Law Commons^™

A Changing Europe, Joe M. Rodgers, Ambassador

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Those of you who have been here all day have heard some people that really understand what is going on in Eastern Europe, people from those countries, and experts in those subjects. I am going to take a little different approach. I am going to talk about Europe, and why I think it is at the real leading edge of global change today as we know our economic and political systems. There are four things happening in Europe today, any one of which would have an impact, or will have an impact, on the future as you young people know …

Public Policy Concerns Prevent Application Of Comity To Foreign Bankruptcy Proceedings That Discriminate Against Tax Obligations Owed To The United States Government, Michael P. Bigelow

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Case Comment explores the application of comity to foreign bankruptcy proceedings, particularly when comity would render the Internal Revenue Service a general unsecured creditor in bankruptcy. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held on public policy grounds that comity should not be accorded to a Luxembourg bankruptcy proceeding that discriminated against tax obligations owed to the United States government. This Case Comment discusses the factual setting for the instant decision and presents a brief history of transnational insolvency law. The author finds that the law of transnational insolvency is inconsistent and underdeveloped and that the …

Transfer Of Penal Sanctions Treaties: An Endangered Species?, Abraham Abramovsky

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article discusses the viability of United States Transfer of Penal Sanctions Treaties, focusing primarily on the Mexican-United States Treaty. The author argues that these treaties are effective and enforceable, but have been undermined by resort to unilateral abductions by the United States.

Part I of the Article examines the history and rationales leading to the promulgation of various penal sanctions treaties. The United States has entered these treaties largely because of the rising number of United States citizens incarcerated abroad, because of the substandard treatment afforded such prisoners, and because of the idea that offenders' rehabilitation will be eased …

Obscured Visions: Policy, Power, And Discretion In Transnational Discovery, David J. Gerber

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Essay addresses issues involving the discovery of information located outside the United States. Specifically, it deals with some of the problems created by the lack of appropriate limits on United States discovery procedures. Professor Gerber first analyzes the extent of judicial discretion in the United States in matters concerning extraterritorial discovery. The analysis encompasses the underlying legal bases for the exercise of discretion as well as the political and institutional factors that influence the uses of discretion.

Next, the Essay focuses on the international consequences of the virtually unlimited discretion courts in the United States exercise in discovery matters. …

Transnational Alignment Of Nongovernmental Organizations For Global Environmental Action, Maria Garner

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Note proposes an alternative to the current international legal system for addressing the worldwide environmental crisis. The author describes the conditions of the environment and argues that the current legal system is incapable of responding to the already severe global environmental crisis. The author suggests that a network of environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) can obtain results that are currently beyond the capabilities of either individual states or traditional international organizations. The main function of this type of network would be to collect and disseminate information to facilitate environmental action. The author also proposes a specific construction for an environmental …

Case Digest-Vol.24-No.1, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This CASE DIGEST provides brief analyses of cases that represent current aspects of transnational law. The Digest includes cases that establish legal principles and cases that apply established legal principles to new factual situations. The cases are grouped in topical categories and references are given for further research.

I. NATIVE AMERICANS/JURISDICTION NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBAL COURT DOMESTIC RELATIONS DETERMINATION ENTITLED TO FULL FAITH AND CREDIT PURSUANT TO INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT OF 1978 DESPITE CHALLENGE BY STATE OF ALASKA BASED ON PUBLIC LAW 280. Native Village of Venetie LR.A. Council v. Alaska, 918 F.2d 797 (9th Cir. 1990).

II. INTERNATIONAL TRADE …

Case Digest, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Case Digest provides brief analyses of cases that represent current aspects of transnational law. The Digest includes cases that establish legal principles and cases that apply established legal principles to new factual situations. These cases are grouped in topical categories and references are given for further research.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. ALIENS: CITIZENSHIP AND NATURALIZATION ......... 857

II. TAXATION AND FOREIGN COMMERCE .................. 862

III. AIR CARRIER LIABILITY--WARSAW CONVENTION ........ 865

Immunity Of International Organizations In United States Courts: Absolute Or Restrictive?, Richard J. Oparil

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Since 1945, international and intergovernmental organizations have been entitled to immunity under the International Organizations Immunities Act (IOIA) akin to that enjoyed by foreign governments, which was absolute at that time. In 1976, however, passage of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) significantly restricted the nature of foreign governments' immunity. This Article addresses the issue of whether the FSIA also restricted the immunity enjoyed by international organizations. The first two sections describe the IOLA and the FSIA. The third section discusses a number of cases involving international organizations and the ways courts have been able to avoid the issue of …