OA291: Wildcard, Clownhorns! (Non-Compete Clauses & More)

Today’s SUPER SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE tackles a bunch of issues that came up during the week that we didn’t want to get buried on the whiteboard, including the Flores settlement, a deep dive into non-compete clauses, and a really good Andrew Was Right & Wrong segment about the Hatch Act. It’s everything you love about Opening Arguments, only more so!

We begin with an examination of the oral arguments before the 9th Circuit regarding ICE detainment centers and whether those comply with the conditions mandated by the Flores settlement that require “safe and sanitary” conditions for minors separated from their families at the border.

After that, it’s time for a deep dive into a really good listener question from Erin regarding covenants not to compete. Learn all about the “Legitimate Business Interest” (LBI) test and how to gauge whether a noncompete clause is (likely) enforceable, plus learn about the recent economic and political trends surrounding noncompetes that may surprise you.

Then, it’s time for a very insightful set of comments from a listener regarding the Hatch Act; it’s an Andrew Was Right/Andrew Was Wrong compliment sandwich, but we all wind up better for it!

No #TTTBE this episode since it’s a special bonus.

Appearances

None! If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. We first discussed the Flores settlement and border policy back in Episode 184. For a recent report on the oral argument, check out this Courthouse News article referenced on the show.
  2. We last discussed non-compete clauses in Episode 75.

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

-Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/, and don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com!




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OA192: Capital Punishment, the Eighth Amendment &… Obergefell?

Today’s episode takes an in-depth historical look at the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on “cruel and unusual punishment” and what that might mean for the future of Obergefell v. Hodges in the next Supreme Court.  What does capital punishment have to do with gay marriage?  Listen and find out!

We begin, however, with a discussion of the District Court’s refusal to modify the Flores settlement we discussed in Episode 184.  Find out what the court thinks of Trump’s Executive Order to “keep families together” at the border… by indefinitely detaining minors in violation of the law.

After that, it’s time for a double-length dive into the history of Eighth Amendment jurisprudence, and in particular, the Supreme Court’s decision outlawing capital punishment in 1972 (Furman v. Georgia) and then reversing itself just four years later (Gregg v. Georgia).  Is this a blueprint for what the next SCOTUS will do?  Listen and find out!

Finally, we end the answer to Thomas Takes The Bar Exam #84 regarding spousal privilege.  Remember to follow our Twitter feed (@Openargs) and like our Facebook Page so that you too can play along with #TTTBE!

Recent Appearances

By the time you download this, Andrew will have been a guest discussing Judge Kavanaugh with conservative talk show host Chuck Morse.  If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. We first discussed the President’s Executive Order regarding family separation in Episode 184; and you can click hear to read the District Court’s Order refusing to modify the Flores settlement.
  2. The first case we discussed was Pavan v. Smith, 137 S.Ct. 2075 (2017), in which Roberts refused to sign on with the hard-right dissent.
  3. Our two main cases we broke down were Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972) and Gregg v. Georgia, 482 U.S. 153 (1976).
  4. Finally, we strongly recommend reading Justice Brennan’s 1986 Oliver Wendell Holmes lecture in which he explains his view of the Eighth Amendment.

Support us on Patreon at:  patreon.com/law

Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/

Don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki

And email us at openarguments@gmail.com

 

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OA191: Fact and Fiction About Brett Kavanaugh

Today’s Rapid Response Friday does not take a victory lap about our successful prediction that Brett Kavanaugh would be Donald Trump’s next nominee to the Supreme Court (but seriously, we called that right, y’all.)  Instead, Andrew and Thomas break down some of the current stories surrounding Kavanaugh to separate  fact from fiction and try and articulate the best mainstream case against confirming Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

In the pre-show, we give a shout-out to everyone who made the Opening Arguments Wiki possible — go check it out!  It’s amazing!

After that, Andrew Was Wrong returns with a clarification from Episode 187 where Andrew misspoke.  And also, the guys have a slight laugh at Andrew’s inability to pronounce locations of things.

The main segment tackles a bunch of current stories surrounding Judge Kavanaugh, including:  (1) the allegation that Judge Kavanaugh has concluded that sitting Presidents can’t be indicted; (2) the Yale open letter opposing his nomination; (3) a truly stupid article in The Hill arguing for a lawsuit to block Kavanaugh; (4) the potential conflict of interest with Kennedy’s retirement; and (5) the notion of “packing the Court” in 2020.  Phew!

Next, Andrew gives us an eight-second sneak peek at a court’s refusal to permit the Trump administration to modify the Flores settlement and why that’s good news.

Finally, we end with an all new Thomas Takes The Bar Exam #83 involving spousal privilege.  If you’d like to play along, just retweet our episode on Twitter or share it on Facebook along with your guess and the #TTTBE hashtag.  We’ll release the answer on next Tuesday’s episode along with our favorite entry!

Recent Appearances

Andrew was just a guest co-host on Episode 75 of the Skepticrat podcast; go check it out!  Also, Andrew will be discussing Judge Kavanaugh with conservative talk show host Chuck Morse.  If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. For starters, here is the Tweet from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez we criticized, along with the pretty funny humor piece from Andy Borowitz.
  2. You should definitely read Kavanaugh’s 2009 Law Review article “Separation of Powers During the Forty-Fourth Presidency and Beyond” in the Minnesota Law Review.
  3. This is the Yale Open letter.
  4. This is the dreadful Ken Levy article in The Hill that Andrew debunks.
  5. These are the actual Senate Rules, and remember that we broke down the “nuclear option” way back in Episode 59.
  6. On Anthony Kennedy’s negotations, check out Rule 3(C)(1) of the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges, which we previously discussed in Episode 129.
  7. As homework for next week, read the Court’s order denying the Trump Administration’s request to modify the Flores settlement, which we first covered in Episode 184.
  8. Finally, NEVER ENDING FAME AND FORTUNE goes to:Paul Duggan, Zach Aletheia, Eric Brewer, Teresa Gomez, Andrew Hamilton, Robin Hofmann, and Beverly Karpinski-Theunis for creating the OA Wiki!

Support us on Patreon at:  patreon.com/law

Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/

Don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki

And email us at openarguments@gmail.com

 

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