Chris Yarrell

Happy to have this out - give it a read and let me know what you think

a photo of Justice Powell from his time on the Supreme Court

Depending on who you ask, Lewis Powell Jr. is either: an ideological mastermind of the Right who led the corporate counter-revolution OR the Supreme Court’s quintessential “swing justice" upholding liberal positions in some of the Court’s most high-profile cases (from affirmative action to abortion)

How does LPE relate to law and econ and legal realism? The University of Chicago L Rev. recently held a symposium on LPE and L&E, so I grabbed the chance to set out some ideas -> papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Picture of a local stray cat drinking from a bowl

We’re kindred spirits. Had this new friend stop by for a bit earlier this week

Congrats!!

How to Get to Universal Childcare A conversation with Josh Wallack on Universal Pre-K, the Mamdani-Hochul childcare announcement, and early childhood policy in NYC

Here’s another fantastic piece. I worked on the UPK initiative from 2014-2016—my proudest professional experience to date—so I was especially glad to read this interview and consider what that work can offer the Mamdani admin.

nycpolicyforum.substack.com/p/how-to-get...

Excellent piece. As a de Blasio alum, I can only wish we’d had an accessible, public-facing forum like @nycpolicyforum.bsky.social that unpacks the inner workings of city governance.

Congratulations!!!

Grateful for the opportunity to share my latest research this weekend at the Association of Law and Political Economy’s inaugural conference. An energizing experience alongside a thoughtful, generous community of scholars! @a-lpe.bsky.social

“Under this Court’s precedents, not to mention common sense, those circumstances taken together can constitute at least reasonable suspicion of illegal presence in the United States. Importantly, reasonable suspicion means only that immigration officers may briefly stop the individual and inquire about immigration status. IOnly if the person is illegally in the United States may the stop lead to further immigration proceedings.”

it feels a lot like today's murder is in response to the mass protests yesterday, as if to tell us we're powerless, that our solidarity won't protect us.

I wrote this, please read! (As usual when I have a thing come out I'm acutely aware of its limits but fwiw I'm excited this is out. I learned a lot writing it. Also: JHI blog editors were incredibly rigorous and vigorous, made the piece better as object and the process of writing it more edifying!)

Sic ‘em!

I’ve recently started putting out food and water for a few strays in my neighborhood. One of the cats, who I’ve named Charlie, is still a bit wary. But if Charlie’s current posture—a *perfect* loaf—is any indication, I think he’s getting more comfortable ❤️

I’ve recently started putting out food and water for a few strays in my neighborhood. One of the cats, who I’ve named Charlie, is still a bit wary.

But if Charlie’s current posture—a *perfect* loaf—is any indication, I think he’s getting more comfortable. #caturday

19 states sue HHS over a move that could curtail youth gender-affirming care A coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday sued the Department of Health and Human Services over a declaration that could complicate access to gender-affirming care for young peo...

Thanks to these AGs for their leadership. www.npr.org/2025/12/24/g...

Tennessee whistleblower says library board chair sought private data as part of state's book purge A First Amendment expert told The Advocate that there are "huge" legal implications stemming from the situation.

Officials in Tennessee aren't just banning books, they're now demanding information on who checked out contested (largely LGBTQ+) books, including names, addresses, and "household composition."

A librarian who was given the directive has come forward asking for whistleblower protections.

How the Trump Administration Is Quietly Resegregating the American Workforce The Justice Department’s rollback of disparate impact is just one new policy that makes it harder for people of color to challenge illegal discrimination.

Getting rid of disparate impact liability under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act would mean cutting millions of people of color off from recourse for anything but the most obvious and explicit discrimination

ballsandstrikes.org/law-politics...

Grateful to @theregreview.bsky.social for engaging with my recent article on administrative exhaustion after Perez.

I’m an elementary school principal. Students live in fear of ICE | Seth Lavin I am in awe of the children and their parents as they live through raids. How can you call an operation targeted when it blankets a city in fear?

Such heartbreaking cruelty

"[I] one Chicago school, a third grade boy stopped eating because he was afraid to type in his lunch code, worried ICE would somehow see it and know where he was, or his family." buff.ly/8awzBzn

Extraordinary courage from Ahmed al Ahmed, a Muslim, 43-year-old father of two, who bravely risked his life to save his neighbors celebrating Hanukkah.

Praying for his full & speedy recovery.

And so deeply inspired by his example.

A Reply to Ty: As Fathers Ponder School Vouchers West Virginia was among the first states to adopt a near-universal, private school voucher program, deceptively dubbed the “Hope Scholarship.” I wrote blogposts against an earlier iteration of the bil...

“…universal school vouchers further divide children between the haves and have nots, and in so doing, miseducates us all to be more selfish against each other and ignorant about each other.” So good. @joshuaweishart.bsky.social

Usually @sifill.bsky.social anchors our New Years episode. But we needed her early this year. On the many ways it's too late to be indifferent but never ever too late to get in the fight for the Fourteenth Amendment and all that it promises. swap.fm/l/AmicusWith...

Opinion | At the Supreme Court, Scenes From a Judicial Backlash

1/ A few thoughts about @williambaude.bsky.social’s comment in yesterday’s NYT chat that, “It’s amazing how many of our problems today could be solved by a Congress that was willing and able to legislate in response to national problems.” www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/o...

“The proposal was “drenched in irony.” “It speaks about the importance of diversity of opinion and yet it wants to control the content of the curriculum and the content of faculty research,” Ladd said. “It condemns ideological gatekeeping and yet it proposes high levels of ideological gatekeeping.”

🚨Today is the final day to register for the Association of Law and Political Economy's inaugural conference🚨

And even if you are unable to attend the conference, you can still join @a-lpe.bsky.social as a member and vote in the spring elections!

Links to both can be found in the post below!

The Quarter-Century Project More than 50 people across higher education weigh in on the most consequential trend in the sector since 2000.

This is really neat. Shared my thoughts with the @chronicle.com for this project examining the most consequential trends in the last 25 years of American higher education:

This is actually a good example of why the customer model is wrong.

I wouldn't have chosen poetry writing, but UNC made me take a class. And it absolutely made me become a much better writer, with an eye to concision and an ear now trained to the rhythm of words. I'm a better historian as a result.

The Trump administration is illegally dismantling special education. I started out as a special ed teacher. Some learners have more challenges than others, but all children benefit from the investment we make in them. No nation is better off when it shortchanges its own children.

Supreme Court Questions N.Y. Ban on Religious Exemptions for Vaccines

Case is littered w/ landmines, big 3 as I see it:

1. Could be vehicle for overturning Empl. Division v. Smith? (unlikely but 3 justices chomping at the bit, 2 justices inclined to follow, that's 5)

2. Having jackhammered the wall between church and school, will...

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/n...