Defining New Bivens Contexts: Waltermeyer v. Hazlewood and the Limits of Eighth Amendment Damages Claims Introduction Waltermeyer v. Hazlewood, decided by the First Circuit on May 6, 2025, addresses...
Clarifying Downward Variance Requirements Under §3553(a): United States v. Ortiz-Soto Introduction United States v. Ortiz-Soto, 1st Cir. No. 21-1687 (May 1, 2025), marks a significant clarification...
Mandated Mixed-Motivation Nexus Analysis in Asylum Adjudications Introduction Mayancela Guaman and her husband Jesus Santander-Padilla, indigenous citizens of Ecuador, petitioned for asylum,...
Electronic Right-to-Sue Notice and the 90-Day Filing Period under Title VII and the ADA: The García-Gesualdo Standard Introduction In García-Gesualdo v. Honeywell Aerospace of P.R., Inc., 23-1921...
Mandate for Clear BIA Reasoning in Reopening for Ineffective Assistance and Hardship Claims Introduction Chanchavac Garcia v. Bondi is a decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the First...
Affirming Deference: Standards for New Trials and Jury Verdict Reviews in Feliciano-Muñoz v. Rebarber-Ocasio Introduction Feliciano-Muñoz v. Rebarber-Ocasio is a First Circuit appellate decision...
Clarifying “Exceptional and Extremely Unusual Hardship” under IIRIRA: Mendez Nolasco v. Bondi Introduction In Mendez Nolasco v. Bondi, 23-1947 (1st Cir. Apr. 23, 2025), the First Circuit addressed...
Defining the Universe of Participants for Mitigating Role Adjustments in Maritime Narcotics Transport Introduction United States v. Guía-Sendeme, 23-1162 (1st Cir. Apr. 18, 2025), confronts the...
Federal Marijuana Possession as Basis for Reasonable Suspicion: United States v. Pavao Introduction United States v. Pavao, decided by the First Circuit on April 17, 2025, settles a critical question...
Historical Tradition Standard Permits Massachusetts Ban on Assault Weapons and Large-Capacity Magazines Introduction Capen v. Campbell, 1st Cir. No. 24-1061 (Apr. 17, 2025), is a challenge by a...
Permissible Conditions of Release Under 18 U.S.C. § 4248(e): Beyond the Prescribed Treatment Regimen Introduction In United States v. Volungus, First Circuit No. 23-1684 (Apr. 15, 2025), the court...
Affirmation of Broad Sentencing Discretion: United States v. Beaucage Introduction United States v. Beaucage (1st Cir. Apr. 15, 2025) confronts the appellate challenge to a within-Guidelines sentence...
Prosecutorial Breach of Plea Agreements by Advocating Unauthorized Sentencing Enhancements Requires Vacatur and Resentencing Introduction United States v. Maldonado-Maldonado, 1st Cir. No. 22-1650...
Note-Holder Standing and Equitable Set-Aside of Mistaken Mortgage Discharge Introduction In Emigrant Residential, LLC v. Pinti (1st Cir. Apr. 11, 2025), the First Circuit addressed whether a mortgage...
BIA’s Duty to Consider Psychological Evidence in Hardship Determinations Blanco Contreras v. Bondi, 1st Cir. (2025) Introduction Blanco Contreras v. Bondi is a landmark First Circuit decision...
Requiring Plausible Sentencing Rationales for Extraordinary Downward Variances: United States v. Vázquez-Narvaez Introduction The First Circuit’s decision in United States v. Vázquez-Narvaez, No....
ACCA Enhancement Inapplicable to Puerto Rico Article 173B Motor‐Vehicle Robbery Introduction The case of Rodríguez-Méndez v. United States (1st Cir. 2025) arises from Julio A. Rodríguez-Méndez’s...
Sanction-Based Default Judgment Preclusion and State-Law Post-Judgment Interest in Bankruptcy Claims Introduction In Buscone v. Botelho, 61 F.4th 10 (1st Cir. 2025), the First Circuit confronted two...
Omission of Federal Rule 11 Jury-Trial Warning Not Structural Error Introduction In United States v. Umeh, 23-1938 (1st Cir. Apr. 2, 2025), the First Circuit addressed the validity of a guilty plea...
Articulation Requirement for Upward Variances in Revocation Sentences: United States v. Mercado-Cañizares Introduction This commentary examines the First Circuit’s decision in United States v....