Law Commons^™

The Collapse And Fall Of Floating Buffer Zones: The Court Clarifies Analysis For Reviewing Speech-Restrictive Injunctions In Schenk V. Pro-Choice Network, Amy E. Miller

University of Richmond Law Review

The freedom of speech, although a predominant First Amendment principle, does not create an absolute right and remains subject to limitations for appropriate reasons, such as when the exercise of free speech encroaches upon the rights of others. Particularly sensitive situations arise when courts impose restrictions upon anti-abortion protestors in an attempt to protect the rights of patients and providers at abortion clinics. Indeed, despite a woman's long established right to obtain an abortion, emotionally charged demonstrations and recurrent anti-choice violence persist outside abortion clinics around the nation. Given that such practices induce stress and other health risks to women …

The Declaration Of Independence In Constitutional Interpretation: A Selective History And Analysis, Charles H. Cosgrove

University of Richmond Law Review

In 1845, antislavery constitutionalist Lysander Spooner argued that the Declaration of Independence was originally a legal constitution with a direct bearing on how one ought to interpret the status of slavery under the Constitution of 1787. In 1889, the congressional act establishing the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington required that their state constitutions "not be repugnant to the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence," as if the two documents were of a piece. In 1995, attorney Christopher Darden argued to the jury in the O.J. Simpson criminal trial that slain victims Nicole …

Fifth Circuit: Study Of Gender Bias, Gregory A. Nussel

University of Richmond Law Review

In October 1993, in response to a recommendation in the

Report of the National Commission on Judicial Discipline and Removal, Chief Judge Henry A. Politz appointed a Special Committee of the Fifth Circuit Judicial Council to consider and recommend whether a study of gender bias in the Fifth Circuit should be made. The Special Committee, composed of two circuit judges, two district judges, and one magistrate judge, reported its findings to the Judicial Council during a biannual meeting in June 1994.

Ninth Circuit: The Gender Bias Task Force, Procter Hug Jr., Marilyn L. Huff, John C. Coughenour

University of Richmond Law Review

In 1990, the federal courts of the Ninth Circuit began to examine the effects of gender on the business of the courts. The pioneering FinalReport of the Ninth Circuit Gender Bias Task Force1 was issued in July 1993 and the Ninth Circuit has worked to implement the task force's recommendations for several years. To assist others setting forth on a similar journey, this article summarizes the circuit's experience in undertaking a study of this magnitude and duration.

Austin Owen Lecture: Difficulties, Dangers & Challenges Facing The Judiciary Today, Robert E. Payne

University of Richmond Law Review

Judge Payne presented this address at The Sixth Annual Austin Owen Lecture on November 18, 1997. The Honorable Austin E. Owen attended Richmond College from 1946-47 and received his law degree from The T.C. Williams School of Law in 1950. During his distinguished career, Judge Owen served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; a partner in Owen, Gray, Rhodes, Betz, Smith and Dickerson; and was appointed Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit of Virginia where he served until his retirement in 1990. The Law School community grieved the loss of this distinguished alumnus upon his …

Advisory Opinions By Federal Courts, Phillip M. Kannan

University of Richmond Law Review

Since 1793, the affirmative grant of authority to federal courts in Article III of the Constitution to hear and decide cases or controversies has been interpreted to prohibit these courts from giving advisory opinions. In that year, United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Jay, Justice Cushing, and District Judge Duane rejected a provision in a 1792 act of Congress that would have required the Supreme Court to settle federal pension claims of widows and orphans subject to the approval of the Secretary of War. The basis for the position taken by the Chief Justice was "that neither the legislative nor …

University Of Richmond Law Review

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Legal Profession And Its Future: Recapturing The Ideal Of The Statesman-Lawyer, Timothy J. Sullivan

University of Richmond Law Review

My subject is our profession and its future-a future measured not by the condition of its bottom line, but by the state of its soul. And my message is one of profound concern.

Annual Survey Of Virginia Law: Wills, Trusts, And Estates, J. Rodney Johnson

University of Richmond Law Review

The General Assembly, in its 1998 Session, enacted legislation dealing with wills, trusts, and estates that added, amended, or repealed a number of sections of the Virginia Code. In addition to the legislative changes, there were four Supreme Court of Virginia opinions, one Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit opinion, one Bankruptcy Court opinion, and one Virginia Circuit Court opinion during the period covered by this review, all of which involved issues of interest to the general practitioner as well as to the specialist in wills, trusts, and, estates. This article reports on all of these legislative and judicial …

Introductory Note

University of Richmond Law Review

The forward march of technological progress demands a continuous reassessment of our current predicament. While many existing institutions stand upon a bedrock of historical tradition, the acceleration of modem invention serves to rapidly erode our unswerving reliance on these systems. Rather, the problems brought by rapid technological growth require creative analysis that extends beyond traditional methodology. Just as the Industrial Revolution shook business and legal institutions to the core in response to unforeseen possibilities, the Information Revolution has begun to strain the infrastructure of our current institutions. The Information Age, typified by instant global communication and the ability to conduct …

University Of Richmond

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Third Circuit: Gender, Race, And Ethnicity- Task Force On Equal Treatment In The Courts, Dolores K. Sloviter

University of Richmond Law Review

The March 1993 vote of the Judicial Conference of the United States endorsing the provision of the proposed Violence Against Women Act that encouraged circuit judicial councils to conduct studies with respect to gender bias in their respective circuits provided an official imprimatur of approval to such inquiries by the policy making body of the federal courts. Thereafter, the extent to which each federal circuit undertook to accept the invitation to proceed may have depended in large part on the zeal for the inquiry by the chief judge of the circuit or his or her delegated committee.

The Eastern District Of Virginia: A Working Solution For Civil Justice Reform, Heather Russell Koenig

University of Richmond Law Review

It has been referred to as "the fastest, fairest, federal court in the country," "the most efficient, professional federal court in the nation," the court "known for moving things along quickly" and where "cases zoom through the system faster than at any other federal court in the nation." Where is this court that is "so efficient that it could be used as a model for the rest of the country?" It is the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Annual Survey Of Virginia Law: Technology And The Law, Diane E. Horvath, John S. Jung

University of Richmond Law Review

During its 1998 Session, the Virginia General Assembly passed forty-three bills related to technology that were signed into law. Of these, six bills were proposed by the Joint Commission on Technology and Science ("JCOTS"). This article summarizes several enacted bills and provides reference numbers for each bill discussed in the 1998 Acts of Assembly ("1998 Acts"). Given the breadth, depth, and speed of the technological revolution, the purpose of this article is to discuss succinctly the most significant 1998 legislative actions related to technology in areas of substantive law, practice, and procedure.

Annual Survey Of Virginia Law: Insurance Law, Terrence L. Graves

University of Richmond Law Review

This article will summarize and discuss case decisions and statutory changes in the field of insurance law that have taken place over the last two years. As in years past, most of the cases involve automobile coverage, particularly uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Other areas covered by this article include the following: liability insurance, automobile medical payments coverage, insurance regulation, fire insurance, and homeowners insurance.

Annual Survey Of Virginia Law: Constitutional Law, Mark J. Yeager

University of Richmond Law Review

On February 27, 1998, the Supreme Court of Virginia rendered its decision in Town of Madison v. Ford. The court invalidated a town zoning ordinance which had been enacted in 1972. This extreme result was due to an insufficiency in the town council's minutes at the meeting when the ordinance in question was enacted. The minutes did not state the names of all the members present nor how they voted. The court, therefore, found that the ordinance was enacted in derogation of the provisions of article VII, section 7 of the Constitution of Virginia ("section 7").

The Rise Of Environmental Law In The Asian Region, Ben Boer

University of Richmond Law Review

In the past three decades, the realm of environmental law in many Western countries, and internationally, has grown from a small baby crying for attention to a full-fledged, articulate adult, participating in a wide variety of international, regional, and national fora concerning the protection of the environment and the management of our natural resources. More recently, in many non-Western countries and especially in Asia, environmental law has begun to enter into adulthood, manifested by significant legislative initiatives, judicial activism and a resulting environmental jurisprudence, and the establishment and growth of environmental and resource management agencies.

The Constitutionality Of Censure, Michael J. Gerhardt

University of Richmond Law Review

It has become commonplace for commentators to suggest that, in the aftermath of the Senate's acquittal of President William Jefferson Clinton, there have been only losers and no real winners. Whether this is true generally is a difficult question to which I will not hazard an answer. It is beyond question, however, that one device that lost ground as a result of the storm of impeachment was censure. That censure has taken a severe beating is unfortunate because so much of the beating was based on misguided interpretations of, or arguments about, the Constitution.

University Of Richmond Law Review

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

"Yer Outa Here!" A Framework For Analyzing The Potential Exclusion Of Expert Testimony Under The Federal Rules Of Evidence, Stephen D. Easton

University of Richmond Law Review

It does not take long for even a casual observer of criminal and civil trials to make two observations about expert witnesses. The first of these observations comes almost immediately: experts are vitally important to the judicial process. In many trials, the outcome largely depends upon which set of impressively credentialed experts the jurors (and the judge) believe. The second observation generally comes later than the first: a significant amount of shoddy "science," phony logic, faulty analysis, sleight of hand, and other assorted junk enters the courtroom dressed up in the emperor's clothes of expert testimony.

A Literalist Proposes Four Modest Revisions To U.C.C. Article 3, Timothy R. Zinnecker

University of Richmond Law Review

I first taught a Payment Systems class during the fall of 1994. Not having taken the course in law school, and bringing very little "real world" experience in this area of commercial law to the classroom, I approached the task of teaching the course with some degree of fear and trepidation. I had already taught Secured Transactions, so I was familiar with the challenges of teaching a statutory course to a reluctant audience scarred by horror stories of their predecessors. I also audited a Payment Systems course taught by a colleague during the summer, so I had a good start …

Pretending To Upset The Balance: Old Chief V. United States And Exclusion Of Prior Felony Conviction Evidence Under Federal Rule Of Evidence 403, Donnie L. Kidd Jr.

University of Richmond Law Review

The story of an event is often more interesting and informative than the mere fact that the event occurred. Aesop's morals would not be as captivating without the fables that accompany them. The fables tell the reader a story embodying a moral truth. On election night, the ballot tally proves which candidate won, but the voter is interested more in the story of the campaign trail that put the candidate in office rather than a naked statistic comparing voting percentages. The story gives not only the bare idea or fact; it mixes this bare idea or fact with the supporting …

Blood As A Biological "Drug": Scientific, Legal, And Policy Issues In The Regulation Of Placental And Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Transplantation, Jennifer Kulynych

University of Richmond Law Review

Not all blood cells are created equal. Some are born, carry out their appointed tasks-red blood cells oxygenating the blood, white blood cells fighting infection-and die. But an elusive subset have special properties: they are the progenitors of all the many types of peripheral (circulatory) blood cells, and as such, they have the potential to reconstitute an entire blood supply. Known as hematopoietic stem cells, these blood cells reproduce indefinitely. For patients with leukemia or other blood diseases, the transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells from another person's bone marrow can provide the gift of life.

Leaving The Door Ajar: The Supreme Court And Assisted Suicide, Melvin I. Urofsky

University of Richmond Law Review

In June, 1997, the Supreme Court ruled that a constitutional right to assisted suicide exists in neither the Due Process nor the Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. But while a federal right does not exist, the Court made it quite clear that the states had ample leeway in which to fashion law on this issue; moreover, the concurring opinions of five Justices strongly implied that, should the states enact legislation that would severely limit end-of-life choices, the Supreme Court would revisit the issue. Far from slamming the door shut on assisted suicide, the Court left it more than …

A Matter Of Power: Structural Federalism And Separation Doctrine In The Present, Frances Howell Rudko

University of Richmond Law Review

Public reaction to the 1823 Supreme Court decision in Green v. Biddle prompted John Marshall's letter to Henry Clay, who had argued the case as amicus curiae for the defendant. The letter is significant because Marshall, who had been a legislator himself, candidly expresses not only his personal dissatisfaction with the congressional assault on the 1823 decision but also the constitutional basis for his opinion. The significance of Marshall's extrajudicial opinion becomes more apparent when it is considered in the aftermath of the recent tug-of-war between Congress and the Court which culminated in the decision in City of Boerne v. …

Students' Rights And How They Are Wronged, Nadine Strossen

University of Richmond Law Review

Defending and enhancing the rights of students and young people has always been a major priority for the American Civil Liberties Union. One reason is that the rights of our nation's youth are always especially embattled - not surprisingly, since they are not yet eligible to vote and, therefore, lack political power.

Casting The Net: Another Confusing Analysis Of Personal Jurisdiction And Internet Contacts In Telco Communications V. An Apple A Day, Donnie L. Kidd Jr.

University of Richmond Law Review

The fascination of the Internet and "cyberspace" is its sense of boundlessness. A user seemingly can go anywhere, be anyone, and do anything in a virtual world of information and interactivity. Actions on-line, however, often may have real world ramifications. The demarcation line between the physical and cyberspace "worlds" is not so pronounced that actions occurring in one have no effect in the other.

Canning Spam: Compuserve, Inc. V. Cyber Promotions, Inc., Steven E. Bennett

University of Richmond Law Review

The rapid development of the Internet as a source of information and as a means of communication has caused courts and legislatures to scramble to integrate old legal structures into a new framework. The characteristic of near-instantaneous access to millions of subscribers of various Internet service providers (ISPs) has attracted the attention of commercial advertisers, especially those seeking mass audiences. The Internet has also fostered the proliferation of electronic mail (e-mail) as a means of communication. Further, it has attracted the attention of Congress, where there are currently three bills pending which would restrict or prohibit unsolicited e-mail advertising. The …

Mlb V. Slj: "Equal Justice" For Indigent Parents, Jason T. Jacoby

University of Richmond Law Review

The United States Supreme Court recently decided that a state may not, consistent with the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment, condition appeals from trial court decrees terminating parental rights on the affected parent's ability to pay record preparation fees. In M.L.B. v. S.L.J., the Supreme Court found that, just as a state may not block an indigent petty offender's access to an appeal afforded others, Mississippi may not deny M.L.B., because of her poverty, appellate review of the sufficiency of the evidence on which the trial court found her unfit to remain a parent.

Will Inquiry Produce Action? Studying The Effects Of Gender In The Federal Courts, Lynn Hecht Schafran

University of Richmond Law Review

When the Ninth Circuit Gender Bias Task Force released its report at the Circuit's 1992 Judicial Conference, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor offered this perspective:

A couple of years ago, I gave a speech in which I discussed the existence of a glass ceiling for women. The next day, headlines and newspaper articles trumpeted my statements as if I had made a surprising new discovery. But it is now 1992, and I don't think most of us were surprised to learn that the [Ninth Circuit] Task Force found the exis- tence of gender bias in a federal circuit. After all, over …