Law Commons^™

Constitutionalization, Girardeau A. Spann

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Students of constitutional law tend to suspect pretty early on that the Constitution simply means whatever the Supreme Court says that it means. Rather than fight that intuition, I think it is best to treat the student insight as one of the basic starting assumptions when teaching a course in Constitutional Law. The goal then becomes to help students figure out how best to maneuver and feel comfortable in a legal universe where the Constitution has only contingent meaning.

What the Supreme Court does when it clothes its political policy preferences in the garb of constitutional law can be described …

Why Print And Electronic Resources Are Essential To The Academic Law Library, Michelle M. Wu

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Libraries have supported multiple formats for decades, from paper and microforms to audiovisual tapes and CDs. However, the newest medium, digital transmission, has presented a wider scope of challenges and caused library patrons to question the established and recognized multiformat library. Within the many questions posed, two distinct ones echo repeatedly. The first doubts the need to sustain print in an increasingly digital world, and the second warns of the dangers of relying on a still-developing technology. This article examines both of these positions and concludes that abandoning either format would translate into a failure of service to patrons, both …

Words, Words, Words!!! Teaching The Language Of Tax, Stephen B. Cohen

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The basic course in federal income tax is usually a challenge for both teacher and student because so many different and difficult things are being taught at once: a prolix and opaque statute; complex financial transactions; and economic, political, and social analysis of the effects of the tax law. In addition, I believe that a teacher of tax must be a teacher of language, focusing explicitly and self-consciously on the ambiguous, imprecise, and confusing words that are embedded in tax law and discourse and that constitute a significant obstacle for students taking the basic course in federal income taxation.

Commentary On John Makdisi's "Survey Of Aals Law Schools Teaching Islamic Law", Lama Abu-Odeh

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

John Makdisi's survey raises two questions: what is "Islamic law"? And, why is it a good idea to teach it in American law schools? The answer to the first question is not as straightforward as it might seem and the answer to the second largely depends on the answer to the first.

Teaching Enron, Milton C. Regan

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

What follows is a discussion of several transactions that the Examiner analyzed for the Enron bankruptcy court. These represent only a portion of the many transactions that the Examiner analyzed, but constitute a large number of the transactions with respect to which he focused on the conduct of attorneys. In most of these cases, the Examiner found that Enron's lawyers potentially could be liable to the company under various causes of action. In some instances, the Examiner did not find potential liability. These transactions are included in my discussion, however, because they can be used to explore certain ethical issues …

Marilyn & Edward Bellet: A Dedication, William Michael Treanor

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Fordham Law School is defined by its profound and extraordinary commitment to legal ethics and to the service of others. Tragically, this year two remarkable people who played a central role in establishing that commitment were lost. It is difficult to imagine that any law school could ever have supporters more involved, encouraging, or dynamic than Ed and Marilyn Bellet. Ed and Marilyn were great benefactors of Fordham Law's ethics and professionalism programs, they were the torchbearers of a commitment that has spanned many years and generations, and they were great friends to so many of us. This issue of …