The School of Law at the University of California, Davis, has several professors able to offer insightful comments regarding the resignation of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor from the U.S. Supreme Court and its meaning for the nation's top court. Most of the professors are making themselves available over the Fourth of July weekend.

Establishment Clause -- U.S. Supreme Court rulings related to the establishment clause will be most affected by the departure of Justice O'Connor, says constitutional law scholar Alan Brownstein of the UC Davis School of Law. Brownstein says O'Connor wanted to uphold the check of the establishment clause. "We will have lost that check," he says. "Now the government will be able to subsidize religious organizations to engage in religious activities." In 2001, the McGeorge Law Review published Brownstein's article, "A Decent Respect for Religious Liberty and Religious Equity: Justice O'Connor's interpretation of the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment." Contact: Alan Brownstein, School of Law, (530) 752-2586, aebrownstein@ucdavis.edu. Arrange to talk with Brownstein over the long weekend by calling (530) 219-4545.

Federal Courts -- Professor John Oakley of the UC Davis School of Law is a national expert on the workings of federal courts. He has served as a consultant or committee member with numerous organizations concerned with the administration of justice and has co-authored texts and case books on civil procedure and the federal courts. Contact: John Oakley, School of Law, (530) 752-2895, jboakley@ucdavis.edu. Arrange to talk with Oakley over the long weekend by calling (530) 219-4545.

Court Diversity -- Professor Angela Onwuachi-Willig of the UC Davis School of Law can comment on the potential effects of losing a female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court and the importance of diversity for court decision making. She is the author of "Just Another Brother of the SCT: What Justice Clarence Thomas Teaches Us About the Influence of Racial Identity," and "Using the Master's 'Tool' to Dismantle His House: Why Justice Clarence Thomas Makes the Case for Affirmative Action," both published in 2005. Contact: Angela Onwuachi-Willig, School of Law, (530) 752-5764, aonwuachi@ucdavis.edu.

Gender and Racial Diversity -- Kevin Johnson, professor of law and Chicana/o studies at UC Davis, is a specialist in civil rights and immigration law. He can comment on gender and racial diversity on the U.S. Supreme Court. He is the author of two articles on the judicial selection, with one focusing on the first Latina/o on the Supreme Court. Contact: Kevin Johnson, School of Law, (530) 752-0243, krjohnson@ucdavis.edu. Arrange to talk with Johnson over the long weekend by calling (530) 219-4545.

Court Personnel Changes -- Cruz Reynoso, a UC Davis law professor and former California Supreme Court Justice, can offer an insider's perspective on court personnel changes. He says Justice O'Connor has followed a not unusual evolution -- considered arch conservative when she was appointed and moving to become more moderate, especially in the last six years. Saying that drafters of the Constitution meant for the president to consult with the Senate on judicial appointments, he said he hopes the president consults with the Senate's majority and minority leaders on future appointments. After serving as a jurist with the 3rd District Court of Appeal for California, Reynoso became the first Hispanic on the California Supreme Court, serving from 1982 to 1987. He served as vice chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights from 1994 to 2004. He holds the Boochever and Bird Chair for the Study and Teaching of Freedom and Equality at the UC Davis School of Law. Contact: Cruz Reynoso, School of Law, (530) 752-2897, creynoso@ucdavis.edu. Arrange to talk with Reynoso over the long weekend by calling (530) 219-4545.

Consulting Foreign Jurisprudence -- Professor Diane Marie Amann of the UC Davis School of Law is an expert in international criminal law, human rights and constitutional law. She says Justice O'Connor was one of the court's foremost proponents of consulting foreign jurisprudence in trying to decide constitutional issues such as death penalty issues. In 1988-89, Amann clerked for Justice Stevens. Contact: Diane Marie Amann, School of Law, dmamann@ucdavis.edu. Arrange to talk with Amann over the long weekend by calling (530) 219-4545.