George Washington University law professor and economist Neil Buchanan discusses the importance of civilian leadership of law enforcement and describes the dangers of an “us-against-them” mentality among law enforcement officers.

Cornell University law professor Michael Dorf discusses the extent to which various forms of protest by NYPD officers do (and don’t) threaten to undermine civilian control of the police.

Guest columnist and Cornell University visiting professor Joseph Margulies discusses how the Ferguson grand jury’s decision not to indict reflects the present ideology of American justice. Margulies argues that unless policymakers are willing to change that ideology that pits “us” against “them,” meaningful change will be impossible.

Chapman University law professor Ronald Rotunda critically discusses civil forteiture laws in Philadelphia, which he argues are unnecessarily harsh and extend beyond their intended purposes.

Guest columnist and University of South Carolina School of Law professor Seth Stoughton discusses the police response in Ferguson, Missouri, and explains ways the situation could have been handled better. Stoughton argues that any confrontation between officers and citizens should be handled with the long-term relationship between the police and the community in mind.