School of Law

Is Tom Sawyer a clever entrepreneur, or did his friends paint that fence under false pretenses? U.S. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. decides, with a little help from Washington University students, in an event celebrating the School of Law’s 150th anniversary.

A bill pending in the Missouri Legislature would make it more difficult for workers who experience discrimination or lose their job because of whistleblowing to hold their employers responsible, says an expert on employment law at Washington University in St. Louis.

Without public spaces for debate and discussion, our ideas and our expressions stay in our private spaces and we don’t have opportunities to engage with each other, argues John Inazu, the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law & Religion.

American employers increasingly rely on large datasets and computer algorithms to decide who gets interviewed, hired or promoted. Pauline Kim, employment law expert, explains that when algorithms rely on inaccurate, biased or unrepresentative data, they may systematically disadvantage racial and ethnic minorities, women and other historically disadvantaged groups.

Alicia McDonnell, JD ’95, is a former prosecutor. Today, she encourages law students to pursue careers in public service.

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will visit Washington University on Monday, Feb. 27. His visit is part of the School of Law’s 150th anniversary celebration, and it also includes an Assembly Series presentation at 3 p.m. in Graham Chapel.

President Donald Trump has vowed to “destroy” the Johnson Amendment, a 1954 provision under which tax-exempt entities such as churches and charities cannot participate in any political campaign. Doing so might actually be cause for concern among the religious organizations pushing for its repeal, says a constitutional law expert at Washington University in St. Louis.

WashU alumni share their magical stories about working on Broadway, becoming part of a larger cultural conversation and, ultimately, making a difference.

Greg Magarian, professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis and noted expert on constitutional law, discusses what he sees as three prominent First Amendment issues that are important to emphasize right now: freedom of the press, proposed state laws directed at limiting street protests and free speech on campus.

America spoke in November, one month after the candidates collided in the presidential debate held Oct. 9 at Washington University in St. Louis. In the days that followed the historic 2016 election, faculty experts across campus offered their perspectives on the economy, the legislative responses, the cultural and global ripple effects.