The Yale Law Journal

E. Garrett West

Feature

Refining Constitutional Torts

E. Garrett West

Constitutional torts allow victims of governmental misconduct to seek redress. But the doctrinal regime is in disarray because it vacillates between two conceptions of constitutional rights: rights that “nullify” changes to subconstitutional law and rights that impose “duties” on officers. The Featu…

Note

Congressional Power over Office Creation

E. Garrett West

This Note argues that the Constitution gives Congress exclusive authority over office creation. This exclusive power has important and surprising implications for a series of live constitutional questions, such as the constitutionality of qualifications clauses, for-cause removal provisions, and tem…

Forum

Clarifying the Employee-Officer Distinction in Appointments Clause Jurisprudence

E. Garrett West

On May 24, the D.C. Circuit sitting en banc will hear oral argument on whether Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) administrative law judges (ALJs) count as inferior officers rather than employees for purposes of the Appointments Clause. This Essay attempts to articulate a coherent employee-off…