Ethan Yan
Ethan Yan

Ethan Yan is a senior at Yale College majoring in Political Science. He is a recipient of a Millstone Fellowship in Public Service, a Class of 1960 John Heinz Government Service Fellowship, and a Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship. At Yale, he teaches local middle and high school students about the Constitution and the Supreme Court through Splash at Yale, and serves as an Editorial Intern for the Yale Law Journal. Ethan has also interned for U.S. Circuit Judge Amul R. Thapar, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. McGlynn, and the Legal Unit of the EEOC’s Chicago District Office.

Columns by Ethan Yan
Senator Bob Menendez’s Indictment Shines an Interesting Spotlight on New Jersey’s U.S. Senate Vacancy-Filling Procedures

UC Davis Law professor Vikram David Amar and Yale College senior Ethan Yan discuss the complexities and legal questions around a potential U.S. Senate vacancy in New Jersey, focusing on the current political situation surrounding Senator Bob Menendez. Professor Amar and Mr. Yan conclude that while New Jersey law allows Governor Phil Murphy considerable discretion in filling a Senate vacancy, including the possibility of appointing his wife Tammy, such a move would likely be politically damaging, even if constitutionally permissible.

Vacancy-Filling Wrinkles Created by Ben Sasse’s Expected Departure from the U.S. Senate

Illinois Law dean Vikram David Amar, professor Jason Mazzone, and Yale College junior Ethan Yan comment on some of the issues created by Ben Sasse’s (R – Nebraska) expected departure from the U.S. Senate. Dean Amar, Professor Mazzone, and Mr. Yan describe the requirements and constraints of Nebraska state law and the U.S. Constitution.