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Richard Briffault

Joseph P. Chamberlain Professor of Legislation, Columbia University
Richard Briffault is the Joseph P. Chamberlain Professor of Legislation at Columbia Law School. His research, writing, and teaching focus on state and local government law, legislation, the law of the political process, government ethics, and property.

He is co-author of the textbook, State and Local Government Law, 2016, (8th edition); principal author of “Dollars and Democracy: A Blueprint for Campaign Finance Reform,” (a report of the New York City Bar Association’s commission on campaign finance reform), 2000; and author of Balancing Acts: The Reality Behind State Balanced Budget Requirements, Twentieth Century Fund Press, 1996. He has also written more than 75 law review articles.

In 2014, Briffault was appointed chair of the Conflicts of Interest Board of New York City. He was a member of New York State’s Moreland Act Commission to Investigate Public Corruption from 2013 to 2014, and served as a member of, or consultant to, several city and state commissions in New York dealing with state and local governance, including the New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency & Competitiveness (2007-2008); the Temporary New York Commission on Constitutional Revision (1993-1995); the New York City Real Property Tax Reform Commission (1993); and the New York City Charter Revision Commission (1987-1989).

He is currently the reporter for the American Law Institute's project on principles of government ethics. He is also vice-chair of Citizens Union of the City of New York.

He was law clerk to the Honorable Shirley M. Hufstedler of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and was assistant counsel to New York Gov. Hugh L. Carey.

Briffault joined the Law School faculty in 1983. He received his J.D. from Harvard University and his B.A. from Columbia University.

Election 2020 sees record $11 billion in campaign spending, mostly from a handful of super-rich donors

Oct 15, 2020 14:56 pm UTC| Politics

Total spending in the 2020 federal elections is projected to set a new record of almost US$11 billion by November. When adjusted for inflation, thats over 50% higher than 2016 election spending. This years federal...

US under Trump Series

When presidential campaigns end, what happens to the leftover money?

Feb 13, 2020 00:09 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Andrew Yang and Michael Bennet have ended their campaigns for president. What happens to the money they have raised, but not yet spent? The amounts could be substantial. Financial reports submitted to the Federal...

Economy

German Auto Suppliers Turn Bearish as Investment and Jobs Shift Overseas

Germanys automotive suppliers are becoming increasingly pessimistic about the industrys outlook, with more companies expecting business conditions to worsen over the next 12 months than those anticipating improvement. A...

Asian Currencies Steady as Dollar Holds Firm Ahead of Fed Decision and US-Iran Deal Details

Most Asian currencies traded in a narrow range on Wednesday, while the U.S. dollar remained stable as investors awaited further details on a potential U.S.-Iran peace agreement and the outcome of the Federal Reserves...

Oil Prices Ease as Markets Weigh U.S.-Iran Peace Deal and Strait of Hormuz Reopening

Global oil prices edged lower on Wednesday, extending losses from the previous two sessions as investors continued to evaluate the impact of a newly announced U.S.-Iran peace agreement. However, uncertainty surrounding the...

Asian Stocks Advance as Nikkei Nears Record High Ahead of Fed Decision

Asian stock markets mostly moved higher on Wednesday, led by gains in Japan and Singapore, as investors awaited the U.S. Federal Reserves latest policy decision. Strong performance in technology and semiconductor stocks...

ASX Proposes New Share Dilution Limits for Public Takeovers

The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) has unveiled significant proposed reforms aimed at strengthening shareholder protections and limiting share dilution during public takeovers and mergers. Under the draft rules...

Politics

Jamaica in Talks With U.S. to Accept Third-Country Deportees Under New Migration Agreement

Jamaica is negotiating a new migration agreement with the United States that would allow the Caribbean nation to temporarily receive third-country migrants deported by U.S. authorities, according to Deputy Prime Minister...

Trump Criticizes Israel's Lebanon Strikes, Urges Greater Civilian Protection

U.S. President Donald Trump publicly criticized Israels military operations in Lebanon, questioning the necessity of destroying entire apartment buildings while targeting Hezbollah militants. Speaking during the G7 summit...

Russian Strikes Kill Four in Eastern and Southeastern Ukraine, Trigger Fires and Damage

Russian attacks on cities in eastern and southeastern Ukraine killed at least four people and injured several others late Tuesday, according to local officials and prosecutors. The latest wave of strikes highlights the...

Brazil Supreme Court Convicts Eduardo Bolsonaro Over U.S. Lobbying Efforts

Brazils Supreme Court has convicted Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, for seeking foreign interference in legal proceedings involving his father. In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, a...

US-Iran Ceasefire Deal Extends Peace Talks and Eases Oil Trade Restrictions

The United States and Iran have reached an interim agreement aimed at extending peace efforts in the Middle East and reducing tensions following months of conflict. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that the deal...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Chinese Social Media Giant Xiaohongshu Eyes Hong Kong IPO at Over $70 Billion Valuation

Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, internationally known as RedNote, is reportedly preparing for a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) that could value the company at more than $70 billion. According to a Wall...

Samsung Gains Interest from BYD, Google, AMD as AI Chip Demand Strains TSMC Capacity

Samsung Electronics is attracting growing attention from major global technology companies as demand for advanced semiconductor manufacturing continues to exceed available capacity at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co....

Kingboard Holdings Shares Surge After HK$11.77 Billion Block Trade to Expand PCB and AI Supply Chain Business

Kingboard Holdings Ltd. (HK:0148), one of Chinas leading circuit board and laminate manufacturers, announced on Wednesday that its subsidiary, Kingboard Laminates Holdings Ltd. (HK:1888), has entered into a block trade...

SoftBank Shares Drop as OpenAI Losses and Rising Costs Spark Investor Concerns

SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO: 9984) shares fell sharply on Wednesday after new reports highlighted growing concerns about OpenAIs financial performance and increasing cash burn, raising questions about the value of SoftBanks...

G7 Explores AI Access Deal With U.S. Amid Anthropic Restrictions

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations are discussing a proposal that could give selected trusted partners access to advanced artificial intelligence models developed by U.S. companies such as Anthropic, according to...