David Cole

Legal Affairs Correspondent

@DavidColeACLU

David Cole, national legal director of the ACLU, is legal-affairs correspondent for The Nation. He is the author, most recently, of Engines of Liberty: How Citizen Movements Succeed.

LawMay 11, 2016

Michael Ratner, 1943–2016

He pursued justice fearlessly, in the face of daunting odds.

David Cole
International LawMay 10, 2016

Will These 2 Court Cases Finally Hold Our Torturers Accountable?

They may confirm that since torture is a war crime, it can never be a policy option.

David Cole
Supreme CourtMarch 22, 2016

What’s Obscured by the Fight Over Merrick Garland

The real battle for the future of the Supreme Court is not his nomination but the presidential election—the winner will determine the shape of constitutional law for generations.

David Cole
Supreme CourtFebruary 18, 2016

Scalia: the Most Influential Justice Without Influence in Supreme Court History

He was on the losing side during much of his tenure, and his theory of originalism never attracted majority support.

David Cole
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November 25, 2015

We’ve Used Racial and Ethnic Profiling for Centuries, and It Hasn’t Worked Yet

Too many politicians choose to play to the lowest common denominator, pushing measures that make them sound tough but respond to no identifiable problem.

David Cole
Supreme CourtSeptember 24, 2015

This Isn’t the Roberts Court—It’s the Kennedy Court

The Court’s results are mixed, not because of John Roberts’s leadership but because of Anthony Kennedy’s more balanced commitments.

David Cole
Supreme CourtJuly 2, 2015

The Roberts Court Tunes In to Democracy, for Once

In the marriage-equality and Obamacare rulings, the justices respected the will of the people—and our Constitution.

David Cole
National SecurityMay 13, 2015

Snowden’s Vindication

An appeals court declares the NSA’s data grab illegal.

David Cole
National SecurityMay 6, 2015

Here’s What’s Wrong With the USA Freedom Act

It would constrain some of the worst excesses of the Patriot Act, but it doesn’t go nearly far enough.

David Cole
Internet and New MediaMarch 23, 2015

Is Privacy Obsolete?

Thanks to the revolution in digital technology, privacy is about to go the way of the eight-track player.

David Cole

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David Cole

Legal Affairs Correspondent

LawMay 11, 2016

He pursued justice fearlessly, in the face of daunting odds.

International LawMay 10, 2016

They may confirm that since torture is a war crime, it can never be a policy option.

Supreme CourtMarch 22, 2016

The real battle for the future of the Supreme Court is not his nomination but the presidential election—the winner will determine the shape of constitutional law for generations.

Supreme CourtFebruary 18, 2016

He was on the losing side during much of his tenure, and his theory of originalism never attracted majority support.

The stakes are higher now than ever. Get The Nation in your inbox.

November 25, 2015

Too many politicians choose to play to the lowest common denominator, pushing measures that make them sound tough but respond to no identifiable problem.

Supreme CourtSeptember 24, 2015

The Court’s results are mixed, not because of John Roberts’s leadership but because of Anthony Kennedy’s more balanced commitments.

Supreme CourtJuly 2, 2015

In the marriage-equality and Obamacare rulings, the justices respected the will of the people—and our Constitution.

National SecurityMay 13, 2015

An appeals court declares the NSA’s data grab illegal.

National SecurityMay 6, 2015

It would constrain some of the worst excesses of the Patriot Act, but it doesn’t go nearly far enough.

Internet and New MediaMarch 23, 2015

Thanks to the revolution in digital technology, privacy is about to go the way of the eight-track player.