Reading room
Reading room
Beyond the Finucane case itself, the reading room collects explainers on legacy, law and justice. Every piece lists its sources. Where a story involves a claim that is disputed, we report it as a claim and give the response.
Legacy & the Troubles
- A united Ireland: how a border poll would work under the Good Friday AgreementThe legal rules for a referendum on Irish unity: the consent principle, when the Secretary of State must call a poll, the 1973 precedent and the 2021 census.
- Ballymurphy inquest: coroner finds all ten victims 'entirely innocent'What the 2021 Ballymurphy inquest found about ten people shot dead in west Belfast in August 1971, who was responsible for each death, and what followed.
- Brandon Lewis's 2021 legacy plan and the campaign against itWhat the UK government proposed in July 2021 to end Troubles prosecutions and inquests, why campaigners called it a whitewash, and where legacy law stands now.
- Drawing a line under the Troubles: Desmond Rea's argument and the repliesSir Desmond Rea's 2021 case for drawing a line under Troubles prosecutions, the objections from victims, and what has happened to legacy law since.
- Forced from home: sectarian threats and families in east BelfastWhat happened when a Catholic family left their Cregagh home in 2021 after a loyalist threat, the political response, and what the numbers say about intimidation.
- How paramilitary intimidation intersects with social housing in Northern IrelandHow Northern Ireland's housing points system gives priority to people intimidated from their homes, and how researchers say paramilitary groups have exploited it.
- Jeffrey Donaldson, the 'Garda mole' claim and the Smithwick TribunalWhat Jeffrey Donaldson alleged about a Garda 'mole' in the 1989 IRA murders of two RUC officers, what the Smithwick Tribunal found in 2013, and who denied what.
- Patrick Kielty, his father's murder, and how victims speak about early releaseHow broadcaster Patrick Kielty has spoken publicly about his father's 1988 murder and the early release of killers, and why his words resonated with other families.
- Poetry and the fallout of paramilitary killingsHow poets from Northern Ireland, including Seamus Heaney and Michael Longley, wrote about paramilitary punishments, killings and the moral fallout of the Troubles.
- Police Ombudsman upholds journalist's complaint over threat to her babyHow the Police Ombudsman found missed opportunities in the PSNI investigation of a 2019 threat against journalist Patricia Devlin's newborn son, and what followed.
- The Northern Ireland Protocol row: Dublin's concerns about London's toneWhy the Irish government publicly worried about the UK's approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol in 2021–22, and how the Windsor Framework changed things.
Law & the legal profession
- Affinity groups in legal departments: what they do and the legal limitsWhat affinity or employee resource groups do inside corporate legal departments, the evidence on retention and performance, and the legal limits after 2023.
- Black women on the federal bench after Ketanji Brown JacksonKetanji Brown Jackson became the first Black woman on the US Supreme Court in 2022, yet Black women remain fewer than 2% of all federal judges ever appointed.
- Can hybrid work help close the gender gap in law firms?Why flexible and hybrid working is argued to help women stay and advance in law firms, what the research shows about attrition, and the risks critics point to.
- How Pennsylvania elects Court of Common Pleas judgesHow judges reach the Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania counties such as Chester County: partisan elections, cross-filing, ten-year terms and retention votes.
- How city court judges are chosen in MontanaHow municipal and city court judges are selected in Montana cities such as Bozeman, what these courts handle, and why growing cities add judgeships.
- How judges in Canada are disciplined for what they say in courtHow complaints about Canadian judges' remarks in court are handled by provincial judicial councils and the Canadian Judicial Council, and what can result.
- How legal directory rankings work, and how to read an M&A 'top lawyers' listWhat lawyer rankings such as ALB, Chambers and Legal 500 actually measure, how firms make submissions, and what a 'top 15 M&A lawyers' list can and cannot tell you.
- How the Florida Supreme Court disciplines lawyersHow lawyer discipline works in Florida: the Florida Bar's investigation, referees, the sanctions available, and why the Supreme Court announces discipline in batches.
- John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark: the legal consequences after 2020What happened to lawyers John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark after their 2020 election work for Donald Trump: bar discipline, charges, pardons and appeals.
- Keeping big projects moving: dispute boards, mediation and arbitrationHow big construction and infrastructure projects use dispute boards, mediation and arbitration to settle disagreements without stopping work.
- Kerala High Court orders vaccine priority for lawyers and clerks (2021)How the Kerala High Court directed the state in June 2021 to put practising lawyers and their clerks on the Covid-19 vaccination priority list, and why it mattered.
- Lateral partner moves between big law firms: how they workWhy partners move between large law firms such as Sidley and Kirkland, what the professional rules say about taking clients, and how firms check conflicts.
- Lawyers on nonprofit boards: the benefits and the ethicsWhy lawyers often join the boards of local arts groups and charities, and the professional conduct questions it raises about conflicts and acting as the board's lawyer.
- Losing a loved one in a car crash in Florida: how wrongful death claims workHow Florida's Wrongful Death Act works after a fatal car crash: who can claim, what can be recovered, the two-year deadline and the 2023 changes.
- Milton Raiford, DA Stephen Zappala and the 2021 plea-deal disputeHow a Pittsburgh lawyer's courtroom criticism of racism led Allegheny County's DA to bar plea offers to his clients in 2021, the reaction, and the policy's reversal.
- Overwork, health and the law: what the evidence and working-time rules sayWhat research says about long working hours and health, including a 2021 WHO-ILO estimate, and how laws in Europe and Japan try to limit overwork.
- Succession planning for small law firmsHow small and regional law firms plan for the retirement or death of senior lawyers, why it matters to clients, and what law societies require or recommend.
- The 2021 attack on the Islamabad High Court and the discipline of lawyersWhat happened when lawyers stormed the Islamabad High Court on 8 February 2021, how the court suspended and restored licences, and the role of bar councils.
- The Supreme Court arguments over Texas SB 8, 1 November 2021What the US Supreme Court heard on 1 November 2021 about Texas's SB 8 abortion law, who argued, what the Court decided in December, and what Dobbs changed.
- What being named a 'Super Lawyer' meansHow peer-recognition lists such as Super Lawyers select lawyers, what percentage are named, and the professional rules on how lawyers may advertise such honours.
- Why legal aid programmes are argued over, and what the evidence saysThe case for and against publicly funded legal aid, what happened when England and Wales cut it in 2013, and why access to lawyers matters in inquests and inquiries.
- Women in law awards: what career-recognition honours measureWhat awards recognising women lawyers and whole careers in law are meant to do, how they are judged, and how to tell a meaningful honour from a marketing exercise.
- Women lawyers report more stress and risky drinking: what the 2021 study foundFindings of the 2021 PLOS ONE study of nearly 2,900 US lawyers on stress, hazardous drinking and attrition, and why women were more likely to consider leaving law.
World & justice
- Alex Murdaugh's finances: the thefts behind the case, and his 2026 retrial orderNot a 'net worth' guess: how lawyer Alex Murdaugh stole from clients, his state and federal sentences, and why his murder convictions were overturned in 2026.
- Hong Kong's 2021 'patriots only' election and its record-low turnoutWhy Hong Kong's December 2021 Legislative Council election, the first under Beijing's electoral overhaul, drew a record-low 30% turnout, and what changed in the rules.
- Ireland's Defence Forces: neutrality, peacekeeping and reformAn introduction to Ireland's Defence Forces: history, military neutrality, decades of UN peacekeeping and the reforms proposed by a 2022 commission.
- Louisiana's prison doctors: the 2021 investigation into restricted licencesWhat a 2021 BuzzFeed News investigation found about doctors with restricted or suspended licences working in Louisiana prisons, and how the state responded.
- Nicaragua's arrest of Cristiana Chamorro in 2021How Nicaragua detained presidential hopeful Cristiana Chamorro in June 2021, the charges, the criticism, and her 2023 expulsion with 221 other prisoners.
- Texas's November 2021 constitutional amendments, explainedWhat Texans voted on in the eight constitutional amendments of 2 November 2021, from religious services and judicial conduct to caregivers, and the results.
- The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11: the 2021 regulatory decisionsHow US regulators authorised the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 in 2021: the FDA decision, the CDC recommendation and the safety monitoring.
- The World Bank's 2020 loan to expand Brazil's Bolsa FamíliaWhat the World Bank's US$1 billion loan approved in October 2020 was for, how Brazil's Bolsa Família cash-transfer programme works, and what happened to it after.
- The true story behind 'Dr. Death': Christopher Duntsch and medical accountabilityHow Texas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch harmed patients, why it took so long to stop him, his 2017 conviction, and what the case revealed about oversight.
- What lawmakers alleged about Anthony Fauci, a 2021 book and the Wuhan lab grantHow a 2021 book's account of a cancelled NIH grant led Republican critics to accuse Anthony Fauci of misleading Congress, what he said in response, and what followed.
Money & tax law
- Alternatives and complements to a 401(k)When a 401(k) is the right place to save and when other options such as IRAs, HSAs, taxable accounts or paying off debt may come first, explained without hype.
- Crypto and DeFi tokens such as Aave in IRAs and 401(k)s: the rules and the risksHow crypto assets including DeFi tokens like Aave can be held in retirement accounts, how US regulators' stance changed between 2022 and 2025, and the risks involved.
- Earth Fare's 2020 bankruptcy: what it owed and why it liquidatedHow natural grocer Earth Fare filed for Chapter 11 in February 2020 owing about $137 million in loans and trade debts, and why it closed all 50 stores.
- Estate planning basics the pandemic made urgentThe core estate planning documents every family should consider, why Covid-19 pushed many to act, and how states temporarily changed signing and witnessing rules.
- From partisan reconciliation to SECURE 2.0: how retirement reform passedHow retirement savings policy got caught up in the 2021 partisan reconciliation fight, and how a bipartisan package, SECURE 2.0, finally passed in December 2022.
- How UCLA's student association weathered the pandemic with a PPP loanHow Associated Students UCLA lost millions when the campus closed in 2020, why it qualified for a $4.7 million Paycheck Protection Program loan, and what it cut.
- India's health sector and startups: the rules that shape the opportunityWhy India's health sector draws startups, and the programmes and laws that shape it: Ayushman Bharat, digital health, telemedicine and data protection.
- Roth IRA conversions: how they're taxed and the five-year rulesHow converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA works: the tax due on conversion, the pro-rata rule, the five-year rules, and why conversions can no longer be undone.
- Roth or traditional retirement account? How to think about the choiceHow to choose between Roth and traditional 401(k) or IRA contributions: tax now versus later, expected retirement income, tax diversification and required distributions.
- Simple, legal ways to lower a US income tax billPlain, legal ways to reduce US income tax: retirement and HSA contributions, credits versus deductions, checking withholding and harvesting losses.
- Student debt relief for doctors and nurses: proposals and existing programmesWhy bills were introduced in 2020–21 to forgive student loans for frontline health workers, why they did not pass, and which federal programmes already help clinicians.
- The 2020 RMD waiver and IRS Form 8606How the CARES Act waived required minimum distributions for 2020, what IRS Notice 2020-51 allowed, and when Form 8606 must be filed to track IRA basis.
- The PPP Flexibility Act of 2020: what changed for borrowersHow the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of June 2020 eased the rules for forgiving PPP loans, from a longer covered period to a lower payroll threshold.
- The backdoor Roth IRA and the 2021 attempt to close itWhat the backdoor Roth strategy is, how 2021 Build Back Better drafts went back and forth on banning it, and why it remains allowed under current law.
- The push for $50,000 student debt cancellation and what the courts decidedHow Democrats urged President Biden to cancel up to $50,000 per student borrower in 2021, the narrower 2022 plan, and the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that struck it down.
- Three retirement savings tools worth knowing: the match, the HSA and the Saver's CreditWhy the employer 401(k) match, health savings accounts and the Saver's Credit (becoming the Saver's Match in 2027) are three of the most valuable US retirement tools.
- US student loan debt in 2020: how it reached about $1.6 trillionHow US student loan debt reached roughly $1.6 trillion by 2020, who holds it, the March 2020 payment pause, and what has changed in the years since.
- What you can and can't hold in an IRAIRA investment rules: stocks and funds are allowed, collectibles and self-dealing are not, and why concentrating an IRA in a few companies is risky.
- When to claim Social Security: the case for waiting, and when it doesn't applyHow your claiming age changes US Social Security retirement benefits, why delaying to 70 can pay off, and when claiming earlier makes sense.
- Why the Salesforce–Slack deal took seven months to closeHow Salesforce's $27.7 billion purchase of Slack, announced in December 2020, went through antitrust review before closing in July 2021, and what the delay meant.
Books
- 11 books we recommend on justice, law and the TroublesEleven books we recommend for understanding justice, collusion and memory in Northern Ireland and beyond, from Say Nothing and Milkman to Just Mercy and Gideon's Trumpet.
- Classic book of the month: Watership DownWhy Richard Adams's 1972 novel Watership Down, about a band of rabbits seeking a new home, endures as a story about leadership, tyranny and the rule of law.
- Five legal and political thrillers beyond Connelly and the ClintonsFive legal and crime thrillers worth reading besides the big 2021 releases from Michael Connelly and the Clintons, including two set in Belfast during the Troubles.
- Norman Jewison: A Director's Life, by Ira WellsA reading note on Ira Wells's 2021 biography of director Norman Jewison, whose films include In the Heat of the Night and The Hurricane.
- Pandemic fiction: the first novels about Covid-19How novelists began writing about the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, from Gary Shteyngart and Louise Erdrich to Jodi Picoult and Sarah Moss, and what those books try to do.
- Tayari Jones's An American Marriage: a novel about wrongful convictionA reading note on Tayari Jones's 2018 novel An American Marriage, about a young Black couple torn apart by a wrongful conviction, and why it resonates.
- The Downers Grove fight over Gender Queer, 2021–22How students in Downers Grove, Illinois, rallied in 2021 to keep Maia Kobabe's memoir Gender Queer in school libraries, the review process, and the board's 2022 vote.
- Ticking Clock: Ira Rosen's memoir of 60 MinutesA reading note on Ira Rosen's 2021 memoir Ticking Clock, an insider's account of decades producing investigative television at CBS's 60 Minutes, warts and all.
- Two Roads Diverged: Mark Sanford's 2021 book on the Republican futureA reading note on former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford's 2021 book Two Roads Diverged, which argues for a Republican Party and conservative movement beyond Trump.
- World War C: Sanjay Gupta's 2021 book on the pandemic and the next oneA reading note on Dr Sanjay Gupta's World War C (October 2021): what it says about lessons from Covid-19, personal resilience and preparing for future pandemics.