuntary servitude is not one that they seek. And in the case of plea bargains, they and defense attorneys could negotiate that the punishment of servitude is explicitly excluded as part of the bargain. 131