Catherine Crump

What's the right way to rename The Kennedy Center? I explain in my latest Civil Liberties in 60 Seconds.

Can the government put someone to death after a judge blocks their lawyers from fully challenging racial bias in jury selection? The Supreme Court just said no in a 5-4 decision (Pitchford v. Cain). I break it down in my latest Civil Liberties in 60 Seconds.

Is it legal for the government to punish you for criticizing Charlie Kirk? The First Amendment says absolutely not.

The FBI is requesting bids for a nationwide car-tracking dragnet. FBI access to this data with no accountability and little oversight would be bad under any administration. But it's particularly problematic under this one, all the more so given that Kash Patel currently sits atop the FBI.

Can the Trump Administration exclude or remove people from the country because they work in content moderation? Breaking it down in Civil Liberties in 60 Seconds.

What do you get when two DOGE guys use ChatGPT to decide which federal grants to terminate? A constitutional violation, according to one federal judge. I break it down on my latest Civil Liberties in 60 Seconds.

Universities love celebrating activists of the past—but they get nervous when we praise the ones of today. My take on Prof. Derek Peterson's controversial graduation speech at Michigan.

Your phone is a tracking device. But is it legal for police to search for all cell phones near a crime scene? Breaking down geofence warrants and the fight for digital privacy in 60 seconds.

Is the White House ballroom a national security issue? The Trump Administration is trying to turn a legal shield into a loophole, invoking national security for everything from the ballroom to wind farms to offshore drilling.

Who’s a bigger threat to your privacy: the government tracking your car, or the tech bro sitting next to you filming with smart glasses? I testified before the California State Senate on two bills to address privacy risks of surveillance tech. Here's a short video about it.

Will immigrants file taxes this year? After Trump's IRS shared taxpayer data with ICE, courts stepped in to block it. But ICE has violated court orders repeatedly. My latest Civil Liberties in 60 Seconds.

The Trump Administration wants an anything goes approach to AI. California isn’t having it. My latest for Civil Liberties in 60 Seconds.

President Trump keeps losing First Amendment cases due to viewpoint discrimination, which is pretty remarkable

"Very quirky." That’s how Chief Justice Roberts described a key party of the government’s argument to end birthright citizenship this week. I break down the high-stakes arguments in Trump v. Barbara—in today's Civil Liberties in 60 Seconds

Does being born on US soil automatically make you an American? Today, SCOTUS hears a case that could dismantle over a century of precedent. From the historic Wong Kim Ark ruling to today, I break down what’s at stake.

Meta glasses look like standard frames—until someone turns them into secret spy gear. I went to the CA State Senate to testify on SB 1130. If you can’t tamper with a smoke detector, you shouldn’t be allowed to disable a camera’s safety light.

When a first grader’s drawing ends up in federal court, who really wins? (Spoiler: No one). Check out the latest Civil Liberties in 60 Seconds for the breakdown of a case that’s testing the limits of free speech in schools.

Can the government use its power to punish law firms for the viewpoints they represent? In my latest Civil Liberties in 60 Seconds, I examine the DOJ’s sudden reversal on its appeal defending executive orders that blacklisted major firms. Watch to learn why this matters. ⚖️🏛️

Can the military cut a retired veteran's pension for political speech? The Pentagon tried to punish Senator Mark Kelly for a video, but a federal judge blocked it, ruling his speech is unquestionably protected. Now, the appeals court will hear the case in May. Watch my 60-second breakdown! ⬇️

Can the Trump Administration force Anthropic to let the military use its products however it likes? My latest for Civil Liberties in 60 seconds.

Protesting is a right—and so is your digital privacy. 🦋 Just because the police can take your cellphone if you get arrested mean they have an all-access pass to your life. ⚖️ The law draws a line in the sand at your data. #DigitalPrivacy #FirstAmendment #ProtestRights