Patriot Act national security letter ruling [US DC] News
Patriot Act national security letter ruling [US DC]

John Doe, American Civil Liberties Union, and American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, v. Alberto Gonzales, Robert Mueller, et al., US District Court for the Southern District of New York, September 6, 2007 [ruling that national security letters demanding private information and imposing gag orders on recipients are unconstitutional without judicial review]. Read the full text of the opinion [PDF]. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Magna Carta established fundamental rights in England

On June 15, 1215, King John sealed the Magna Carta at Runnymede, establishing certain fundamental rights as part of the law in England. Learn more about the Magna Carta.

Twelfth Amendment Ratified

On June 15, 1804, the Twelfth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, creating separate votes in the electoral college for President and Vice-President. In prior elections, the country experienced problems with the original system in Article II, Section 1, Clause 3 of the Constitution, which failed to adequately segregate votes for President and Vice-President. This led to a tie in the 1800 election between Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates of the same party. Learn more about the history of the Twelfth Amendment from the University of Chicago.