While I can appreciate someone's frustration with pay walls, I have personally found the quality of material you have made available free of charge very generous and encouraging. I am not currently in a position to have a paid subscription, so your willingness to raise awareness of such critical issues, providing context and potential implications, fills me with gratitude. Thank you.
I wish prof Vladeck, whose work I avidly follow and appreciate, would consider a different payment arrangement … something like a certain amount collected collectively from paying subscribers after which everybody who cares about this important work but cannot afford to pay gets in. Folks could still pay beyond the set amount, which would renew every 365 days. Something like that would seek a balance between the public good of the work and the private cost of putting it out there.
(The cost of staying informed is of course rising faster than Trump’s net worth since there are a lot of important Substack content providers who all demand a separate fee. At least, traditional newspapers and magazines do not yet charge for individual writers.)
Of course, this suggestion does not target Vladeck alone; I offer it to all academics really who already have a full-time gig that allows them to produce for the good of the community without sacrificing their livelihood. Indeed, publications like this only add to their prestige. Professor Vladeck gets to include this newsletter in his yearly career advancement conversations with the university just as he does all other professional activity.
What first-hand knowledge of Steve's "conversations with the university" do you have that allows you to call him a liar by contradicting what he plainly stated in this very episode that you are commenting on? Are you his dean or on the tenure committee at his institution? (I would assume not, but I could assume wrongly.)
As the child of a (retired) faculty member / associate dean at a different university, and someone whose colleagues are not uncommonly tenure-track, and whose professional field covers scholarly communications, I don't think that Steve's position is unreasonable, and I don't think an assumption to the contrary about what is useful for faculty advancement is correct. But I could be wrong, although some evidence of such a surprising claim would be necessary.
In any case, do you know of a platform to which Steve could easily migrate his entire paying userbase that supports such a payment model? The closest thing I can think of is something like an annual Kickstarter, à la Uncanny Magazine. And even that gives me certain benefits for being a backer that someone reading the stories for free as they slowly release to the public does not get.
Generally, a switch to a system where free-riding is an attractive option because there are no personal benefits to being the one paying does not produce an equal amount of funding. There are certainly institutions that make it work, but I don't want One First to be running public media–style pledge drives, which is effectively the model you're suggesting.
Steve, this is your gig. I understand you would like your subscribers to be happy, and I suppose too you would also like to gain more subscribers.
We are living through historic times. The law and its language is pretty brutal on the uninitiated. I seek clarity, I need to understand what a judge is saying, what the ruling means, where does the case go next and why.
I do not in any way feel I am unique. I believe there are thousands of us looking for understanding on these anything but normal times.
Everyone coming to you, or other Substack content providers are looking for news, analysis, etc. You know, the real stuff! And I don't think you need to justify why you need paid subscribers. Everyone needs to eat!
The descriptions, summaries, and analysis you provide is fantastic — unlike anything I’ve found elsewhere, so I’m pleased to support your work. I understand that isn’t everyone’s jam, but we need people like you. One can surely hope that folks know that everything can’t always be free. Thank you and please keep going!
As someone that relies heavily upon your explanations and insight, I deeply appreciate that most of your content is free. I also appreciate the explanation about paid vs not, but feel like it is absolutely okay for you to be compensated for your time and the expense that comes with publishing your content. Thank you for what you’re bringing to all of us. 💜
I get so much value from my paid subscription! It’s one of the best investments I’ve made to keep myself informed and educated about the Court and the law.
Use this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress. Reach out to your own, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
I really appreciate it if you do share! I wanted a resource that would make it easy to make a lot of noise to those who are supposed to be representing us, and now I share it wherever/whenever I can. If it doesn’t lead to any sway in Congress Member’s votes, it’ll at least annoy and stress out those working in offices for our so called reps 😅 and maybeeee some staffers could be swayed when we bombard them enough with our voices 🤞
Steve, you do great work. I am subscriber who wanted to pay you MORE and it was difficult. You suggested adding friends for subscriptions and other "ways" to generate more revenue, when all I wanted was to write a check. Eventually, i did that and it took a few weeks to get to you. I'm sure I am not alone in feeling this way. You can make it easier on your end.
Super grateful to Steve and Karen for starting this venture and sort of following its natural arc as the courts become more top of mind for many of us. No one could have guessed what it would become, but openness to what’s needed demonstrates their goodwill, 100%, straight down the line. Criticism of a law professor who only makes 80% of his extra work free of charge hit me in the gut a little. I taught 8th and 9th graders for 33 years. It took WAY more work than I was out loud paid for in the contract to get my students over the finish line, something that only fellow teachers or those who live with them could possibly know. So if a friend’s kid needed help, I would help on top of all that. If a colleague needed me to sit in and observe a classroom issue or lesson for feedback on my prep time, always willing. But there is a place for private tutoring of students not in that system, and for those gigs we got paid through an additional contract—and that’s fair! So while Steve is a law professor being paid for his expertise, he isn’t being paid by the public at large. He is delivering instruction for those who paid tuition to his university. Even auditing costs a nominal fee. So I would like to thank Steve for his tutoring and guidance in understanding some of the most substantive and necessary legal principles and SCOTUS cases of our time. So helpful!
This is actually the only paid subscription I have presently. Not that there's not a boat load of amazing content on this platform, but they're opinions or thoughts on topics du jour as well as great story tellers.
Steve has a knack for answering deeper questions I have, that I don't know even know why, it just works for me personally.
Plus it's calming my anxiety about the issues I have interest in.
Congratulations and thank you. I don’t always understand the content but I appreciate the upbeat delivery and I feel like I’ll be on your back as we float down the river that is our current (pun intended) situation. Heads (and elbows) up.
Thank you for your excellent work and understanding that not all of us can afford paid subscriptions for all the Substack authors followed. Fixed incomes require choices. Your decision re paid content is understood. Nothing but gratitude from me!
While I can appreciate someone's frustration with pay walls, I have personally found the quality of material you have made available free of charge very generous and encouraging. I am not currently in a position to have a paid subscription, so your willingness to raise awareness of such critical issues, providing context and potential implications, fills me with gratitude. Thank you.
I wish prof Vladeck, whose work I avidly follow and appreciate, would consider a different payment arrangement … something like a certain amount collected collectively from paying subscribers after which everybody who cares about this important work but cannot afford to pay gets in. Folks could still pay beyond the set amount, which would renew every 365 days. Something like that would seek a balance between the public good of the work and the private cost of putting it out there.
(The cost of staying informed is of course rising faster than Trump’s net worth since there are a lot of important Substack content providers who all demand a separate fee. At least, traditional newspapers and magazines do not yet charge for individual writers.)
Of course, this suggestion does not target Vladeck alone; I offer it to all academics really who already have a full-time gig that allows them to produce for the good of the community without sacrificing their livelihood. Indeed, publications like this only add to their prestige. Professor Vladeck gets to include this newsletter in his yearly career advancement conversations with the university just as he does all other professional activity.
Just a thought.
What first-hand knowledge of Steve's "conversations with the university" do you have that allows you to call him a liar by contradicting what he plainly stated in this very episode that you are commenting on? Are you his dean or on the tenure committee at his institution? (I would assume not, but I could assume wrongly.)
As the child of a (retired) faculty member / associate dean at a different university, and someone whose colleagues are not uncommonly tenure-track, and whose professional field covers scholarly communications, I don't think that Steve's position is unreasonable, and I don't think an assumption to the contrary about what is useful for faculty advancement is correct. But I could be wrong, although some evidence of such a surprising claim would be necessary.
In any case, do you know of a platform to which Steve could easily migrate his entire paying userbase that supports such a payment model? The closest thing I can think of is something like an annual Kickstarter, à la Uncanny Magazine. And even that gives me certain benefits for being a backer that someone reading the stories for free as they slowly release to the public does not get.
Generally, a switch to a system where free-riding is an attractive option because there are no personal benefits to being the one paying does not produce an equal amount of funding. There are certainly institutions that make it work, but I don't want One First to be running public media–style pledge drives, which is effectively the model you're suggesting.
Steve, this is your gig. I understand you would like your subscribers to be happy, and I suppose too you would also like to gain more subscribers.
We are living through historic times. The law and its language is pretty brutal on the uninitiated. I seek clarity, I need to understand what a judge is saying, what the ruling means, where does the case go next and why.
I do not in any way feel I am unique. I believe there are thousands of us looking for understanding on these anything but normal times.
Everyone coming to you, or other Substack content providers are looking for news, analysis, etc. You know, the real stuff! And I don't think you need to justify why you need paid subscribers. Everyone needs to eat!
Absolutely agree
What they said.👍
The descriptions, summaries, and analysis you provide is fantastic — unlike anything I’ve found elsewhere, so I’m pleased to support your work. I understand that isn’t everyone’s jam, but we need people like you. One can surely hope that folks know that everything can’t always be free. Thank you and please keep going!
As someone that relies heavily upon your explanations and insight, I deeply appreciate that most of your content is free. I also appreciate the explanation about paid vs not, but feel like it is absolutely okay for you to be compensated for your time and the expense that comes with publishing your content. Thank you for what you’re bringing to all of us. 💜
Worth every penny. So grateful for your analytical insight.
Your content is worth the subscription, and your explanation was crystal clear and much appreciated.
I get so much value from my paid subscription! It’s one of the best investments I’ve made to keep myself informed and educated about the Court and the law.
Use this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress. Reach out to your own, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/
I hope you don’t mind if I share widely! Thank you for providing this! Ty
I really appreciate it if you do share! I wanted a resource that would make it easy to make a lot of noise to those who are supposed to be representing us, and now I share it wherever/whenever I can. If it doesn’t lead to any sway in Congress Member’s votes, it’ll at least annoy and stress out those working in offices for our so called reps 😅 and maybeeee some staffers could be swayed when we bombard them enough with our voices 🤞
And that's exactly what it takes to even get past the "mail openers".
Megan Rothery
Thank you for posting this terrific resource.
Over and over unrelentingly I will post it. I hope it continues to help people speak up 💙
Thanks. I will put this to good use.
Thanks for speaking up right now!
Everyone's a critic. Keep doing what you're doing, Steve.
Thank you Steve. Happy Memorial Day to you.
Steve, you do great work. I am subscriber who wanted to pay you MORE and it was difficult. You suggested adding friends for subscriptions and other "ways" to generate more revenue, when all I wanted was to write a check. Eventually, i did that and it took a few weeks to get to you. I'm sure I am not alone in feeling this way. You can make it easier on your end.
Super grateful to Steve and Karen for starting this venture and sort of following its natural arc as the courts become more top of mind for many of us. No one could have guessed what it would become, but openness to what’s needed demonstrates their goodwill, 100%, straight down the line. Criticism of a law professor who only makes 80% of his extra work free of charge hit me in the gut a little. I taught 8th and 9th graders for 33 years. It took WAY more work than I was out loud paid for in the contract to get my students over the finish line, something that only fellow teachers or those who live with them could possibly know. So if a friend’s kid needed help, I would help on top of all that. If a colleague needed me to sit in and observe a classroom issue or lesson for feedback on my prep time, always willing. But there is a place for private tutoring of students not in that system, and for those gigs we got paid through an additional contract—and that’s fair! So while Steve is a law professor being paid for his expertise, he isn’t being paid by the public at large. He is delivering instruction for those who paid tuition to his university. Even auditing costs a nominal fee. So I would like to thank Steve for his tutoring and guidance in understanding some of the most substantive and necessary legal principles and SCOTUS cases of our time. So helpful!
This is actually the only paid subscription I have presently. Not that there's not a boat load of amazing content on this platform, but they're opinions or thoughts on topics du jour as well as great story tellers.
Steve has a knack for answering deeper questions I have, that I don't know even know why, it just works for me personally.
Plus it's calming my anxiety about the issues I have interest in.
Congratulations and thank you. I don’t always understand the content but I appreciate the upbeat delivery and I feel like I’ll be on your back as we float down the river that is our current (pun intended) situation. Heads (and elbows) up.
Your newsletters are worth their weight in gold.
Thank you for your excellent work and understanding that not all of us can afford paid subscriptions for all the Substack authors followed. Fixed incomes require choices. Your decision re paid content is understood. Nothing but gratitude from me!