Power and Control

I am working during the break on my first scholarly writing since joining the academy last year. Here is a working draft of the potential thesis:

Every state provides a civil, statutory system for providing protection orders for victims of domestic violence. Conventional civil protection regimes are fixated on physical violence or refer to crimes with elements requiring physical violence. Thus, these civil protection statutes do not define “abuse” correctly to confront the reality of the phenomenon. Civil protection regimes should contemplate “abuse” beyond a reference to criminal statutes with a fixation on physical violence. Rather, these regimes should acknowledge and address the actual underpinnings of domestic abuse: power, control and oppression. By providing an injunctive remedy to victims of oppression that is not physically violent, civil protection regimes could intercept a dangerous relationship before violence occurs. At least, enjoiningng oppression would square civil protection orders with the reality of domestic violence.

March Madness

Last night, Faulkner University clinched a share of its conference regular-season championship and will be the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. The Eagles also secure a berth in the NAIA national championship tournament. Faulkner hasn't won a national championship since 2001, so we're due.


We play some pretty good small-college ball down here.

Go Eagles.

UPDATE! Our law school also has a team competing for the very first time in the American Bar Association's National Moot Court competition in St. Louis. Yesterday we beat Ave Maria. Tonight, the Jones School of Law Moot Court team defeated the University of Florida. Read that again, my friends.

Faulkner beats Florida.


Congratulations, students. You're making history for our little school. Next up is Arizona, and you can take them.

Their coach is my friend, Prof. Garman, a graduate of * ahem * Vanderbilt Law School. He sends this report:

As of this round in the regional with 35 teams, the top ranked teams (all with 2-0 records) are

1. Georgia
2. Notre Dame
3. Wash U. in St. Louis
4. Baylor
5. St. Mary's
6. Arizona
7. Faulkner
8. Georgia
9. St. Mary's
10. Baylor
11. Arizona (this is the team we will play in the morning)
12. Minnesota
13. Wash U. in St. Louis
14. Loyola (not sure which one!)
15. Tulane

High cotton.