Faculty Who Lead: UC Law SF Experts, Research Shape National Discussions on Executive Power, Health, Rights, and More
From the current administration’s federal funding freeze to the ongoing debate about vaccines and healthcare reform, UC Law San Francisco faculty are adding important legal context to issues at the center of the national debate.
Executive Power
The Conversation
Professor Zachary Price writes about Congresses’ power of the purse for The Conversation. Price outlines its historical legacy and why it matters today.
NPR
Price adds legal and historical context surrounding the Impoundment Control Act, which gives the President legal pathways to pause or reduce government spending.
>> Can President Trump ignore Congress’ spending laws? The debate over ‘impoundment’
Zachary Price was previously an attorney in the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. He has also worked as a litigator in private practice and clerked for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the U.S. Supreme Court.
KQED
Professor Dave Owen comments on the legality and potential consequences of President Trump’s far-reaching executive orders. Owen tells KQED that “an executive order can’t change the Constitution. An executive order also can’t change legislation.”
>> Can Trump Actually Change Federal Funding Rules Through Executive Orders?
Los Angeles Times
Owen provides analysis in this story about how judicial appointments in previous years have shifted challenges to federal actions away from the Ninth Circuit to East Coast courts.
>> How Trump tamed the ‘9th Circus’: Legal challenges to White House are moving east
Dave Owen is an environmental lawyer specializing in energy, land and water use, and administrative law. He previously worked as a geologist and environmental consultant.
KPIX
Professor Rory Little discusses Elon Musk’s influence on the federal government, the limits of executive power in light of recent executive orders, and challenges to the executive orders. He notes the pressures being exerted on checks and balances.
>> Trump orders agencies to comply with DOGE during White House meeting with Elon Musk
Rory Little served as an associate deputy attorney general for U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno and previously was the Appellate Chief for the Northern District of California U.S. Attorney’s office.
Health Care and Vaccines
New York Magazine
Professor Dorit Reiss adds legal and historical context to this Intelligencer article about the connections that have been drawn between vaccination and freedom.
NPR
Reiss comments on the temporary restraining order granted in response to a suit filed against the federal government by Doctors of America, after websites and datasets were removed in response to an executive order.
>> Judge orders restoration of federal health websites
Dorit Reiss is a researcher and writer on the legal and policy issues of vaccines, and the anti-vaccine movement.
The Regulatory Review
This analysis of the restrictions on prescriptions used to treat opioid addition uses a scholarly article by Professor Benjaman A. Barsky as its primary source. Barsky proposes solutions that would allow greater access to treatment through telemedicine.
>> Reforming Digital Access to Opioid Addiction Medication
Benjamin A. Barsky studies the relationship between law and health inequalities. Currently, his research focuses on how criminal law enforcement shapes health, with a particular focus on policing, incarceration, and controlled substance law.
Barron’s
Professor Robin Feldman comments on a pharmaceutical company’s Super Bowl commercial, which discussed weight loss but didn’t name a particular drug, nor the associated risks and side effects.
>> A Super Bowl Ad Sparks Controversy and Signals a New Era in U.S. Health
Robin Feldman is founder and director of the UC Law SF Center for Innovation (C4i) and of the AI Law & Innovation Institute. She provides technical advice and testimony to congressional committees and government agencies on various intellectual property and innovation topics.
NC Health News
A report by UC Law SF’s The Source on Healthcare Price & Competition that analyzes the sale of non-profit Misson Health to for-profit HCA Healthcare is discussed, alongside the legal and regulatory implications of the sale.
The Source on Healthcare Price & Competition is an initiative of the UCSF – UC Law Consortium on Law, Science & Health Policy. It provides up-to-date and accessible information about healthcare price and competition in the U.S.
Freedom of Speech and Anti-Discrimination Law
CalMatters
Professor Matt Coles responds an appellate court ruling that a California baker violated the law in refusing to sell a cake to same-sex couple for their wedding. Coles also notes the potential impact of a SCOTUS ruling that allowed a web designer to deny services on First Amendment grounds.
>> California court rules against baker in revival of same-sex wedding cake disputes
Matt Coles was previously the deputy national legal director at the ACLU, where he was responsible for the organization’s work on race, voting, disability and immigration.
Political Analysis
The Guardian
Professor Joan Williams’ upcoming book is previewed, in which she discusses how Democrats can win back sections of the working class they lost to Trump without compromising their commitment to equal rights and compassionate government.
>> How the left can win back the working class
Joan Williams is the founding director of the Equality Action Center and is widely known for “bias interrupters,”—an evidence-based metrics-driven approach to eradicating implicit bias.