Law Commons^™

Opting Out In The Name Of God: Will Lawyers Be Compelled To Handle Same-Sex Divorces?, Bill Piatt

Faculty Articles

In June of 2015, the United States Supreme Court determined by a 5–4 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples have a constitutionally guaranteed right to marry. While this represents a momentous victory for homosexuals, many people are still vehemently opposed to the idea. Homosexuality is especially frowned upon in certain religions, including some sects of Christianity. Is it possible that attorneys who decline on religious grounds to provide legal services to same-sex individuals seeking divorces will be ordered to provide that representation? Might those attorneys be sanctioned if they fail to do so? These are both novel and …

The Fine Print, Ramona L. Lampley

Faculty Articles

A recent study by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), the federal agency tasked with “empowering consumers to take control over their economic lives,” found that more than 50 percent of the market for consumer credit cards had arbitration agreements, and almost 100 percent of storefront payday lending contracts require its customers to take their disputes to binding arbitration. The same study found that most consumers do not know their credit cards have a binding arbitration agreement and that it is not a primary concern for consumers in deciding which credit cards to obtain.

However, almost all arbitration agreements in …

The American Legal Profession In The Twenty-First Century, Stephen M. Sheppard

Faculty Articles

Lawyers in the United States work in public service, private counseling, and dispute resolution, but many also work outside of traditional legal practice. The million-member American bar, second largest in the world, grows more diverse by gender, and ethnicity and older on average. All members of this learned profession must qualify by education or examination and by proof of good character and fitness before taking an oath to serve as an attorney. Thence, there are few limitations on the form of legal practice, though many law firms require an associateship before an attorney becomes an owner of the firm. Economic …

Legal Malpractice In A Changing Profession: The Role Of Contract Principles, Vincent R. Johnson

Faculty Articles

American legal ethics are based upon a set of legal principles that ensure clients are protected from unnecessary harm and that the provision of legal services is consistent with the public interest. However, the fabric of American legal ethics is threatened by a looming transformation of the legal profession. Such changes, if they come to pass, will undercut the foundations upon which the principles and law of modern legal ethics is founded.

The current model of American legal ethics is animated by three important assumptions, each of which is now under attack. The first is that legal services are ordinarily …