Recent WLR Forward Articles
Pocket Constitutions: America’s Founding Document in Small Print
For a document that is usually found behind glass casing in museums and galleries, many have taken advantage of the ability to carry it in their purse, wallet—or better yet—their pocket. The US Constitution is one of the oldest and shortest constitutions in the world. This brevity comes with significant advantages: it is easily accessible, it could be read before your coffee gets cold, and it could also be mass produced on a large scale. Indeed, as the insights, commentary, and controversies regarding the American Constitution continue to get larger and more sophisticated in the 21st century, this brief 18th century text seems more relevant than ever. But in part, this renaissance is coming in pocket form through the mass production and distribution of pocket US Constitutions.
December 7, 2025Executive Branch Forum Shopping
Courts agree that the federal government may not seize a person in the United States and immediately ship them off to a prison in another country without providing any opportunity for judicial review. But this basic constitutional rule has proven difficult to enforce in court. The challenge comes not only from a defiant Executive Branch, secret orders, and midnight transfers, but also defense-side agency forum shopping. As soon as the Supreme Court held that challenges to designation and removal under the Alien Enemies Act must be brought in the district of confinement, the federal government moved detainees away from districts issuing protective orders to districts that have declined to act, necessitating a dramatic late-night intervention from the Supreme Court. This story is an especially vivid example of defense-side Executive Branch forum shopping, a phenomenon that has gone largely unnoticed and unstudied.
November 9, 2025Flexibility & Resilience are Essential Legal Skills
The legal profession is facing an era of change driven by technological advancements, environmental crises, shifting client expectations, and evolving societal norms. This article argues that flexibility and resilience are not just positive personality traits but essential legal skills that should be intentionally cultivated in law school curricula. By integrating adaptability into legal education—through emphasizing the evolving nature of law, incorporating interdisciplinary approaches, reshaping assessments, and fostering collaborative learning—law schools can better equip students to navigate an unpredictable future. Encouraging law students to embrace flexibility and resilience as a professional skill will not only enhance their long-term success but also strengthen the legal profession’s ability to lead in times of transformation.
April 18, 2025- More Forward Articles