In 1875, San Jose single mother Clara S. Foltz challenged CA State Bar's “male citizens” restriction, by helping to pass the “Woman Lawyer’s Bill.” Foltz went on to a successful legal career, later filing what became a SCOTUS suit against discrimination in law school admissions. Below, CCC Bar Association tells Clara Foltz's compelling story: one of hardship, opposition, and—progress.

We chose to ring in the New Year by asking local artists what makes Silicon Valley distinctive. Spunky. Worth preserving. Today, Noema mag chimes in—below—on why cultivating “awe” (in today's fast-paced, self-centered culture) is actually really good for us.

Mediated technology offers us many opportunities (like reading our site!), says author Christine Rosen; but what's it taking away? Namely, the ability to observe and interact with our surroundings by ourselves and individually, without third parties telling us how to think—a crucial skill for free marketeers. Below, Law & Liberty reviews Rosen's fascinating new book on the subject.

Grit. Determination. Passion. Fourteen creative changemakers discuss what’s in that Silicon Valley special sauce—and how it’s elevated (and distinguished) local art, culture, and innovation. Here’s Part 2 of Opp Now’s exclusive roundup.

New Year ‘25. The world’s tech capital. Here’s part 1, below, of a special roundup with 14 creative leaders—celebrating the Valley’s unique beauty, cultural diversity, and artistic spark. An Opp Now exclusive.

At their best, free marketeers aren’t Scrooges or Gradgrinds who prioritize profit over the “good life.” In fact, we’ve always thought the free market philosophy goes hand-in-hand with higher discussions about education, technology, art, and free thought in 21st century Silicon Valley. In this Opp Now exclusive, we wrap up our 2024 takeaways—reflecting on how free market principles can inspire the pursuit of better, fuller lives.

Local democracy can be a messy business: many instruments, sometimes cacophony, sometimes off key—and a lot of special interest money trying to take over the band. Yet through it all—just like a free market—we tend to find the melody together. An Opp Now exclusive.

The viewpoint diversity platform (even lauded—however hollowly—by SJSU) is well-intentioned, says Law & Liberty's R. J. Snell, but fails to get at the heart of true liberal education: shared inquiry. Like Socrates, Snell thinks colleges shouldn't view their plane of differing ideas as a battleground—but an opportunity to question, learn, and pursue truth together.

Then-County Poet Laureate Mighty Mike McGee wrote the following poem in 2017 to commemorate a mural at the SJ Museum of Art. We excerpt his musings, below, on his multi-layered experiences in this valley—the streets, jobs, the 4am's, the sunrises, the "thousands of seconds we've spent together here."

Local gov't is supposed to be the closest to the people. You know, Norman Rockwell's Town Hall, and all that. But if the last year is any arbiter, Santa Clara County's governing bodies are increasingly acting like oligarchies, ignoring citizen input and popular will while they pass motions that appease their campaign funders and national advocacy parties. An Opp Now exclusive.

Where did the voices of reason go from local college campuses? Maybe extremists are shouting the loudest. But dissidents also self-censor. Below, FIRE summarizes a Michigan State University study (surveying 1.3M across USA) suggesting that compared to 2000, individuals are much less willing to publicly defend their beliefs or be seen as “disagreeable.”