For the Record: Awards, Papers, Panels and Expert Insights on Water Law, AI in Law Libraries, Veterans Advocacy and More

News 

Rupprecht Jane Recipient of IAALS Rebuilding Justice Award 

Innovation for Justice (i4J) Director Stacy Rupprecht Jane was recently named the recipient of the 18th Annual Rebuilding Justice Award from the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS). IAALS will honor five individuals—each representing one of its core values: question the status quo, let data guide the way, center the people, find common ground, and set our sights on tomorrow. Rupprecht Jane will be honored for Centering the People by expanding access to civil legal services and elevating the voices of those too often unheard. 

Tamir Joins Panel to Discuss SCOTUS, Tariffs and the Administrative State, Attends Workshop at Trinity College Dublin

On November 3, Associate Professor Oren Tamir joined a virtual panel at Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy titled, “SCOTUS, tariffs, and the administrative state: What journalists need to know.” The webinar discussed the potential economic consequences of  Learning Resources v. Trump, important legal arguments, and the history and future of administrative authority in the U.S.  

Tamir was also part of a workshop for the Trinity Centre for Constitutional Governance at Trinity College Dublin on “Statutory Interpretation in Ireland and the World.” 

Richotte’s Book Cited in U.S. Supreme Court Dissent 

Professor Keith Richotte’s latest book, “The Worst Trickster Story Ever Told: Native America, the Supreme Court, and the U.S. Constitution (2025),” was cited in a recent U.S. Supreme Court dissent by Justice Neil Gorsuch, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas.  

In the dissent from a certiorari denial, Gorsuch called for the Court to revisit U.S. v. Kagama (1886), a landmark case underpinning Congress’s broad authority over Indian affairs. Echoing themes from Richotte’s work, Gorsuch criticized the plenary power doctrine’s constitutional basis and its origins in “archaic prejudices,” urging greater respect for tribal sovereignty and treaty obligations. 

Woods Article Publishes in Fordham Urban Law Journal 

Professor of Law Jordan Blair Woods recently published an article entitled “The Expansion of Criminal Legal Systems Throughout Traffic Enforcement: A Lost History.” The article was published in the latest issue of the Fordham Urban Law Journal.   

Milczarek-Desai Presents at the Seventh Annual Equality Law Scholars’ Forum 

Associate Professor of Law Shefali Milczarek-Desai attended the Equality Law Scholars Forum on November 7–8 at LMU Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. Milczarek-Desai was as one of six junior faculty selected to present her paper, “Moving Beyond Worker Rights to Worker Justice.” 

This Scholars’ Forum seeks to provide junior scholars with commentary and critique and to provide scholars at all career stages the opportunity to engage with new scholarly currents and ideas. The forum brings together scholars with varied perspectives, across fields and with work relevant to many diverse identities to build bridges and to generate new ideas in the area of Equality Law.    

Veterans’ Advocacy Law Clinic Highlights Work at El Presidio Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution 

Director of the Veterans’ Advocacy Law Clinic Kristine Huskey was joined by law students and Professor Lori Lewis to be the monthly speakers for El Presidio Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. They highlighted the clinic’s support to U.S military veterans for over a decade in Southern Arizona.  

Media  

Texas's water wars 
The New Yorker 
Nov. 14, 2025 

Texas residents are being confronted with the alarming reality of limited water supplies brought on by the state’s decades of nearly unlimited growth. Adding to the problem is that the state follows the rule of capture — absolute ownership — which allows landowners to draw as much water as they like from below their property, even if it negatively affects neighboring properties. Professor Emeritus Robert Glennon, a water law expert, cautions against equating the rule of capture with private property.  

Arizona law students are veteran advocates in training 
American Family News 
Nov. 11, 2025 

Professor Kristine Huskey, director of the Veterans’ Advocacy Law Clinic, talks about how law students help veterans during their time at the clinic at Arizona Law.  

Indigenous Communities in the US Underfunded and Exploited by Federal and State Governments 
Project Censored 
Nov. 11, 2025 

A series of articles showcase the vital role that independent investigative journalism plays in uncovering and spotlighting government mistreatment of Indigenous communities. Professor Rob Williams is interviewed in a High Country News article talking about tribal sovereignty and climate change. 

Law Librarians Take the Lead: The Future of AI and Legal Information 
Geeks and Law Blog 
Nov. 10, 2025 

Cas Laskowski, Head of Research, Data and Instruction at the Daniel Cracchiolo Law Library, was guest on Geek in Review, alongside Taryn Marks, and Kristina (Kris) Niedringhaus. They discuss their recently co-authored white paper, “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Law Libraries,” and explore how law librarians can move from reactive observers of AI’s rise to proactive architects shaping its ethical and practical integration across the legal ecosystem. 

More Help Than Ever for Veterans — and More Need Than Ever, Leaders Say 
NH Journal 
Nov. 9, 2025 

Professor Kristine Huskey, director of the Veterans’ Advocacy Law Clinic, discusses the clinic work and civilian law students’ willingness to want to help veterans, as part of an article highlighting organizations providing services to America’s 18 million veterans.  

More help than ever for veterans — and more need than ever, leaders say  
Santa Maria Times 
Nov. 7, 2025 

While there is more help available than ever for U.S. veterans — including new support services and programs — the need among veterans is also growing rapidly. Kristine Huskey, director of Veterans’ Advocacy Law Clinic, is interviewed.  

Forging Future Advocates: The Pre-Law Summer Institute 
Tribal College Journal 
Nov. 6, 2025 
 
An article about the American Indian Law Center’s annual Pre-Law Summer Institute (PLSI) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and its impact on American Indian and Alaskan Native students from across the United States. The free eight-week program prepares students for the rigors of law school. Associate Clinical Professor Heather Whiteman Runs Him, director of the Tribal Justice Clinic, attended PLSI and is interviewed.  

Nonprofits raise concerns about rising demand for help from low-income and disabled veterans  
Stars and Stripes 
Nov. 4, 2025 

Higher costs for groceries, utilities and housing, cutbacks on food stamps and the federal government shutdown are all contributing to headwinds that disabled and low-income veterans are facing. Professor Kristine Huskey, director of Veterans’ Advocacy Law Clinic, is interviewed.  

The Appellate Void: Trump Could Defy Judges Without Confronting the Supreme Court 
Lawfare 
Oct. 31, 2025 

Professor Andrew Coan, Milton O. Riepe Chair in Constitutional Law, writes how a president could sidestep the courts by simply not appealing lower-court rulings, allowing them to ignore judges’ orders without the Supreme Court getting involved. 

How a recent Arizona Supreme Court ruling affects self-defense laws inside a residential structure 
KJZZ Phoenix 
Oct. 29, 2025 

Associate Clinical Professor of Law Bryan Schwartz discusses an Arizona Supreme Court decision that a Pima County man convicted of shooting a neighbor who tried to enter his locked bedroom did not violate the state’s self-defense law. 

Guest Post: Andrew Coan, How Stare Decisis Can Save the Fed 
Divided Argument 
Oct. 28, 2025 

Professor Andrew Coan, Milton O. Riepe Chair in Constitutional Law, writes how the Supreme Court might overturn a key precedent that protects the independence of agencies like the Federal Reserve. He suggests the Court could make an exception for the Fed because of its unique importance to the economy.