Law Commons^™

Unidentified Orbital Debris: The Case For A Market-Share Liability Regime, Mark J. Sundahl

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

As the volume of debris in the planet's orbit continues to grow, the risks and costs associated with orbital collisions are taking their toll on the space industry. The United Nations Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects seeks to address this modern day tragedy of the commons, yet it applies only to large, identifiable pieces of orbital debris. As most debris consists of small fragments, the source of which cannot be identified, the U.N. Convention is limited in its effect.

This Note addresses the problem of assigning liability for harm caused by unidentified orbital debris. It …

To Know A Veil, Douglas C. Michael

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

Lawyers, judges, law students, and law professors have a love-hate relationship with the doctrine of “piercing the corporate veil”—the idea that shareholders might sometimes be personally liable for the debts of the corporation. It is the subject covered more than all others in courses on corporation law. It is widely litigated, being the subject of thousands of opinions. Yet, for all this attention, it is routinely vilified by the experts. Most commentators recognize that it is jurisprudence without substance.

This Article is an attempt to form a basis for rigorous analysis of virtually every veil-piercing case and to rid the …

The Application Of Product Liability Principles To Publishers Of Violent Or Sexually Explicit Material, Richard C. Ausness

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

There have been a number of tragic incidents during the past few years in which mentally unstable teenagers have carried guns into school and shot teachers and fellow students. These schoolyard killings have generated an intense debate about the problem of violence in our society. Some social commentators have attributed teenage violence to the widespread availability of firearms, while others blame parental neglect, lack of discipline in the schools, or the declining influence of religion and morality in contemporary culture. However, another source of concern is the popular media, which stands accused of purveying sex and violence on a massive …

States Starting To Offer Legal Protection For Apology, Richard C. Reuben

Faculty Publications

There is a small trend a-foot in the state legislatures, and a welcome one at that: Providing some legal protection for people who want to apologize for their role in a harm, but who are fearful because of the possibility that their apologies will later be used against them in legal proceedings.

Supervisors Individually Liable Under The Iowa Civil Rights Act, Tory L. Lucas

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using federal law, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as a model, the State of Iowa enacted the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965 (ICRA) to strengthen anti-discrimination laws on a state level. But the ICRA was not simply a carbon copy of Title VII; instead, the ICRA contained its own unique language, which provided state-specific distinctions to further the interests of Iowans. For thirty-four years, it was an open question as to whether the ICRA authorized individual liability against supervisory employees — as opposed to only employers — for unlawful discrimination. In Vivian v. Madison, 601 …

Breaking The Code Of Silence: Rediscovering "Custom" In Section 1983 Municipal Liability, Myriam E. Gilles

Articles

No abstract provided.

Unfinished Business On The Taxpayer Rights Agenda: Achieving Fairness In Transferee Liability Cases, Steve R. Johnson

Scholarly Publications

The taxpayer rights movement has been a driving force of tax legislation and administration for over a decade. It has produced the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TBOR) in 1988, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights 2 (TBOR2) in 1996, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights 3 (TBOR3) in 1998, lesser statutory initiatives, and an array of important administrative changes by the Service. While the future of the movement can be debated, it is clear that, for now, it remains a force to be reckoned with in tax policy.

This article advances a proposal to extend and complete one thrust of the taxpayer …

The Insurer's Right To Reimbursement Of Defense Costs, Robert H. Jerry Ii

Faculty Publications

This Article examines the theoretical justification for the insurer's asserted right to reimbursement of defense costs incurred in defending noncovered claims. Part I sketches some details about the duty to defend which are necessary prerequisites to exploring any claim to a right of reimbursement. Part II discusses the rationale offered by most courts and commentators for recognizing the right to reimbursement: under the law of restitution, the insurer who defends a noncovered claim bestows a benefit on the policyholder which, in justice, ought to be returned. This Part concludes that a reasoned argument can be made in support of the …

The Liability Of International Arbitrators: A Comparative Analysis And Proposal For Qualified Immunity, Susan Franck

Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals

With the advent of the global economy and the increasing number of international commercial transactions, arbitration has become an important dispute resolution option. Arbitration is traditionally extolled because it helps to resolve commercial disputes economically, confidentially, and finally within a neutral forum.' Additionally, unlike national court judgments, arbitration provides an internationally recognized method for enforcing awards.' As a result of these benefits, arbitration is now the preferred dispute resolution mechanism for international commercial disagreements. Unfortunately, because of perceived misconduct by arbitrators and the risk of party manipulation, the arbitration process has come under increasing attack through civil actions against arbitrators.

Liability Issues Facing Online Businesses, David E. Shipley

Scholarly Works

Online businesses are confronted by a wide variety of liability issues covering almost the full range of the standard law school curriculum. The liability problems that face a small business in Vidalia, Georgia, which is selling Vidalia onion products at specialty stores, through print advertising, and by mail, do not go away when the business starts marketing through a Web site. In fact, there might be more exposure doing business online, and there are variations depending upon the nature of the business in question. For example, as discussed below, an Internet Service Provider ("ISP") like America Online has worries that …

Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

Recent case developments in Insurance Law in the years 1999 and 2000.

Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

Recent case developments in Insurance Law in the years 1999 and 2000.