Law Commons^™

Cultural Determinants Of Workplace Arbitration In The U.S. And Italy, Ann C. Hodges

Law Faculty Publications

Although Italy and the United States are both advanced industrial economies, the law and practice of workplace arbitration differs significantly in the two countries. This Article explores those variations and analyzes the reasons lbr the divergent evolution of arbitration. The Article concludes that histon'cal and cultural differences in legal systems and labor and employment relations are explanatory forces. While the United States could provide a more balanced system of arbitration by learning from the Italian systems greater protection of workers, given the current reality neither system seems likely to undergo significant change in the near fiiture.

Amending The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Should The Bribery Act 2010 Be A Guideline?, Michael Peterson

Law Student Publications

This paper is divided into four sections. The first section discusses the individual legal aspects of the FCPA and the Bribery Act of 2010; the second section discusses the differing features of the two acts; the third section discusses the criticisms of each of the acts; and the fourth section lays out a proposal of effective amendments which the author feels should be made to the FCPA.

"Ice" Capades: Restitution Orders And The Fcpa, Shane Frick

Law Student Publications

This comment discusses federal restitution orders and why they are not a viable source of compensation for FCPA victims. Section I provides background information on the FCPA and outlines how it is enforced. Section II discusses victims' rights under a series of pieces of federal legislation. Section III looks at the primary precedent in the arena and explains why it shows that the restitution statutes do not provide sufficient FCPA victim restitution. Section IV discusses the pending Wal-Mart case and the issues facing Wal-Mart victims. Section V outlines other avenues of recovery for FCPA victims and proposes new measures for …

Back To The Bad Old Days: President Putin's Hold On Free Speech In The Russian Federation, Rebecca Favret

Law Student Publications

This paper addresses new laws promulgated in Russia that restrict freedom of speech. Each implicitly reflects the Kremlin's hostility toward political dissidence in the aftermath of serious protests following President Putin's reelection and elections to the legislature. Disturbed by the outcry, which took place in cities across Russia but also infiltrated the Internet, the Russian legislature passed strict laws censoring Internet speech, prohibiting behavior and speech deemed "extremist," and curbing the size and type of public gatherings.

The new legislation is examined through the lens of some of the Kremlin's most infamous and recent targets: namely, the Internet blacklist and …

Mass Tort Claims In International Investment Proceedings: What Are The Lessons From The Ecuador-Chevron Dispute?, Chiara Giorgetti

Law Faculty Publications

In parallel to the La go Agrio and Aguinda litigations in the U.S. and Ecuadorian proceedings that have been discussed already,l the Chevron dispute includes an international dimension that presents equally complex and important challenges, but focuses on very different issues and involves different parties. My remarks introduce these international proceedings first to explain the different actions taken by the parties in different forums. I then assess the viability of international dispute resolution mechanisms for mass tort claims in general, before considering more specifically whether they can provide sufficient redress to mass tort claimants. Finally, I briefly introduce alternative dispute …

Foreign And International Legal Research, Maureen Moran

Law Faculty Publications

As you have been learning, the American legal system is only one of hundreds in the world. Each of those legal systems has its own rules, sources, and authorities. But these systems do not exist in a vacuum. What rules govern when two or more States or entities interact? What are the enforcement mechanisms? The study of these questions comprises the fields of foreign law and international law. The purpose of this chapter is not to give you a comprehensive review of all the resources available for researching this vast field of law. Rather, the goal is to give you …

Who Decides Who Decides In International Investment Arbitration?, Chiara Giorgetti

Law Faculty Publications

The past twenty years have witnessed a dramatic rise in international adjudication, and especially in international investment arbitration. As international investment arbitration has become more prominent and pervasive, one of its fundamental tenets has come under fire: the practice of having the parties themselves nominate one or more of the arbitrators. Critics contend that party-appointed arbitrators are inherently biased and thus propose eliminating party-appointments altogether. In this article, I argue that moving away from party-appointed arbitrators is unwarranted and unwise, and would too radically transform international investment arbitration. Instead, I propose a simpler solution: adopting stricter arbitrator challenge rules and …

Constitutional Convergence And Customary International Law, Rebecca Crootof

Law Faculty Publications

In Getting to Rights: Treaty Ratification, Constitutional Convergence, and Human Rights Practice, Zachary Elkins, Tom Ginsburg, and Beth Simmons study the effects of post-World War II human rights texts on domestic constitutions, with a particular focus on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). After analyzing 680 constitutional systems compiled by the Comparative Constitutions Project to create a list of seventy-four constitutionally protected rights, the authors evaluate whether countries incorporate internationally codified human rights into their domestic constitutions, whether ratification of international agreements affects the probability of rights incorporation, and whether …

Remarks: Syria And The Arab Spring Symposium, Chiara Giorgetti

Law Faculty Publications

Remarks on Syria and the Arab Spring given at the 2012 University of Baltimore Journal of International Law Symposium on the Arab Spring.

International Health Emergencies In Failed And Failing States, Chiara Giorgetti

Law Faculty Publications

Global health emergencies, particularly those occurring in Jailed and Jailing States, can become threats to the stability of the international community. This Article assesses the international mechanisms available to respond to such emergencies. After defining global health emergencies, it discusses the implications of global outbreaks in Jailed and Jailing States. It then examines the role played by the World Health Organization in controlling global health emergencies, with particular reference to the newly amended 2005 International Health Regulations and the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network. Finally, it explores the role of other international organizations, including the United Nations Children's Fund …

Proceedings Of The 106th Annual Meeting Of The American Society Of International Law: Confronting Complexity, Chiara Giorgetti

Law Faculty Publications

In March 2012, a record number of international lawyers assembled in Washington, DC for the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law.

We had the privilege of co-chairing the Meeting and chose as our theme, "Confronting Complexity." We felt that this theme reflected well the current challenges and opportunities presented by rapidly evolving technologies, increasing global interconnectedness, rising population, and deepening understanding of science and the environment. New international actors; changes in social, economic, and political dynamics; a multipolar power structure; and novel security threats only add to the complexity we face.

Opportunistic Discipline: Using Eurasian Integration To Improve Sanctions Against Belarus, Ilya Zlatkin

Law Student Publications

This comment does not condemn or condone the Lukashenko regime's policies. Instead, it evaluates the effectiveness of the U.S. sanctions and provides some feasible alternatives. Also, this comment avoids normative arguments against sanctions, concentrating more on the probable economic and political effects. Part II supplies background information on the political developments within Belarus since the Soviet Union's collapse, including prior sanctions that the West imposed. Part III explains why the United States can legally institute sanctions. Parts IV and V discuss how American sanctions facilitate appropriation of significant Belarusian state assets by Russia and China, respectively. Part VI posits that …

The Russian Federation Joins The Oecd Convention Against Bribery, Andrew B. Spalding

Law Faculty Publications

On April 17, 2012, the Russian Federation joined the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Officials in International Business Transactions (“the Convention”).[1] This is but the latest example of a recent trend among the major emerging markets toward criminalizing the bribing of foreign officials. This Insight will place Russia’s accession in context of the broader effort to establish a global anti-bribery regime.

Introductory Note To The International Court Of Justice: Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic Of Guinea V. Democratic Republic Of The Congo) Compensation Owed By The Democratic Republic Of The Congo To The Republic Of Guinea, Chiara Giorgetti

Law Faculty Publications

On June 12, 2012, the International Court of Justice ("ICJ" or the "Court") ordered the Republic of the Congo ("DRC") to pay the Republic of Guinea ("Guinea") U.S. $95,000 in compensation for material and non-material injury to Guinea's national Ahmadou Sadio Diallo. The Judgment is notable for several reasons. First, the mere fact that the Court fixed an amount of compensation owned to Guinea is relevant, as this is only the second time in the history of the Court that such a measure was adopted. Second, in reaching its decision, the Court relied heavily on decisions of other international courts …

Reclaiming Global Environmental Leadership: Why The United States Should Ratify Ten Pending Environmental Treaties, Noah M. Sachs

Law Faculty Publications

For more than a century, the United States has taken the lead in organizing international responses to international environmental problems. The long list of environmental agreements spearheaded by the United States extends from early treaties with Canada and Mexico on boundary waters and migratory birds to global agreements restricting trade in endangered species and protecting against ozone depletion.

In the last two decades, however, U.S. environmental leadership has faltered. The best known example is the lack of an effective response to climate change, underscored by the U.S. decision not to join the Kyoto Protocol. But that is not the only …

Get The Balance Right!: Squaring Access With Patent Protection, Kristen Jakobsen Osenga

Law Faculty Publications

Professor Osenga discusses the tensions between the interests of patent holders and patients worldwide in need of pharmaceutical treatments. Explaining the combination of exclusive patent and compulsory license approaches that govern access to intellectual property by statute and treaty, she urges that a carefully conceived balancing of these approaches will best serve both interests.

The Power Of Definition: Brazil's Contribution To Universal Concepts Of Indigeneity, Jan Hoffman French

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

This article builds on discussions about the potential benefits and difficulties with developing a universal definition of indigenous peoples. It explores the spaces made available for theorizing indigeneity by the lack of a definition in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted in 2007. Specifically, this article addresses the challenge presented by the diversity of groups claiming indigenous status in Brazil. To what extent do distinct cosmologies and languages that mark Amazonian Indians as unquestionably indigenous affect newly recognized tribes in the rest of Brazil who share none of the indicia of authenticity? This article theorizes …

Pakistan's Failed Commitment: How Pakistan's Institutionalized Persecution Of The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Violates The International Covenant On Civil And Political Rights, Qasim Rashid

Law Student Publications

The United Nations (“UN”) adopted the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (“ICCPR”) in 1966 and officially implemented it in 1976 to ensure, among other guarantees, that no human is denied his or her right to equal voting, freedom of political association, due process of law, freedom of life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is among 166 nations that have signed and ratified the ICCPR. Since signing the ICCPR in 2008 and ratifying it in 2010, however, Pakistan has perpetuated state-sanctioned and violent persecution of religious minority groups such …

Reforming Fairness: The Need For Legal Pragmatism In The Wto Dispute Settlement Process, Webb Mcarthur

Law Student Publications

The World Trade Organization (“WTO”) dispute settlement system is intended to be the central pillar of the international trade system by which trade disputes involving WTO member states are adjudicated, whether regarding trade in goods, services, or in intellectual property rights. However, an innocuous statement such as this, when closely considered, indicates potential problems for the system.

Why Should International Law Be Concerned About State Failure?, Chiara Giorgetti

Law Faculty Publications

In the last fifty years, the international community has undergone a transformation, as social, economic, and political dynamics have been altered. In fact, the international power structure has shifted towards a more complex structure, economies have been largely liberalized, new powerful international actors have emerged, and security threats have altered significantly. These transformations impacted all nation States. Indeed, a new standard of governance emerged that resulted in increased responsibility to each State's nationals. Similarly, States have become increasingly interindependent and have additional (both in numbers and substance) obligations towards each other and the international community in general. Certain States, however, …

Forward, Daniel T. Murphy

Law Faculty Publications

Introduction to Symposium issue, "A Collision of Authority: The U.S. Constitution and Universal Jurisdiction."

Jumping The Pond: Transnational Law And The Future Of Chemical Regulation, Noah M. Sachs

Law Faculty Publications

Just as domestic pollution can cause transnational externalities, domestic environmental regulation can create transnational ripple effects in other jurisdictions. In this Article, I show how chemical regulation-long a weak link in the network of U.S. environmental laws-is about to be reshaped and reformed through the extraterritorial ripple effects of new European Union legislation. Contributing to both international law and environmental law scholarship, this Article shows how transnational information flows can be harnessed to end the longstanding drought of data on chemical toxicity in the United States. ·

Part I of this Article critiques the U.S. chemical regulatory regime, arguing that …

Introductory Note To International Court Of Justice: Decision On The Request For Interpretation Of The Avena Judgment, Chiara Giorgetti

Law Faculty Publications

On 19 January 2009, the International Court of Justice ("ICJ" or "the Court") issued its Judgment On the Request for the Interpretation of the Avena Judgment ("Judgment") denying Mexico's request for interpretation, and holding that the matters claimed by Mexico "are not matters which ha[d] been decided by the Court in its Judgment," and thus could not give rise to an interpretation as requested by 2Mexico.' This is probably the last step in a complex and lengthy litigation between Mexico and United States,2 which began on January 9, 2003, when Mexico instituted proceedings at the ICJ against the U.S. for …

Beyond The Liability Wall: Strengthening Tort Remedies In International Environmental Law, Noah M. Sachs

Law Faculty Publications

Despite decades of effort, the international community has stumbled in attempts to craft tort remedies for victims of transboundary environmental damage. More than a dozen civil liability treaties have been negotiated that create causes of action and prescribe liability rules, but few have entered into force, and most remain unadapted orphans in international environmental law. In this Article, I explain the problematic record of tort liability regimes by developing a theoretical model of liability negotiations grounded in regime theory from political science. Based on this model, I conclude that negotiated liability regimes have foundered because of three main roadblocks: ( …

Introductory Note To The International Court Of Justice: Request For Interpretation Of The Judgment In The Case Concerning Avena And Other Mexican Nationals, Chiara Giorgetti

Law Faculty Publications

On July 16, 2008, the International Court of Justice ("ICJ" or "the Court") issued its Order On the Request for the Indication ofProvisional Measures ("Order"),1 granting Mexico's request demanding the United States, inter alia, to take all necessary measures to ensure that certain named individuals are not executed pending the judgment on the Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 31 March 2004 in the Case Concerning Avena and Other Mexican Nationals (Mexico v. United States of America)?

This is a complex and interesting decision for several reasons. First, it continues to examine the applicability and enforceability of individual rights …

Balancing Security And Human Rights: Post 9/11 Reactions In United States And Europe, Chiara Giorgetti

Law Faculty Publications

The acts of 11 September 2001 demonstrated how vulnerable civilians are; in any part of the world, to terrorist attacks. This awareness led to a determined response by the international community to fight international terrorism iri all its forms. As governments and international organizations alike reevaluated the effectiveness and appropriateness of their counter-terrorist measures, the challenge emerged of conducting the fight against terrorism while respecting human rights and civil liberties. In fact, the wide consensus that actions are necessary to confront terrorism does not undermine the necessity to balance human rights considerations and preserve the democratic process.

As portrayed throughout …

An Islamic Perspective On Domestic Violence, Azizah Y. Al-Hibri

Law Faculty Publications

In this Article, the author addresses the traditional Islamic view of domestic violence. To understand the Islamic perspective on domestic violence, the author will explore the Islamic view of gender relations, especially within the family. This view is rooted in the Qur'an, which is examined in this Article.

Closer Or Enhanced Cooperation: Amsterdam Or Nice, Daniel T. Murphy

Law Faculty Publications

Professor Murphy discusses the concepts of closer cooperation and flexibility, which are fairly recent additions to European law and policy. These notions essentially refer to the policies and procedures within the Union whereby some member states undertake certain obligations, or participate with some other member states in certain agreed upon activities, while other member states do not participate, or participate on a different scale or on a different timetable. Explicit reference to the concept of "closer cooperation" in the European Union's constitutive documents, or authorization of it, is recent. Provisions regarding "closer cooperation" appear for the first time in the …

Introduction And Symposium Overview: The Changing Labor Markets Of The Western Hemisphere: Labor Issues Relating To The Ftaa, Ann C. Hodges

Law Faculty Publications

In 1994, thirty-four countries in the Western Hemisphere met in Miami to begin negotiations designed to establish a comprehensive free trade agreement. The initial meeting led to a "Declaration of Principles" and a "Plan of Action" which committed the signatory countries to take steps toward open markets and free trade in the hemisphere. Subsequent meetings in 1998 and 2001 have moved the countries toward creation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), with an expectation that the agreement will be in place by 2005.

Islamic And American Constitutional Law: Borrowing Possibilities Or A History Of Borrowing?, Azizah Y. Al-Hibri

Law Faculty Publications

Islam is commonly viewed in the West as being incompatible with democracy. It is also viewed as an "Oriental" religion that has spawned violence and encouraged human rights violations. Because of the historical interaction between the West and Islam, the United States has recently been supporting efforts to export its democratic principles and human rights values to Muslim countries. In this context, the question of constitutional borrowing gains special significance. To assess the possibilities of constitutional borrowing between Islamic countries and the United States, it is important to first discuss the historical relation between the two, as well as between …