Law Commons^™

Environmental Review And Economic Development: A Modest Proposal, Howard Goldman

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Environmental Review requires government, whenever taking discretionary action, consider the consequences on the environment. This essay briefly explores what exactly environmental review is and advocates for the exporting of the New York versions of Environmental Review requirements to all trading nations across the world.

Planning For Free Trade: Taking Advantage Of The Transition., John M. Vernon, Enrique A. Gonzalez Calvillo

St. Mary's Law Journal

After two decades of restrictive policies regarding foreign involvement, Mexico is transforming its legal and regulatory structure. The progression of foreign investment, technology transfer, and industrial property laws and regulations is revealing. The significance of the overhaul of the industrial property and technology transfer framework in Mexico is evident considering the historical context in which it developed. With these reforms in place, Mexico significantly improved the conditions for placing U.S. franchises across the border. Mexico decreased tariff rates, eliminated import licenses for numerous products, and divested over half of the businesses previously owned or operated by the state. It also …

Maquiladoras: Will The Program Continue., Cheryl Schechter, David Brill Jr.

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article will discuss the industry and relevant aspects of the legal framework which evolved into the modern maquiladora operation. It will also analyze the possible impact of the ongoing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations on the Mexican maquiladora industry. In the late seventies and early eighties, Mexico plunged into an economic crisis brought on in part by its almost exclusive dependence on oil exports. The extreme drop in the international oil market forced the country to restructure its economy with a greater emphasis on manufacturing for export. Mexico’s maquiladora program played a key role in this aspect …

Federal Income Tax Issues In The Organization, Financing, And Operation Of Maquiladoras., William R. Leighton, T. Richard Sealy Iii

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article principally considers various United States federal income tax issues in the formation, financing, and operation of maquiladoras. Mexico’s most successful means of attracting foreign investment is its Maquiladora Program. Mexico created the program to encourage U.S. and other non-Mexican enterprises to establish manufacturing facilities in Mexico. It spawned a domestic industry whose economic output is second only to that of Mexico’s national oil industry. In the 1980s, the maquiladora industry experienced explosive growth from 620 plants in 1980 to more than 2,000 currently. They employ approximately 500,000 workers earning an average wage of five dollars per day plus …

Transborder - Road Transportation., H.N. Cunningham Iii

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article is intended to serve as a primer for attorneys representing clients engaged in shipping, receiving, and transporting merchandise between points in the United States of Mexico (Mexico) and the United States of America. A “crazy quilt” of laws and regulations govern the rights, duties, and obligations of persons engaged in these activities. These laws include not only the constitutions and statutes of two independent nations, but also the laws and regulations of their various political subdivisions as well. Due to the breadth of this material, this Article’s treatment of the subject is general, providing an overview of the …

Admissibility Of A Rape Victim's Prior Sexual Conduct In Texas: A Contemporary Review And Analysis., James A. Vaught, Margaret Henning

St. Mary's Law Journal

The treatment of rape victims in criminal prosecutions has become and remains a matter of intense public and legal interest in America. The conventional use of evidence of a rape complainant's prior sexual history in rape prosecutions was a major focus of the rape reform movement. A major consequence of the movement for reform is the federal government and forty-nine states enacting rape shield laws limiting the admissibility of evidence concerning the complainant’s sexual history in rape prosecution. This article analyzes the admissibility of evidence of a rape complainant’s prior sexual conduct from its common law origins concentrating on the …

Heitman V. State: The Question Left Unanswered., Matthew W. Paul, Jeffrey L. Van Horn

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Heitman v. State, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals appeared to break with the court’s prior holdings to announce it would no longer “automatically adopt and apply” to the search and seizure provisions of the Texas Constitution “the Supreme Court’s interpretations of the Fourth Amendment.” The reaction to Heitman was immediate and striking. Heitman is obviously a significant decision that could impact Texas criminal jurisprudence for decades. Yet, the decision left many questions unanswered, including whether the search and seizure provision should be construed as placing greater restrictions on law enforcement than the Fourth Amendment of the United States …

Legal Malpractice Committed While Working On Cases Which Result In Litigation Tolls The Statute Of Limitations For The Malpractice Claim Until All Appeals For The Underlying Causes Of Action Are Exhausted., Dina Bernstein

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Living In Limbo: Single Asset Reorganizations Within The Financially Distressed Fifth Circuit., Thomas J. Meaney

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

The Evolution Of Government Liability Under Section 1983., Christopher J.M. Pettit

St. Mary's Law Journal

The Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution provides in order to enforce the law, Congress shall have the power to pass enabling legislation. In the exercise of this power, Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act of 1871, to implement the prohibition of slavery as required by the Thirteenth Amendment. Although the Thirteenth Amendment abolished the institution of slavery, discriminatory actions by private citizens remained prevalent. During the period following reconstruction, congressional legislation shifted focus from prohibiting state action to prohibiting the actions of private individuals who violated the civil liberties of others. Through the passage of the Civil Rights …

The Political Philosophy Of Campaign Finance Reform As Articulated In The Dissents In Austin V. Michigan Chamber Of Commerce., John S. Shockley, David A. Schultz

St. Mary's Law Journal

The 1992 presidential candidacy of Jerry Brown, who called for campaign contribution limits, has reignited the issue of campaign finance reform. Indeed, the United States Supreme Court has recognized the importance of campaign finance reform as a judicial issue. The importance of this issue is marked by the Court’s continued willingness to address the regulation of campaign finance since the 1976 landmark case of Buckley v. Valeo. The case of Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce emphasized the somewhat confused nature of the Supreme Court’s campaign finance reform decisions. The Supreme Court and state legislatures will likely continue to address …

Clear The Air, Robert L. Fischman

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Biological Diversity And Environmental Protection: Authorities To Reduce Risk, Robert L. Fischman

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Endangered Species Conservation: What Should We Expect Of Federal Agencies?, Robert L. Fischman

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Worst Things First: Risk, Information, And Regulatory Structure In Toxic Substances Control, John S. Applegate

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Scientific uncertainty is the characteristic problem of toxic substances control, and regulators lack the resources to resolve or significantly reduce uncertainty across all of the risks they must address. For this reason, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has become intensely interested in setting priorities among its responsibilities. EPA lacks, however, a coherent framework within which to implement its findings. In this Article, Professor Applegate proposes that the current regulatory regime for toxic substances be restructured to emphasize thoughtful priority setting rather than unrealistic risk standards and deadlines. In his view, Congress should provide broad parameters for agency action in particular …

The Agency For International Development And Nepa: A Duty Unfulfilled, Gary M. Ernsdorff

Washington Law Review

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) establishes the Nation's environmental policy and creates a set of procedures necessary to fulfill that policy. The Agency for International Development (A.I.D.) narrowly interprets the application of NEPA's procedures and has adopted a less rigorous set of environmental evaluation procedures. This Comment examines A.I.D.'s procedures, notes their deficiencies, and suggests that Congress should amend NEPA to require A.I.D. and all agencies to utilize NEPA procedures.

A Superfund Trivia Test: A Comment On The Complexity Of Environmental Laws, William H. Rodgers, Jr.

Articles

Professor Rodgers examines the reasons for the American obsession with trivia. While unable to determine the cause of the obsession, he does provide some insight on the usefulness and need for the information in the study of environmental law.

Judicial Deference To Executive Precedent, Thomas W. Merrill

Faculty Scholarship

In 1984, the Supreme Court adopted a new framework for determining when courts should defer to interpretations of statutes by administrative agencies. Previous decisions had looked to multiple contextual factors in answering this question. Chevron U.S., Inc. v. National Resources Defense Council, Inc. appeared to reject this approach and require that federal courts defer to any reasonable interpretation by an agency charged with administration of a statute, provided Congress has not clearly specified a contrary answer. The Court justified this new general rule of deference by positing that Congress has implicitly delegated interpretative authority to all agencies charged with enforcing …

Cleaning House: Environmental Hazards Can Undermine A Property's Use And Value, Michael B. Gerrard

Faculty Scholarship

Numerous horror movies and books depict the woes that befall fictional homeowners who don't know or care that they are living too close to cemeteries or brooding woods or scenes of hauntings.

However, even the vivid imaginations of filmmakers and novelists can't conjure up some of the real-life horrors that environmental hazards can create for property owners. These hazards can destroy the value and salability of property, render it unusable for its intended purpose, and burden owners with clean-up costs, fines and lawsuits.

Fortunately, an alert eye and inexpensive tests can identify most common environmental dangers.

Environmental Reform Of The Multilateral Development Banks, David Wirth

David A. Wirth

No abstract provided.

Environmental Law: Selected Statutes And Regulations, William Tabb, Linda Malone

William M. Tabb

No abstract provided.

Environmental Law: Cases And Materials, William Tabb, Linda Malone

William M. Tabb

No abstract provided.

The North American Free Trade Agreement And U.S. Environmental Law, David A. Wirth

David A. Wirth

No abstract provided.

A Matchmaker's Challenge: Marrying International Law And American Environmental Law, David A. Wirth

David A. Wirth

No abstract provided.