Shon R. Hopwood

Shon R. Hopwood

shonhopwood@hotmail.com

Website: http://www.facebook.com/shonhopwood

Shon R Hopwood’s unusual legal journey began not at law school, but federal prison, where he learned to write briefs for other prisoners. Two petitions for certiorari he prepared were later granted review by the United States Supreme Court, and the story of his legal success was the subject of articles in the New York Times, the Saturday Evening Post, and Above the Law. His work has been published in the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties and Fordham Law Reviews. He is a consultant at Cockle Law Brief Printing Company, and a student and Gates Public Service Scholar at the University of Washington School of Law. In August of 2012, Crown/Random House will publish his memoir entitled "Law Man: My Story of Robbing Banks, Winning Supreme Cases and Finding Redemption." Through a decade of letters, Shon convinced his kind and beautiful wife, Ann Marie, to marry him. He has one cute but incredibly ornery son, Mark Raymond, and a precious and beautiful baby girl, Grace. Shon enjoys liberty, the writing of the Apostle Paul, Amy Hempel, and Raymond Carver, the music of Radiohead, and watching the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. Follow me at: @shonhopwood

Shon R. Hopwood

Shon R Hopwood’s unusual legal journey began not at law school, but federal prison, where he learned to write briefs for other prisoners. Two petitions for certiorari he prepared were later granted review by the United States Supreme Court, and the story of his legal success was the subject of articles in the New York Times, the Saturday Evening Post, and Above the Law. His work has been published in the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties and Fordham Law Reviews.

He is a consultant at Cockle Law Brief Printing Company, and a student and Gates Public Service Scholar at the University of Washington School of Law.

In August of 2012, Crown/Random House will publish his memoir entitled “Law Man: My Story of Robbing Banks, Winning Supreme Cases and Finding Redemption.”

Through a decade of letters, Shon convinced his kind and beautiful wife, Ann Marie, to marry him. He has one cute but incredibly ornery son, Mark Raymond, and a precious and beautiful baby girl, Grace. Shon enjoys liberty, the writing of the Apostle Paul, Amy Hempel, and Raymond Carver, the music of Radiohead, and watching the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team.

Follow me at: @shonhopwood

Recent Posts:

Whew! Now I Can Quit Law School

Clifford Winston recently published an op-ed at the New York Times entitled, “Are Law Schools and Bar Exams Necessary?” The only words I can really add to it are: Nice work!

Ineffective Assistance During the Plea Stage

Next week, the Supreme Court will hear argument in two of the most important criminal cases this Term:  Missouri v. Frye, No. 10-444 and Lafler v. Cooper, No. 10-209. And both cases involve ineffective assistance of counsel claims. Both cases involve instances where defense attorneys must have been huffing glue. In Frye, the attorney failed to [...]

One Month Down

I am officially finished with my first month of law school. I must say it was exhausting. But other than that, I have little to complain about. My professors are great (and I’m not just saying that to kiss their you know what!), my classmates are likeable (my small section is completely devoid of gunners), and [...]

Need Help With Law School Exams? Open Book Is Here To Help

As a general rule, I usually don’t advocate on behalf of books I haven’t read. But there is an exception. When I have read several of the author’s previous works, and I just know his next will be as spectucular as his previous ones. I have read NYU Professor Barry Friedman’s books, articles and blog [...]

More on the Strip Search Case

While Sean Bradley and I have been discussing the strip search case on this blog (here and here), others are talking about it at various forums.   Adam Liptak at the New York Times and Mike Sacks at the Huffington Post cover the oral arguments. Sacks wrote that: “For the first time this term, Kennedy seemed to be [...]

Will the Libertarian Justice Kennedy Appear Today at Oral Arguments?

[The Supreme Court will hear argument today in Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Burlington, No. 10-945.] At 10:00 am Eastern Time, the Supreme Court will hear a case about personal autonomy, personal dignity, and a person’s most private details. In prior cases addressing these themes, we’ve watched Justice Kennedy transform from a Law and [...]

Do We Finally Have Consensus on the Failings of the Drug War?

It appears that we may have finally reached a consensus on the simple proposition that the War On Drugs is bad policy. Well, kind of. I know what you’re thinking, are there really people out there who believe that the drug war is good policy? Unfortunately, yes, especially if they happen to be employed by [...]

The Passive Voice Debate

I read another article on a subject that seems to create an almost weekly discussion on the legal blogosphere: when and where to use the passive voice, if at all. For law professors’ views on the subject read here, here, here and here. My belief seems to track most of those above. Sure, as a general matter, the passive [...]

SCOTUS Coverage

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, in this ABA Journal post, makes the case that this Supreme Court term will be a momentous one for the Kennedy Court. He notes that: Once more, as it has been for each of the last six years, it will be, from a practical perspective, the Anthony Kennedy Court. In ideologically divided [...]

Recent Comments:

Shon R. Hopwood
I meant to say in the response above this (I typed that response on my phone while on a bus). It doesn't matter if strip searching everyone would make a jail safer. Given the immensely important privacy and personal dignity interests at stake, the state should have to show that searches of people jailed for minor offenses would make the jail SUBSTANTIALLY more safe. Otherwise, its just not reasonable. Especially if they could use a metal detecting wand or some other method to discover weapons. I also just thought of two other things. First, the belief that somehow people would start purposely going to jail to smuggle in weapons just doesn't seem to fly. In every jail or prison I've ever been (and that is a fair share), weapons are plentiful so it wouldn't make much sense for prisoners to want someone to smuggle in a knife when they can get one anyway. What we are really talking about here are smuggling in drugs. Second, if the Supreme Court rules that some people don't have to be strip searched if there is not reasonable suspicion, and then suspicionless people start going to jail just to smuggle in drugs, the one positive result will be this: a more robust jail economy. Because if jail guards have to start competing against arrestees over the introduction of illicit drugs into the jail the prices for all drugs will go down!!! I kid, I kid.

Shon R. Hopwood
Barbara, Yes, I think Advanced Legal Research will be one of the most important classes I could ever take. The reasons are simple. It will make my research my thorough. And it will make me more efficient. So then I will have more time to write for the CockleBur. I can't imagine NOT taking that course. Shon

Shon R. Hopwood
Cyn, I don't know if David is publishing the book in hardcopy, but I will find out for you. Shon

Shon R. Hopwood
It surprises me that you read this article without recognizing the sarcasm. Of course, I am being flip. I made two arguments in the article. First, I think the Affordable Care Act is constitutional under current Supreme Court precedent. Many people that oppose the ACA would likely agree with me. Second, I think the Supreme Court's decisions on the Commerce Clause are WRONG, which is apparently the same thing you are contending. Other than you misunderstanding what I wrote, I completely agree with everything you said. The federal government is too big, controls too much our life, and has moved far beyond the limits placed upon it by the Constitution.

Shon R. Hopwood
Reid, I lived at Fort Myers (when I served in the Navy), which borders next to Arlington Cemetary. I know that the tombstones are not crosses (I have walked around the cemetary almost daily when I lived there). What I was referring to was the Argonne Cross and the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice that sits among the graves. Shon

Shon R. Hopwood
Jacob, This is one of the best speeches I have heard this year. I was particularly impressed with what you did not recommend, which is to have Libertarians shove their ideas down the throats of all who will listen. That is as wise as it is effective.