Trump’s Fed nominee is a fan of grade inflation!

International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) Duty Refunds Securing America's Borders

Today marks the beginning of the IEEPA refunds. CBP will provide the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) platform. Customs refunds are a standard process but rarely on this scale.

Expect delays.

My upcoming speaking engagements in Spain and Italy. Topics include tariffs, nationalism, threats to liberal democracy, and more: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

My upcoming speaking engagements in Spain and Italy. Topics include tariffs, nationalism, threats to liberal democracy, and more: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

Virginia's Unconstitutional Effort to Strip Tax Exemptions From Pro-Confederate Groups The groups and their ideology are awful. But Virginia's policy violates the First Amendment.

I hate the Confederacy and all it stood for, and have no sympathy for its modern apologists. But Virginia's new law stripping tax exemptions from pro-Confederate groups violates First Amendment, and could set a dangerous precedent. See my linked post for details: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

The Grasping Hand: Kelo v. City of New London & the Limits of Eminent Domain Buy The Grasping Hand: Kelo v. City of New London & the Limits of Eminent Domain: Read Kindle Store Reviews - Amazon.com

Kindle version of my book The Grasping Hand: Kelo v. New London and the Limits of Eminent Domain available for just $2.99. Everything you ever wanted to know about property rights and eminent domain but were afraid to ask:

www.amazon.com/Grasping-Han...

The Grasping Hand: Kelo v. City of New London & the Limits of Eminent Domain Buy The Grasping Hand: Kelo v. City of New London & the Limits of Eminent Domain: Read Kindle Store Reviews - Amazon.com

Kindle version of my book The Grasping Hand: Kelo v. New London and the Limits of Eminent Domain available for just $2.99. Everything you ever wanted to know about property rights and eminent domain but were afraid to ask:

www.amazon.com/Grasping-Han...

I respond to this objection in my linked post.

Virginia's Unconstitutional Effort to Strip Tax Exemptions From Pro-Confederate Groups The groups and their ideology are awful. But Virginia's policy violates the First Amendment.

I hate the Confederacy and all it stood for, and have no sympathy for its modern apologists. But Virginia's new law stripping tax exemptions from pro-Confederate groups violates First Amendment, and could set a dangerous precedent. See my linked post for details: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

True. His type of kookery used to be more left-coded and now it’s right-coded. But the substance is the same.

I really wish this was true!

Trump Administration Presents Update on its Tariff Refund Plan NA After the Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump's massive International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs in a case…

Trump admin updated tariff refund plan isn’t the worst possible. But still flawed. Courts should learn from this experience and NOT stay injunctions blocking illegal tariffs in the future. See my linked post for more:

reason.com/volokh/2026/...

Trump Administration Presents Update on its Tariff Refund Plan NA After the Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump's massive International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs in a case…

Trump admin updated tariff refund plan isn’t the worst possible. But still flawed. Courts should learn from this experience and NOT stay injunctions blocking illegal tariffs in the future. See my linked post for more:

reason.com/volokh/2026/...

IMPORTANT: Under federal law, it's very hard, at times near-impossible, to sue federal law enforcement officers for civil rights violations. But legal theorists have said for decades that there is a possible way to sue under state law instead.

This is a VERY big test case.

https://www.cato.org/blog/trump-has-cut-legal-immigration-more-illegal-immigration

Trump has cut legal immigration more than illegal immigration, as I predicted. While illegal entries have fallen, they continued a prior trend, falling more before he came back. Meanwhile, Trump has drastically cut legal entries, reversing the prior upward trend. www.cato.org/blog/trump-h...

Fifth Circuit Strikes Down Federal Law Banning Home Alcohol Distilleries The ruling holds the law exceeds Congress' authority under the tax power and the Necessary and Proper Clause. But it does not consider the Commerce Clause.

@ilyasomin.bsky.social has a characteristically insightful post on the Volokh Conspiracy on the case.
reason.com/volokh/2026/...

Trump continues the important work of making the Canadian Liberal Party Great Again. Last year, he saved them from near-certain electoral defeat. This year, he’s brought them to new heights of popularity, as the party best positioned to defend Canada against him.

See also the plot of The Godfather III.

A legal scholar explains the challenges with Trump's global tariffs NPR's Scott Simon talks to Ilya Somin, law professor at George Mason University and Cato Institute chair in constitutional studies, about the latest case challenging President Trump's global tariffs.

My @npr.org interview about the Section 122 tariff case:

www.npr.org/2026/04/11/n...

A legal scholar explains the challenges with Trump's global tariffs NPR's Scott Simon talks to Ilya Somin, law professor at George Mason University and Cato Institute chair in constitutional studies, about the latest case challenging President Trump's global tariffs.

My @npr.org interview about the Section 122 tariff case:

www.npr.org/2026/04/11/n...

No. It went even further. In Wickard, the wheat was part of a commercial production process (fed to cows that were then sold). In Raich, the marijuana had no link to intestate commerce at all.

5th Circuit strikes down federal law banning home distilleries. Important win for federalism. But (for procedural reasons) court did not consider strongest rationale for the law - Supreme Court's awful Commerce Clause decision in Gonzales v. Raich: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

5th Circuit strikes down federal law banning home distilleries. Important win for federalism. But (for procedural reasons) court did not consider strongest rationale for the law - Supreme Court's awful Commerce Clause decision in Gonzales v. Raich: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

Thoughts on Today's Oral Argument in the Section 122 Tariff Cases The outcome is unclear. But the judges seemed skeptical of the Trump Administration's claims that Section 122 grants them sweeping tariff powers.

My thoughts on today's oral argument in Section 122 tariff cases. Hard to say for sure who will win. But judges seemed skeptical of Trump assertion that Section 122 grants President sweeping tariff power he claims. See my linked post for details: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

Thoughts on Today's Oral Argument in the Section 122 Tariff Cases The outcome is unclear. But the judges seemed skeptical of the Trump Administration's claims that Section 122 grants them sweeping tariff powers.

My thoughts on today's oral argument in Section 122 tariff cases. Hard to say for sure who will win. But judges seemed skeptical of Trump assertion that Section 122 grants President sweeping tariff power he claims. See my linked post for details: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

Somin on the Right to Use Private Property Ilya Somin (George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School) has posted The Right to Use Private Property, a chapter in RETHINKING THE LAW OF PRIVATE PROPERTY (Jan Laitos, ed., Edward Elgar, 202…

My new article/book chapter on "The Right to Use Private Property" got coveted "highly recommended!" rating from @lsolum.bsky.social at Legal Theory Blog. Thanks! That means it's gotta be good: legaltheoryblog.com/2026/04/09/s...

Not the most important news of the day: But I will be a Visiting Professor at @uvalaw.bsky.social during the Fall 2026 semester! An honor to be at one of the nation's very top law schools. I know some faculty there already, and look forward to meeting more faculty and students while there.

The white flag, aka the official flag of the Confederacy

Wishing you and yours a very merry Confederate Surrender Day.

Thanks! Though I actually already live in Virginia.

Not the most important news of the day: But I will be a Visiting Professor at @uvalaw.bsky.social during the Fall 2026 semester! An honor to be at one of the nation's very top law schools. I know some faculty there already, and look forward to meeting more faculty and students while there.