Check out this call for papers from our firm, Pacific Legal Foundation.
The call of the question is intriguing: is there room in Fourth Amendment jurisprudence for a property-base view (as opposed to the prevalent Katz “expectation of privacy” focus now in vogue? After all, the Fourth Amendment mentions things that we classify as property (houses, papers, effects), not privacy:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Here’s the call for papers:
This workshop invites scholars to explore the theoretical, doctrinal, and practical implications of this property-based vision. How might a return to property principles reshape constitutional protections in an era of digital surveillance and data-driven policing? Could this approach offer greater clarity and predictability—or does it risk replicating the indeterminacy of Katz under a different guise?
There’s even a list of possible topics, in case you need some inspiration. There’s an honorarium for accepted papers, too.