It’s Friday night, and we only have one more day left to research in D.C. Although I definitely am exhausted and in need of a break, I am sad that things are coming to a close so soon. Today and yesterday have definitely been very eventful, both in terms of research and sightseeing. On Thursday, after finishing with Bakke, I was able to look at Fullilove v. Klutznick, Weber, Wygant v Jackson, U.S v. Paradise, Local 28, and Local 93. It felt like break-neck speed after spending a day and a half on Bakke, but I found so many interesting tidbits, including possibly my favorite paper yet. Someone sent justice Blackmun hate poetry regarding him affirming AA programs in Fullilove v. Klutznick. I’ve attached a scan for your viewing pleasure.

Hate poetry addressed to Justice Blackmun regarding him affirming AA programs in Fullilove v. Klutznick

It’s interesting seeing the different objections each justice had to different cases. As far as I can see, in cases in the 1980s, White, Powell, and O’Connor each had flip-flopping positions on AA, but they did not necessarily value the same things. There were also a lot of procedural issues (ie. consent decrees, private cause of action) that were somewhat difficult to understand, but I feel like I have a much better understanding after yesterday. I was hoping for some reasoning for Stevens’ turn on Wygant, but his papers aren’t available, and the Brennan and Blackmun papers unfortunately don’t say much about it. After we finished at the LOC for the day, we headed over to the old train station. It was really beautiful, and I very much enjoyed my Chipotle. Once we got back to Ballston, I got some boba and headed back to the Comfort Inn for some “Secret Hitler.” The game, which is essentially similar to Mafia, was really fun, even though I had some issues understanding how it worked at first. After the game, I went upstairs and prepared myself to finish my essential cases by Friday. Thankfully, I was able to finish the rest of my cases (Croson and Metro v. FCC) today, and I actually found a lot of interesting information, especially in Metro v. FCC. Apparently, Justice Brennan significantly changed his opinion in the case. Blackmun’s papers alluded to it, and it seems that he may have changed the standard of review, but I will make sure to look at it in Brennan’s papers to see if I can ascertain why. J.A Croson had less information than I liked in Blackmun’s, so I will likely look at them in Brennan’s again. Since I’ve finished my essential cases, I think that tomorrow I will look at Bakke in Stevens’ and Brennan’s papers (although more of Bakke may make me want to cry).

After the LOC, we got We the Pizza (which was amazing again) and walked to the mall and got to see the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veteran Memorial, and eventually see the White House. Since it’s St. Patrick’s Day, the White House was lit up in green, which was pretty cool. Me and Gina tried to look for the Gossip Girl mansion, but unfortunately were too far to see it (although we did mistake the EEOB for it initially). Although the evening endeavors were fun, they were simultaneously super exhausting. Once we got back up to the hotel, I started writing this blog post. I’m about to go downstairs to play a final round of “Secret Hitler” and prepare for the final day of research tomorrow. Since this is my last blog post, I want to conclude by saying that this has been a super rewarding experience, and I’m excited to take all of this knowledge into the last few weeks of class.