Law Commons^™

Electoral Folklore: An Empirical Examination Of The Abortion Issue, Jeffrey W. Stempel

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Though partisans on both sides claim credit for electoral victories and defeats, and politicians treat both groups with deference, few studies have attempted to gauge the impact of the abortion issue in more than an anecdotal manner. In 1976, NARAL noted that of the 13 members of the U.S. Representatives that lost re-election bids, nine were pro-life, and four were pro-choice. A study conducted by the Alan Guttmacher Institute of the 1974 House races found that, in “competitive” districts, 92 percent of the pro-choice candidates studied were re-elected while only 61 percent of the pro-life candidates were returned to Congress, …

Norris V. Arizona Governing Committee: Titile Vii's Applicability To Arizona's Deferred Compensation Plan, Mary E. Berkheiser

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Analysis of Norris v. Arizona Governing Comm., 671 F.2d 330 (9^th Cir. 1982).

Compound Discrimination: The Interaction Of Race And Sex In Employment Discrimination, Elaine W. Shoben

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The courts have not yet clearly resolved whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits compound discrimination, that is, discrimination based on a combination of protected characteristics—such as race and sex-rather than single protected characteristics—such as race alone or sex alone. Professor Shoben argues that both the logic and the legislative history of Title VII support the view that compound discrimination is separately protected. She then offers a systematic method for statistically determining whether an employer is discriminating on the basis of a combination of characteristics. Finally, Professor Shoben considers whether single plaintiffs can, consistently with rule …

Child Custody And Parental Authority In France, Louisiana And Other States Of The United States: A Comparative Analysis, Christopher L. Blakesley

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No abstract provided.

The Practice Of Extradition From Antiquity To Modern France And The United States: A Brief History, Christopher L. Blakesley

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In order to understand the perceptions of extradition’s function and purpose in modern France and the United States, it is important to consider the evolution of thought regarding extradition. This article will focus on the history of extradition law as it has influenced contemporary law in the United States and France. The purpose of the article is to provide insight into the development of the “modern” extradition. Although the process has not always been executed by use of a treaty agreement, treaty authorized extraditions have existed since antiquity. Moreover, a treaty authorized extradition for common crimes, as opposed to political …

In Defense Of Disparate Impact Analysis Under Title Vii: A Reply To Dr. Cohn, Elaine W. Shoben

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The preceding article by Dr. Richard M. Cohn' concerning the use of statistics in Title VII employment discrimination cases makes three basic points. First, Cohn rejects the methods used to assess disproportionate differences between groups on tests, such as ability tests. He finds fault both with the approach of the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures and with the method based on finding statistical significance that I have advocated. Second, he also rejects the approach courts have adopted for evaluating the relative exclusion of groups defined by race, sex, or national origin in the employer's work force. He argues that …

An Assessment Of Alternative Strategies For Increasing Access To Legal Services, Jeffrey W. Stempel

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Since the late 1930s, lawyers have argued that their services are not used to the fullest advantage by a large segment of the population. More recently, other concerned groups such as trade unions and consumer organizations also have become convinced that there is an underutilization of lawyers' services, and that it is important to increase access to such services. As a result, attempts have been made to develop alternatives to the traditional methods of providing legal services that to date have proved inadequate in meeting the legal needs of the public. Legal clinics have proliferated, prepaid legal services plans have …

Extradition Between France And The United States: An Exercise In Comparative And International Law, Christopher L. Blakesley

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In 1878 Cardaillac defined extradition as “the right for a State on the territory of which an accused or convicted person has take refuge, to deliver him up to another State wich has requisitioned his return and is competent to judge and punish him.” The term “extradition” was imported to the United States from France, where the decret-loi of Febraury 19, 1791, appears to be the first official document to have used the term. The term is not found in treaties or conventions until 1828. The Latin equivalent to extradition, “tradere”, is not found in early Latin works, but the …

The Rights Of Gay Prisoners: A Challenge To Protective Custody, Joan W. Howarth

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This Note focuses on the specific issues raised by the traditional method of dealing with homosexuals in prison: isolation from the general prison population. This traditional segregation often results in almost twenty-four hour-a-day confinement to a cell, which severely limits access to programs and opportunities normally enjoyed by prisoners.

This Note first discusses the history and current practice of segregation of gay prisoners' as well as the broader subject of protective custody, and then outlines the judicial response to the problems of protective custody prisoners generally and gay prisoners specifically. It then critiques the judicial confusion and resulting reluctance to …

Reverse Political Checkoff Per Se Illegal As Violation Of Federal Election Campaign Act, Jay S. Bybee

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This casenote summarizes the district court for the District of Columbia’s decision in Federal Election Commission v. National Education Association.

"We're Only Trying To Help": The Burden And Standard Of Proof In Short-Term Civil Commitment, Lynne Henderson

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No abstract provided.

Book Review, Elaine W. Shoben

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Quantitative Methods in Law represents the efforts of one legal scholar to apply mathematical probability and statistics to the solution of a wide range of legal problems. Michael O. Finkelstein has republished in book form a collection of his articles, beginning with his most famous and most widely cited: the application of mathematical probability to jury discrimination cases. After leading the reader through a series of fascinating applications of statistical problem solving to an impressively wide range of legal situations, the book concludes with the final words of one of the most engaging battles among legal scholars in recent years: …

Profits In Subrogation: An Insurer's Claim To Be More Than Indemnified, Jay S. Bybee

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“[I]f the assured is not entitled to retain an excess against the insurer, and the insurer … is not entitle to receive the excess from the assured, what happens to the excess?” This question, posed by Lord Justice Megaw in L. Lucas Ltd. v. Export Credits Guarantee Department, is bred by the juxtaposition of two subrogation rules. The right to subrogation, being in nature like restitution, entitles the holder of the right only to reimbursement and, under a contract of insurance, “the assured … shall be fully indemnified, but shall never be more than fully indemnified.” The confusion that distribution …

Note, A Dialogue On The Political Question Doctrine, Thomas B. Mcaffee, Christopher A. Johnson

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Legal scholars have generally discussed the political question doctrine as part of the larger debate over the legitimacy of judicial review. Points of discordance aside, scholars have agreed that the doctrine is “a classic technique of judicial avoidance, a way of allowing a governmental decision to stand without involving the Court in supporting its legitimacy.” Thus, debate over the objectives, legitimacy and scope of the doctrine has traditionally proceeded from the unquestioned assumption that there exists a body of law which justifies judicial abstention from deciding some types of issues.

In recent years, however, some scholars have challenged the assumption …

Differential Pass-Fail Rates In Employment Testing: Statistical Proof Under Title Vii, Elaine W. Shoben

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In this Comment, Professor Shoben advocates the use of a statistical technique—a test of the difference between independent proportions—to assess the substantiality of differences in pass rates among various groups on employment tests, in order to facilitate determination of disproportionate impact under title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She then compares this method with the procedure adopted in the Federal Executive Agency Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures and suggests several flaws in the latter approach.

Constitutional Law - Due Process - Notice By Publication Is Constitutionally Inadequate In Tax Sale Proceeding, Martin A. Geer

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In 1976 the Michigan Supreme Court’s determined in Doe v. State that procedural due process requires an owner of a significant interest in real property to be given notice of the state’s foreclosure petition and a meaningful opportunity for a hearing which he may challenge the state’s claim that property taxes remain unpaid without legal justification. This casenote examines the existing legal precedent during the Doe v. State decision, the Michigan Supreme Court’s decision and analysis, and the legislature’s actions following the decision.

Conditional Liberation (Parole) In France, Christopher L. Blakesley

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Anglo-American parole owes its theoretical development and its early systematization, indeed its very existence, to France. It has been said that France has the genius of invention, but that too often the great ideas born in France are neglected there to find their baptism of success in other countries. This remark characterizes the history of the parole concept in France. Yet, the latest innovations being developed in France portend new possibilities for success in the rehabilitation of convicts. This section will trace briefly the history of conditional liberation the French counterpart of Anglo-American parole, and describe the development of the …

Probing The Discriminatory Effects Of Employee Selection Procedures With Disparate Impact Analysis Under Title Vii, Elaine W. Shoben

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Last term the Supreme Court handed down three decisions in which it defined with some precision the proper use of statistics in Title VII cases. Those decisions filled a void that had existed since Griggs v. Duke Power Co., but they left some questions unanswered. In this article Professor Shoben discusses those decisions and addresses the issues still unresolved. She proposes a structured framework for the systematic analysis of disparate impact cases that is consistent with, yet builds upon, the three recent decisions. In addition, Professor Shoben considers whether allowing a plaintiff to establish a prima facie case with …

The Interrogated Juvenile: Caveat Confessor?, Elaine W. Shoben

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No abstract provided.

Speedy Trial And The Congested Trial Calendar, Christopher L. Blakesley

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In People v. Ganci, the defendant had been indicted for robbery, larceny, and assault while serving a prison sentence for another conviction. Five and one-half months after his indictment he moved, pursuant to section 668 of the New York Code of Criminal Procedure, to dismiss for failure to prosecute. Eleven months later, sixteen months after the indictment, he was brought to trial, convicted, and sentenced. On appeal, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department affirmed, whereupon the defendant appealed by permission to the New York Court of Appeals. On this appeal he contended that the delay deprived …