First, a note on jurisdiction. When trying to track the Senate’s regulatory reform efforts, you have to know where to look. Whereas most APA-focused legislation in the House is referred to the Judiciary Committee, in the Senate that place is the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee(HSGAC). There’s a long and (to some of us) […]
The challenges to the denial of the Keystone XL pipeline simultaneously in both U.S. Federal Court and through the North American Free Trade Agreement’s (NAFTA) investment chapter raise issues regarding how challenges to U.S. regulatory actions might be handled in international arbitration and the future of new trade agreements. The Administrative Law Section Energy Committee, […]
Procedural fairness is not a policy priority in immigration law. Yes, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument soon in Texas v. United States, a case that raises questions about whether the Department of Homeland Security used appropriate procedures in formulating a prosecutorial discretion plan. In that case, some states are challenging the policy, arguing […]
It’s often said that “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” And this certainly is true of the history of administrative law: many of the issues we debate today, on the structure of agencies, the procedures that agencies should undertake, and the judicial review that agencies should take, echo strongly the debates of past […]
Last week the Obama Administration filed its opening brief in United States v. Texas, the pending case at the Supreme Court challenging President Obama’s immigration deferred action programs, known as DACA and DAPA. We haven’t seen Texas’ brief yet, but here are some initial reactions: Justice Scalia’s Mixed Legacy for Deferred Action Justice Scalia’s death […]
The 12th Annual Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Institute (Institute) begins one week from today. The Institute is hosted by the Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice and sponsor, The Regulatory Group. This year’s Institute, which is chaired by John F. Cooney, Partner at Venable LLP and Vice-Chair of the Section, will take place […]
“The Second Hoover Commission’s 60th Anniversary and Lessons for Regulatory Reform” The Hoover Institution — 1399 New York Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. On March 16, the ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice and the Hoover Institution will co-host an afternoon-long conference on the past, present, and future of regulatory reform, at the Hoover […]
At the ABA’s Mid-Year Meeting on February 8, the House of Delegates approved a list of recommended changes to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) submitted by the Section of Administrative Procedure & Regulatory Practice. This was an important development for the Section because of the centrality of the APA to what we do. It was […]
As highlighted by Professor Bagley on this blog last Friday, the D.C. Circuit’s recent opinion inAmerican Hospital Association v. Burwell offers an intriguing look at a complex problem facing the Medicare program—and the health care providers and suppliers wrapped up in its dramatically backlogged appeals system. Professor Bagley’s excellent post neatly articulates the complicated issues […]
On December 21, 2015, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) transmitted to Congress a strategy for U.S. Government engagement in international standardization for cybersecurity. Development of such a strategy was required by the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014, which tasked NIST to work with relevant federal agencies to ensure interagency coordination in “the […]
The primary reason for the decline of immigration exceptionalism is that plenary power has become “subject to important constitutional limitations,” as the Supreme Court said in Zadvydas v. Davis. We do not yet have a complete picture of what all of those constitutional limitations are. We also know that plenary power has not entirely disappeared, […]
In many ways, the burgeoning study of the bounds of the President’s power lies at the intersection of administrative and immigration law. A related area in which I have a special interest is the exercise of power by officials below the level of the president. In my view, the rich literature on agencies’ activity is […]
In an essay published earlier this week, Prof. Michael Kagan expresses concern that “one aspect” of the Obama administration’s executive actions on immigration might be vulnerable when the Supreme Court adjudicates United States v. Texas later this year. In particular, Kagan worries that the plaintiffs might “have a valid point” when they assert that the administration’s initiatives—Deferred […]
On January 27, 2016, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published its long-awaited revision of Circular A-119 on “Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities.” The new policy was developed through an interagency process that took into account public input received during two […]
Donald Trump’s suggestion that we temporarily ban Muslim immigrants from entering the country sent shockwaves through the American psyche. Yet even more shocking, to some, is that Trump’s idea might be constitutional. For more than a century, the Supreme Court has crafted and maintained special doctrines for immigration that depart from mainstream legal norms. If […]