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Full-Text Articles in Law

The Fordham Urban Law Journal: Twenty Years Of Progress, Constantine N. Katsoris Jan 2003

The Fordham Urban Law Journal: Twenty Years Of Progress, Constantine N. Katsoris

Fordham Urban Law Journal

An overview of different topics covered by the journal throughout the years.


From Equity To Adequacy: The Legal Battle For Increased State Funding Of Poor School Districts In New York, Brian J. Nickerson, Gernard M. Deenihan Jan 2003

From Equity To Adequacy: The Legal Battle For Increased State Funding Of Poor School Districts In New York, Brian J. Nickerson, Gernard M. Deenihan

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article evaluates the influence of federal courts' school finance cases on the New York school finance groups' decision to litigate in the New York courts. It then analyzes the importance of other states' legal precedents in school finance cases as a factor influencing interest groups in New York to challenge the state's public education funding formulas. This Article discusses the progression of public elementary and secondary school funding formula litigation in New York, focusing on the legal arguments raised by various interest group-plaintiffs and tracing the development of those arguments to school finance cases in other states. The conclusion …


Are Collateral Sanctions Premised On Conduct Or Conviction?: The Case Of Abortion Doctors, Gabriel J. Chin Jan 2003

Are Collateral Sanctions Premised On Conduct Or Conviction?: The Case Of Abortion Doctors, Gabriel J. Chin

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Traditionally, collateral sanctions are viewed as civil measures designed to prevent undue risk by proven lawbreakers. If a collateral sanction were a criminal penalty instead, that would trigger constitutional provisions like the Ex Post Facto Clause, which would mean the sanction could not be imposed retroactively. This Article argues that collateral sanctions based on conduct and not conviction indicate a civil regulatory measure, but that when the sanctions only apply in the event of conviction, the sanction looks more like punishment. Conviction is not the only way to show risky conduct, and it is the conduct that civil sanctions should …


Advocacy And Compassion In The Jewish Tradition, Daniel B. Sinclair Jan 2003

Advocacy And Compassion In The Jewish Tradition, Daniel B. Sinclair

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This essay surveys the Talmudic sources dealing with the issue of advocacy in Jewish law, and highlights the element of compassion that underlies the permissive approach to advocacy in the Talmudic sources. It outlines post-Talmudic developments with a special emphasis on the way in which the medieval authorities synthesized the views of the two Talmuds on the question of advocacy, and how later halakhists pushed this synthesis to its limits in order to pave the way for the emergence of the rabbinical pleader of modern times. This essay concludes with a brief remark on the link between compassion and advocacy …


The Fordham Law Drug Policy Reform Project: America's Oldest War: The Efficacy Of United States Drug Policy, John Nicholas Iannuzzi, Graham Boyd, Asa Hutchinson Jan 2003

The Fordham Law Drug Policy Reform Project: America's Oldest War: The Efficacy Of United States Drug Policy, John Nicholas Iannuzzi, Graham Boyd, Asa Hutchinson

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The Fordham Law Drug Policy Reform Project planned and executed the debate, "America's Oldest War: The Efficacy of United States Drug Policy," on April 23, 2002 at the end of the organization's first year. The goal of the debate was to bring to one forum the leading voices at both ends of the drug policy spectrum. Professor John Nicholas Iannuzzi moderated, giving each speaker three minutes to answer each question from the floor. Over one hundred and twenty professionals, students, and community members attended the debate.


Engaging The Debate: Reform Vs. More Of The Same, Kevin B. Zeese Jan 2003

Engaging The Debate: Reform Vs. More Of The Same, Kevin B. Zeese

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Essay dispels common myths put forward by drug war advocates and describes more effective alternatives available than present policy contemplates. We all want to prevent adolescent drug abuse, protect the health and safety of the community, deny drug profits to terrorists and other criminals, and develop a drug policy that works and is based on our common humanity, as well as on research and reality, rather than myth and rhetoric. The essential paradigm shift that needs to occur is to move away from a policy dominated by law enforcement . . . and toward a policy based on public …


Report Of The Task Force On The Use Of Criminal Sanctions To The King County Bar Association Board Of Trustees Jan 2003

Report Of The Task Force On The Use Of Criminal Sanctions To The King County Bar Association Board Of Trustees

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The King County formed the Task Force on the Use of Criminal Sanctions as part of the King County Bar Association's Drug Policy Project to examine current criminal sanctions related to the non-medical use of drugs both in Washington and on the federal level. The founders charged the Task Force with the goal of assessing the effectiveness of criminal sanctions in reducing both illegal drug use and drug-related crime, and assessing the public costs associated with the use of criminal sanctions. The Task Force drew specific conclusions regarding the state response to drug use and the provision of drug addiction …


You Have A Right To Remain Silent, Michael Avery Jan 2003

You Have A Right To Remain Silent, Michael Avery

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The Supreme Court will decide in the October 2002 term whether there is a cause of action under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983 based on a coercive police interrogation of a suspect in custody who has not been given Miranda warnings. The Supreme Court cannot decide that there is no cause of action under section 1983 for damages caused by coercive interrogation practices without turning its back on a large body of its own jurisprudence and on the deeply rooted cultural and political expectations of American citizens who trust that they have a meaningfu lconstitutionally protected right to remain silent when …


Crime, Gun Control, And The Batf: The Political Economy Of Law Enforcement, Jim F. Couch, Wiliam F. Shughart Ii Jan 2003

Crime, Gun Control, And The Batf: The Political Economy Of Law Enforcement, Jim F. Couch, Wiliam F. Shughart Ii

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms ("BATF"), an agency of the United States Treasury Department, has wide-ranging law enforcement responsibilities, which include the investigation of crimes involving guns, explosives, and illicit drugs. Its execution of these duties has been the subject of considerable controversy. This Study reports evidence that the law enforcement activities of the BAFT are influenced by both public-spirited and bureaucratic motives. The evidence presented in this Study contributes to a rethinking of the public-interest paradigm.


The Failure Of Local And Federal Prosecutors To Curb Police Brutality, Asit S. Panwala Jan 2003

The Failure Of Local And Federal Prosecutors To Curb Police Brutality, Asit S. Panwala

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Although police departments across the country have attempted to ameliorate the hostility between police officers and the cumminity, through careful screening of applicants, minority recruitment, and community policing, police brutality remains a problem within our urban cities. This Essay will first argue that police brutality is largely ignored. Second, it will examine the obstacles facing local and federal prosecutors in obtaining convictions. Then it will compare the advantages and disadvantages of delegating primary responsibility for these cases to the state versus the federal level. Finally, it will argue that, although there are obstacles and advantages for both local and federal …


Snapshots: Holistice Images Of Female Offenders In The Criminal Justice System, Jennifer Ward Jan 2003

Snapshots: Holistice Images Of Female Offenders In The Criminal Justice System, Jennifer Ward

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Essay attempts to pull together the various threads of thought regarding the relationships between gender, race, and class within the justice system, and suggests possible patterns that could be used to create holistic images of female offenders. Part I provides a brief overview of the various explanations used over time to account for criminal behavior by women. Part II details the ways in which gender can affect the processes of the criminal justice system. Part III discusses the impact that race can have on the female offender's experience in the system. Part IV briefly overviews the types of influences …


Drafting: An Essential Skill, Harold A. Segall Jan 2003

Drafting: An Essential Skill, Harold A. Segall

Fordham Urban Law Journal

A good commerical lawyer must be skillful and facile in drafting. This essay addresses how lawyers can develop and perfect this important skill.


Theorizing Community Justice Through Community Courts, Jeffrey Fagan, Victoria Malkin Jan 2003

Theorizing Community Justice Through Community Courts, Jeffrey Fagan, Victoria Malkin

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article reports on research conducted on the Red Hook Community Justice Center in Brooklyn, New York. It theorizes the structure and process of community justice, focusing on the model offered by community courts and examining how the Red Hook Community Justice Center's development and implementation are products of its immersion in the intersection of societal, spatial, and political dynamic within the Red Hook neighborhood. The article begins by reviewing the sociological perspectives that converge in the historical development of "community justice." It continues by setting forth a framework of social regulation and control that shapes the internal workings of …


Just The (Unweildy, Hard To Gether, But Nonetheless Essential) Facts, Ma'am: What We Know And Don't Know About Problem-Solving Courts, Greg Berman, Anne Gulick Jan 2003

Just The (Unweildy, Hard To Gether, But Nonetheless Essential) Facts, Ma'am: What We Know And Don't Know About Problem-Solving Courts, Greg Berman, Anne Gulick

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article asses what is known and what remains to be understood about problem-solving courts. Specifically, the article asserts that drug courts serve a needy population, court mandated treatment programs have higher retention rates, those who participate longer have better outcomes, those in drug courts had lower rates of recidivism, drug use, and that graduated sanctions have statistically significant impact on offenders behavior, sanctions are crucial to the model's effectiveness, post-program studies are sparse, drug courts are less costly than traditional adjudication, but cost savings for jail and prison beds are less clear. The article also addresses questions that remain …


Therapeutic Jurisprudence And Problem Solving Courts, Bruce J. Winick Jan 2003

Therapeutic Jurisprudence And Problem Solving Courts, Bruce J. Winick

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article offers a number of suggestions concerning how judges should act in problem solving court contexts to spark the motivation of the individual to achieve rehabilitation and increase compliance with treatment. The proposals are derived from psychological literature in other contexts but further analysis and empirical research is needed. The article finds that therapeutic jurisprudence can contribute to the functioning of problem solving courts which can refine therapeutic jurisprudence approaches.


Specialized Courts: Not A Cure-All, Phylis Skloot Bamberger Jan 2003

Specialized Courts: Not A Cure-All, Phylis Skloot Bamberger

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article argues that while specialized courts, such as drug courts, dealing with defendants charged with crimes are of critical importance, sole or primary reliance on specialized courts are not sufficient. Instead, centralized resources should be available as necessary to all courts in a county or city in which alternatives to incarceration are possible, although not automatic because not all defendants are serviced by specialized court.


Emotional Harm In Housing Discrimination Cases: A New Look At A Lingering Problem, Victor M. Goode, Conrad A. Johnson Jan 2003

Emotional Harm In Housing Discrimination Cases: A New Look At A Lingering Problem, Victor M. Goode, Conrad A. Johnson

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article explores relevant social science data and examines how it affects the analysis and understanding of evidence of emotional harm. Part I provides an overview of the current state of emotional harm cases. Part II discusses the issue of bias in the process of reviewing discrimination cases from the perspective of critical race theory and recent social science data. In Part III, this Article examines the cycles of ignorance that have contributed to an under-valuation of emotional harm in housing discrimination litigation. Finally, suggestions are made about how to gather relevant psychological and medical information on the effects of …


Homeless Legal Advocacy: New Challenges And Directions For The Future, L. Hafetz Jan 2003

Homeless Legal Advocacy: New Challenges And Directions For The Future, L. Hafetz

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article examines the role of lawyers for homeless people. It argues that while even the most zealous legal advocacy cannot alone solve homelessness, it remains an important tool because of the assistance it provides to individuals, its impact on broader legal rules, and its potential role in shaping public perception and debate. The Article also maintains that legal advocacy works best when combined with a holistic approach that addresses homeless clients' non-legal needs, such as housing placement, case management, medical and psychiatric care, job training, and substance abuse counseling. It further argues that, to the extent possible, lawyers for …


Recent New York Appellate Decisions Will Impact Municipal Tort Litigation, John M. Shields Jan 2003

Recent New York Appellate Decisions Will Impact Municipal Tort Litigation, John M. Shields

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article discusses and summarized the recent decisions by the New York State Court of Appeals and other appellate courts that will alter or greatly impact future tort litigation, especially with regard to municipal liability. The article addresses time limitations for filing claims against the state, the "serious injury" standard under insurance law, the case of Rangolan v. County of Nassau.


Just The (Unweildy, Hard To Gether, But Nonetheless Essential) Facts, Ma'am: What We Know And Don't Know About Problem-Solving Courts, Greg Berman, Anne Gulick Jan 2003

Just The (Unweildy, Hard To Gether, But Nonetheless Essential) Facts, Ma'am: What We Know And Don't Know About Problem-Solving Courts, Greg Berman, Anne Gulick

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article asses what is known and what remains to be understood about problem-solving courts. Specifically, the article asserts that drug courts serve a needy population, court mandated treatment programs have higher retention rates, those who participate longer have better outcomes, those in drug courts had lower rates of recidivism, drug use, and that graduated sanctions have statistically significant impact on offenders behavior, sanctions are crucial to the model's effectiveness, post-program studies are sparse, drug courts are less costly than traditional adjudication, but cost savings for jail and prison beds are less clear. The article also addresses questions that remain …


Theorizing Community Justice Through Community Courts, Jeffrey Fagan, Victoria Malkin Jan 2003

Theorizing Community Justice Through Community Courts, Jeffrey Fagan, Victoria Malkin

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article reports on research conducted on the Red Hook Community Justice Center in Brooklyn, New York. It theorizes the structure and process of community justice, focusing on the model offered by community courts and examining how the Red Hook Community Justice Center's development and implementation are products of its immersion in the intersection of societal, spatial, and political dynamic within the Red Hook neighborhood. The article begins by reviewing the sociological perspectives that converge in the historical development of "community justice." It continues by setting forth a framework of social regulation and control that shapes the internal workings of …


Due Process And Problem Solving Courts, Eric Lane Jan 2003

Due Process And Problem Solving Courts, Eric Lane

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article addresses the model of the problem-solving courts, beginning with the 1989 Dade County, Florida drug court and the role of the pro-active problem solving judge as presented by Judge Lederman of the Dade County drug court. The article reviews the role of the pro-active problem-solving judge in light of the defendants due process rights. After reviewing several case studies, transcripts, and literature on the issue, the article concludes that problem-solving judging and lawyering need not be in conflict with due process standards.


Specialized Courts: Not A Cure-All, Phylis Skloot Bamberger Jan 2003

Specialized Courts: Not A Cure-All, Phylis Skloot Bamberger

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article argues that while specialized courts, such as drug courts, dealing with defendants charged with crimes are of critical importance, sole or primary reliance on specialized courts are not sufficient. Instead, centralized resources should be available as necessary to all courts in a county or city in which alternatives to incarceration are possible, although not automatic because not all defendants are serviced by specialized court.


Emotional Harm In Housing Discrimination Cases: A New Look At A Lingering Problem, Victor M. Goode, Conrad A. Johnson Jan 2003

Emotional Harm In Housing Discrimination Cases: A New Look At A Lingering Problem, Victor M. Goode, Conrad A. Johnson

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article explores relevant social science data and examines how it affects the analysis and understanding of evidence of emotional harm. Part I provides an overview of the current state of emotional harm cases. Part II discusses the issue of bias in the process of reviewing discrimination cases from the perspective of critical race theory and recent social science data. In Part III, this Article examines the cycles of ignorance that have contributed to an under-valuation of emotional harm in housing discrimination litigation. Finally, suggestions are made about how to gather relevant psychological and medical information on the effects of …


The Fordham Urban Law Journal: Twenty Years Of Progress, Constantine N. Katsoris Jan 2003

The Fordham Urban Law Journal: Twenty Years Of Progress, Constantine N. Katsoris

Fordham Urban Law Journal

An overview of different topics covered by the journal throughout the years.


The Fordham Urban Law Journal: A New Millennium, Constantine N. Katsoris Jan 2003

The Fordham Urban Law Journal: A New Millennium, Constantine N. Katsoris

Fordham Urban Law Journal

A general overview of the journal's progress and publications.


Homeless Legal Advocacy: New Challenges And Directions For The Future, L. Hafetz Jan 2003

Homeless Legal Advocacy: New Challenges And Directions For The Future, L. Hafetz

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article examines the role of lawyers for homeless people. It argues that while even the most zealous legal advocacy cannot alone solve homelessness, it remains an important tool because of the assistance it provides to individuals, its impact on broader legal rules, and its potential role in shaping public perception and debate. The Article also maintains that legal advocacy works best when combined with a holistic approach that addresses homeless clients' non-legal needs, such as housing placement, case management, medical and psychiatric care, job training, and substance abuse counseling. It further argues that, to the extent possible, lawyers for …


The Fordham Urban Law Journal: A New Millennium, Constantine N. Katsoris Jan 2003

The Fordham Urban Law Journal: A New Millennium, Constantine N. Katsoris

Fordham Urban Law Journal

A general overview of the journal's progress and publications.


Expanding Latino Participation In The Legal Profession: Strategies For Increasing Latino Law School Enrollments, William Malpica, Mauricio A. España Jan 2003

Expanding Latino Participation In The Legal Profession: Strategies For Increasing Latino Law School Enrollments, William Malpica, Mauricio A. España

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Essay explores how Latinos have faired in the law school admissions process -- a hurdle that the group has yet to overcome -- and evaluates current efforts to bolster Latino enrollment. It examines the underlying conditions that contribute to low Latino enrollment in law schools by revealing the primary obstacles to Latino admission: the limited pool of eligible Latino college graduates and current law school admissions policies that emphasize Law School Admission Test scores and grade point averages. This Essay review a sampling of responses to low Latino law school enrollment and concludes that the most effective strategies for …


The Impact Of 9/11 And Its Aftermath On Substance Use And Psychological Functioning: An Overview, Patrick B. Johnson, Linda Richter Jan 2003

The Impact Of 9/11 And Its Aftermath On Substance Use And Psychological Functioning: An Overview, Patrick B. Johnson, Linda Richter

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Essay provides a brief summary and evaluation of findings on the mental health and substance abuse consequences of the events of 9/11 throughout the nation and in United States' cities. It also presents new data obtained from clients who entered substance abuse treatment in New York and other cities either before 9/11 or during a six-month period following the events. This Essay discusses how best to interpret these varying research findings. It concludes that crisis produces many responses and most people just coped with 9/11 in their individual ways.