I’ve found a new blog that’s well worth taking a look at: Dissenting Justice. It’s written by Darren Lenard Hutchinson, an Ivy-educated law professor at American University.

Hutchinson describes himself thusly:

I am definitely a progressive, but I take pride in having an open mind, provoking debate, and welcoming criticism. In fact, I started this blog because liberals were absolutely uncritical of Obama during the Democratic primaries and unrelentingly harsh and hypocritical towards the Clintons. I believed that it was my responsiblity to try and shake things up, to challenge orthodox thinking, regardless of the candidate I supported. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s a lack of debate and dissent. So, if you want honest and open political and legal discourse — and breaking news and commentary from news media and other blogs — then this is the blog for you.

His description of himself seems to be spot on; although I’ve only read a few things on the blog, they fit his description. Although we disagree on many points, he appears to be that rara avis, a “progressive” who dares to criticize his own party and its hypocrisy, who sometimes gives credit to the Right when he thinks it’s deserved, and who is capable of more than a little bit of critical thinking. Not only that, but he’s a graceful, clear, and fluid writer as well. A refreshing voice on the Left: