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Full-Text Articles in Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility
50 Years Of Excellence: A History Of The St. Mary's Law Journal, Barbara Hanson Nellermoe
50 Years Of Excellence: A History Of The St. Mary's Law Journal, Barbara Hanson Nellermoe
St. Mary's Law Journal
Founded in 1969, the St. Mary’s Law Journal has climbed the road to excellence. Originally built on the foundation of being a “practitioner’s journal,” the St. Mary’s Law Journal continues to produce quality scholarship that is nationally recognized and frequently used by members of the bench and bar. From its grassroots origins to the world-class law review it is today, the St. Mary’s Law Journal continues to maintain its prestigious position in the realm of law reviews by ranking in the top five percent most-cited law reviews in federal and state courts nationwide.
In celebration of the St. Mary’s Law …
Electronic Social Media: Friend Or Foe For Judges, M. Sue Kurita
Electronic Social Media: Friend Or Foe For Judges, M. Sue Kurita
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
The use of electronic social communication has grown at a phenomenal rate. Facebook, the most popular social networking website, has over 1,968,000,000 users—a number that has exponentially grown since its inception in 2004. The number of judges accessing and using electronic social media (ESM) has also increased. However, unlike the general population, judges must consider constitutional, ethical, technical, and evidentiary implications when they use and access ESM. The First Amendment forbids “abridging the freedom of speech” and protects the expression of personal ideas, positions, and views. However, the American Bar Association’s Model Code of Judicial Conduct and the Texas Code …
A Law And Economics Analysis Of The Duty Of Utmost Good Faith (Uberrimae Fidei) In Marine Insurance Law For Protection And Indemnity Clubs., Elizabeth Germano
A Law And Economics Analysis Of The Duty Of Utmost Good Faith (Uberrimae Fidei) In Marine Insurance Law For Protection And Indemnity Clubs., Elizabeth Germano
St. Mary's Law Journal
Writing for the Supreme Court in The Lottawanna in 1875, Justice Joseph P. Bradley envisioned federal and state regulation of maritime affairs as “a system of law coextensive with, and operating uniformly in, the whole country.” He thought state involvement in maritime law defeated the consistency and uniformity the Constitution sought to achieve for interstate and international commerce. Over 100 years later, Justice Antonin Scalia, describing the current relationship between state and federal regulation in the admiralty arena, stated: “It would be idle to pretend that the line separating permissible from impermissible state regulation is readily discernible in our admiralty …
The Admissibility Of Aerial Photographs - Evidentiary Foundations., Kristopher R. Hufstetler
The Admissibility Of Aerial Photographs - Evidentiary Foundations., Kristopher R. Hufstetler
St. Mary's Law Journal
Services such as Google Maps and MapQuest significantly impact how consumers use the Internet. For as much as they contribute to Internet use, issues arise concerning the use of satellite images and aerial photographs in the context of litigation. Historical concerns about satellite and aerial imagery typically involved expectations of privacy and the application of the Fourth Amendment. Courts and citizens alike express concern with when and where privacy ends with respect to aerial views. Concerns as to the admissibility of aerial photographs have also been prominent. Specifically, interest in admissibility of these photographs focuses on sufficiency, relevance, and accuracy. …
The Dilemma Of Interpreting Rules Of Civil Procedure: A Proposal For Elastic Formalism., L. Wayne Scott
The Dilemma Of Interpreting Rules Of Civil Procedure: A Proposal For Elastic Formalism., L. Wayne Scott
St. Mary's Law Journal
When lawyers are well prepared, know the law, present the law, and have it ignored by judges who interpret the law in their own way, it can be frustrating. When courts publish opinions embodying this attitude, students, too, become frustrated or conclude that the law is whatever judges decide it should be. This Article does not focus on unethical judges who decide cases with wrong motives but, rather, it focuses on ethical judges who are faced with “hard” cases and have the dilemma of deciding the case, either by the rule or by the judge’s concept of fairness. In both …
When Fantasy Becomes Reality: Attempts To Regulate The Highly Unregulated Daily Fantasy Sports Industry., Garrett Greene
When Fantasy Becomes Reality: Attempts To Regulate The Highly Unregulated Daily Fantasy Sports Industry., Garrett Greene
St. Mary's Law Journal
Legislation is beginning to creep into the once safeguard-devoid sphere of the daily fantasy sports industry. Daily fantasy sports are a subset of traditional season-long fantasy sports and are immensely lucrative, yet there are hardly any standard regulations. Ironically, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006, which was used to outlaw online poker gambling, paved the way for daily fantasy sports, because it federally exempted fantasy sports from being classified as illegal sports gambling. The UIGEA further protects daily fantasy sports from the Professional and Amateur Sports Prohibition Act (PASPA) of 1992 which prohibits states from sponsoring sports …
Texas's Excessive Demand Doctrine Impacts Recoveries In Litigation., Stephanie M. Green
Texas's Excessive Demand Doctrine Impacts Recoveries In Litigation., Stephanie M. Green
St. Mary's Law Journal
A party demanding money they are not entitled to becomes subject to the excessive demand doctrine. Because the excessive demand doctrine is an affirmative defense, a defending party must allege its claim of excessive demand in its pleadings. A party must “plead it, prove it, and obtain findings of fact on its essential elements.” To obtain findings on the issue, both the pleadings and the evidence are required to put a question or instruction before the jury. Ensuring that the evidence is enough depends upon the trial court—whose judgment will only be overturned upon a showing of an abuse of …
Use It Or Lose It: Grappling With Classification Of Post-Petition Sale Proceeds Under Chapter Seven Bankruptcy For Consumer Debtors In The Lone Star State., Danielle Nicole Rushing
Use It Or Lose It: Grappling With Classification Of Post-Petition Sale Proceeds Under Chapter Seven Bankruptcy For Consumer Debtors In The Lone Star State., Danielle Nicole Rushing
St. Mary's Law Journal
Texas affords consumer debtors some of the most generous state bankruptcy exemptions in the United States. This includes the homestead exemption, which permits consumer debtors to exempt a homestead of unlimited value from forced sale, subject to certain enumerated exceptions. Bankruptcy courts throughout the state are grappling with how to characterize proceeds from the sale of an exempted homestead once a consumer debtor files a Chapter Seven bankruptcy petition. Specifically, courts consider whether a debtor may personally retain funds from the sale of a homestead or whether a Chapter Seven Trustee should receive the sale proceeds on behalf of the …
Gradually Exploded: Confrontation Vs. The Former Testimony Rule., Tim Donaldson
Gradually Exploded: Confrontation Vs. The Former Testimony Rule., Tim Donaldson
St. Mary's Law Journal
Observing live court testimony allows a jury to determine witness credibility. This is called demeanor evidence. Allowing the introduction of transcripts of prior testimony by a witness offends a defendant's right to confrontation guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Loss of demeanor evidence can heighten sensitivity surrounding the constitutional demands of unavailability and an opportunity for cross-examination. But the loss of this evidence is discounted when dealing with the admissibility of prior testimony as long as a defendant was formerly afforded an opportunity to cross-examine. Demeanor evidence, however, is still treated as a non-essential component of …
The Economic Loss Doctrine As An Obstacle To Claims Of Contractual Strangers., Richard L. Reed, Richard L. Reed Jr.
The Economic Loss Doctrine As An Obstacle To Claims Of Contractual Strangers., Richard L. Reed, Richard L. Reed Jr.
St. Mary's Law Journal
Home owners, contractors, and subcontractors entering a contract to build in accordance with another’s design must be aware of their respective risks under the economic loss doctrine. The economic loss doctrine bars recovery due purely to economic loss by a party that is a contractual stranger. In a typical construction contract, a homeowner may separately contract with a contractor and a design professional. In this situation, the contractor does not have privity with the design professional and the economic loss doctrine bars the contractor from suing the design professional for economic loss. Likewise, if the homeowner hires a contractor and …
Sovereign Immunity: The Texas Department Of Transportation's Duty To Maintain Roadways Ravaged By The Eagle Ford Shale Boom., Lasca A. Arnold
Sovereign Immunity: The Texas Department Of Transportation's Duty To Maintain Roadways Ravaged By The Eagle Ford Shale Boom., Lasca A. Arnold
St. Mary's Law Journal
While the shale boom has brought about many positive results such as economic growth and new jobs to the Eagle Ford Shale region, the ravaged roadways left in the aftermath must be addressed. The demands for equipment and manpower created by oil and gas exploration are extensive. Sadly, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)—the entity charged with maintaining and repairing roads in these affected counties—refuses to supply sufficient funding to repair the over used roadways. This pressure is exerted in rural areas where most of the roads and bridges are designed for lower volumes of traffic. In addition to the …
Defining A Health Care Liability Claim In The Post-Texas West Oaks Era., William Woolsey
Defining A Health Care Liability Claim In The Post-Texas West Oaks Era., William Woolsey
St. Mary's Law Journal
Following the Texas Supreme Court’s rulings in West Oaks Hospital v. Williams and Ross v. St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, it remains unclear whether a non-patient’s injury in a hospital constitutes a health care liability claim (HCLC). If the trial court rules the claim is an HCLC, the plaintiff must present expert testimony. Failure to present an expert report within 120 days after filing the suit results in automatic dismissal. The Texas Supreme Court addressed this issue in West Oaks. The Court held that a claimant, suing a hospital under a theory of premise liability, need not be a patient for …
A Constitutional Amendment Allowing Broader Campaign-Finance Reform Would Not Criminalize Political Satire., Christopher W. Bell
A Constitutional Amendment Allowing Broader Campaign-Finance Reform Would Not Criminalize Political Satire., Christopher W. Bell
St. Mary's Law Journal
Campaign finance remains a perennial issue, because contributions and expenditures define the political campaigns which shape our democracy. While a majority of the American public supports limiting campaign spending, campaign finance reform remains near the bottom of most voters’ priorities. Reformers have called the lack of the public’s interest “[o]ne of the persistent mysteries of campaign finance reform.” Citizens United v. F.E.C. focused national attention on the role of money in politics. Citizens United evoked such strong reactions, because it represents the two competing versions of the concept of freedom of speech: “free speech as serving liberty” and “free speech …
An Employer's Relationship With Its Recruiting Firm - Something More Than An Arm's-Length Transaction., Hannah L. Hembree
An Employer's Relationship With Its Recruiting Firm - Something More Than An Arm's-Length Transaction., Hannah L. Hembree
St. Mary's Law Journal
Taking advantage of the perfect storm created by an increased demand for professional services and a shortage of qualified candidates, recruiting firms search for permanent employees on behalf of employers across the nation. These searches are often characterized by non-exclusive contingency agreements wherein a recruiting firm’s entitlement to remuneration is directly tied to successful placement—ranging from 15% to 30% of a candidate’s first year salary. Though communication from interested applicants constitutes the easiest path to placement, passive candidates are quickly becoming the primary target of zealous recruiters. Passive candidates are those currently employed but open to the possibility of changing …
Potential Tort Liability For Personal Use Of Drone Aircraft., Benjamin D. Mathews
Potential Tort Liability For Personal Use Of Drone Aircraft., Benjamin D. Mathews
St. Mary's Law Journal
In the United States, the use of personal drones has become more prevalent. Businesses now use drones to deliver products to consumers. Consumers now use drones to video and photograph special events. As a result, new laws are needed concerning personal usage of drones. The number of drone sales is predicted to double by 2024. This is reflected by companies such as Parrot, a vendor of private drones, who in the first quarter of 2014 sold 670,000 drones. Citizens whose personal liberties have been infringed upon by another individual’s use of personal drones, often resort to common law torts because …
The Corporate Attorney As “Internal” Gatekeeper And The In Pari Delicto Defense: A Proposed New Standard, Kevin H. Michels
The Corporate Attorney As “Internal” Gatekeeper And The In Pari Delicto Defense: A Proposed New Standard, Kevin H. Michels
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
This Article begins by proposing a distinction between the corporate lawyer’s “internal” and “external” gatekeeping role in order to focus on the special challenge posed by the former. As internal gatekeeper, the corporation lawyer is charged with the restraint of the corporation’s executives and other employees to prevent harm to the lawyer’s corporation client. The external gatekeeper, by contrast, restrains the client to prevent harm to third parties. While each gatekeeping role presents challenges in defining the duties and liability of attorneys, the internal-gatekeeping role is subject to a special defense that can insulate attorneys from liability. Attorneys can interpose …
Intra Law Firm Communications Regarding Questionable Attorney Conduct., Evan King, Jeffrey A. Parness
Intra Law Firm Communications Regarding Questionable Attorney Conduct., Evan King, Jeffrey A. Parness
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
When questions are raised regarding a law firm attorney's representation of a firm client, the questioned attorney often wishes to seek legal counsel. A conferral will often benefit the attorney, the firm, and the client. Conferences regarding questioned conduct should be encouraged, not discouraged. To encourage these beneficial conferrals, a broad attorney-client communication privilege and a broad work-product protection (or privilege) should be available. Availability should not be dependent upon whether in-house, outside, or other legal counsel is employed. While earlier federal precedents were split regarding the availability of the attorney-client communication privilege in the in-house counsel setting, increasingly therein …
Proof Of Exoneration In Legal Malpractice Cases: The Peeler Doctrine And Its Limits In Texas And Beyond., John G. Browning, Lindsey Rames
Proof Of Exoneration In Legal Malpractice Cases: The Peeler Doctrine And Its Limits In Texas And Beyond., John G. Browning, Lindsey Rames
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
This article examines the requirements of "actual innocence" or exoneration as a prerequisite for bringing a claim of legal malpractice against a criminal defense attorney. It analyzes the public policy underpinnings and differing approaches taken in those jurisdictions that have adopted an "actual innocence" requirement. To illustrate the way in which this comparatively recent phenomenon has developed, the Article views the exoneration doctrine through the prism of Texas law, analyzing the doctrine's emergence in Peeler v. Hughes & Luce and discussing how it has expanded over the years. Yet even as this "actual innocence" doctrine has expanded in Texas, recent …
Controversial Defenses To Legal Malpractice Claims: Are Attorney-Experts Being Asked To Be Advocates?, David S. Caudill
Controversial Defenses To Legal Malpractice Claims: Are Attorney-Experts Being Asked To Be Advocates?, David S. Caudill
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
Attorney-experts in legal malpractice litigation are like many other experts. Although easily distinguishable from experts offering science based testimony, attorney expertise is similar to that of witnesses offering experience-based testimony, and very much like the expertise of a physician in a medical malpractice case. An attorney-expert is, however, somewhat unique among experts in terms of the type of expertise offered, the inherent risk that the expert's testimony will invade the province of the judge or jury, and, I believe, the risk of over-testifying. First, there is a problem of defining the attorney-expert's "expertise" to ensure that the expert is not …
Online Legal Advice: Ethics In The Digital Age, Paige A. Thomas
Online Legal Advice: Ethics In The Digital Age, Paige A. Thomas
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
The rise of the Internet changed the way initial interactions between lawyers and prospective clients happen. Unfortunately, a host of problems concerning privacy rights and consumer usage have emerged. In this digital age, where immediacy and response time are driving factors in an attorney’s online presence, the approach to establish an attorney-client relationship is far more informal. Due to the quick rise of the Internet and social media, the Model Rules of Professional Conduct do not offer a clear answer for attorneys using social media. An inherent danger lies in off-the-cuff remarks, made on the Internet—a platform generally associated with …
Characterizing Ghostwriting., Debra Lyn Bassett
Characterizing Ghostwriting., Debra Lyn Bassett
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
It is well known that legal services are costly and that existing pro bono services are inadequate to help every individual who would benefit from legal assistance. Compounding this unmet need are various restrictions on the types of clients and types of cases that qualify for pro bono services. For example, Legal Services Corporation lawyers may not represent undocumented individuals, and may not undertake a representation in an abortion, desegregation, or assisted suicide matter. One attempt to mitigate this unmet need is ghostwriting. Analogous to presidential speechwriting, ghostwriting in the legal context occurs when a lawyer drafts a pleading or …
The Agony Of Modern Legal Ethics, 1970-1985., Michael Ariens
The Agony Of Modern Legal Ethics, 1970-1985., Michael Ariens
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
When the American Bar Association (ABA) adopted its Code of Professional Responsibility at its annual meeting in August 1969, the American legal profession was a publicly respected and economically vibrant body. Lawyers, though always more feared than loved, became increasingly important in post-World War II America. The demand for their services exploded for a quarter-century, and lawyers assumed an increased role in the economic and political life of the United States. During the 1950s and early 1960s, the Cold War led American lawyers and other public figures to re-emphasize the rule of law as defining the difference between the United …
“Nudging” Better Lawyer Behavior: Using Default Rules And Incentives To Change Behavior In Law Firms, Nancy B. Rapoport
“Nudging” Better Lawyer Behavior: Using Default Rules And Incentives To Change Behavior In Law Firms, Nancy B. Rapoport
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
In the changing landscape of law practice—where law firm profits are threatened by such changes as increased pressure from clients to economize and the concomitant opportunities for clients to shop around for the most efficient lawyers—are there ways to change how things are done in law firms so that firms can provide more efficient and ethical service? This article suggests that an understanding of cognitive biases and basic behavioral economics will help law firms tweak their incentives and default rules to promote the improved delivery of legal services.
The Role Of Ethics Audits In Improving Management Systems And Practices: An Empirical Examination Of Management-Based Regulation Of Law Firms, Susan Saab Fortney
The Role Of Ethics Audits In Improving Management Systems And Practices: An Empirical Examination Of Management-Based Regulation Of Law Firms, Susan Saab Fortney
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
For decades, legal malpractice experts have urged lawyers to implement risk management measures. To assist law firms in doing so, legal malpractice insurers have provided audit services and self-audit materials. Under the Australian regulatory regime, incorporated legal practices are required to complete a self-assessment process and to report on the firm’s compliance with ten objectives of sound law practice. Using management-based principles, this Article discusses steps to take to encourage ethics audits “to merge good ethics and good business” in the U.S.
Avoid Being A Defendant: Estate Planning Malpractice And Ethical Concerns., Gerry W. Beyer
Avoid Being A Defendant: Estate Planning Malpractice And Ethical Concerns., Gerry W. Beyer
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
An estate planner may become a defendant in a case involving an estate he or she planned in two main ways. First, the attorney may have performed his or her services in a negligent manner potentially creating exposure to malpractice liability. Second, the attorney's conduct may have lapsed below ethically acceptable standards. This Article reviews the exposure an estate planner may have to malpractice liability with emphasis on Texas law and then focuses the reader's attention on ethical issues that may arise while preparing or executing the plan. The author hopes that by pointing out potentially troublesome areas, the reader …
How Do You Rate Your Lawyer? Lawyers’ Responses To Online Reviews Of Their Services, Laurel A. Rigertas
How Do You Rate Your Lawyer? Lawyers’ Responses To Online Reviews Of Their Services, Laurel A. Rigertas
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
With the proliferation of opportunities for consumers to review a variety of services on the Internet, it is only a matter of time until more clients review their attorneys’ services on the Internet. This raises a variety of potential ethical and public policy issues. First, what can attorneys do to try to control their online reputations? Second, if a client posts negative comments about an attorney’s services on a public Internet forum, can the attorney respond on that forum without breaching the duty of confidentiality and, if so, how? Finally, when settling a dispute with a client, may an attorney …
Is Litigation Counsel Who Also Engages In Competitive Decision-Making Wrong For The Part?, David Hricik
Is Litigation Counsel Who Also Engages In Competitive Decision-Making Wrong For The Part?, David Hricik
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
In-house counsel wear different hats, and are often involved in business decisions regarding products, marketing, and other strategic issues. It was in this context that courts began to adopt protective orders that precluded in-house counsel who provided their clients advice with “competitive decision-making” from having access to information from a competitor disclosed in discovery. Prosecution bars present numerous issues for courts and counsel. It may be that because of prosecution counsel’s knowledge of the technology that her service as trial counsel would lead to cost savings and other benefits to her client. However, due to the myriad problems that arise …
Navigating The Pitfalls Of Implicit Bias: A Cognitive Science Primer For Civil Litigators, Nicole E. Negowetti
Navigating The Pitfalls Of Implicit Bias: A Cognitive Science Primer For Civil Litigators, Nicole E. Negowetti
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
Cognitive science has revealed that past experiences and prior assumptions, even those of which we are not conscious, greatly influence how humans perceive the world. Emerging research has demonstrated that attorneys and judges, like everyone else, are the products of their gender, ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic status. As a consequence, legal decision-making is susceptible to the subtle influences of implicit bias. Effective and ethical client advocacy requires an attorney to understand how her own implicit biases will affect her interactions with clients. An attorney should also acknowledge that implicit biases may affect a judge’s interpretation of her client’s story and …
Why Lawyers Do What They Do (When Behaving Ethically), James Moliterno, John Keyser
Why Lawyers Do What They Do (When Behaving Ethically), James Moliterno, John Keyser
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
Since the early 1990s, when David Wilkins published his influential paper “Who Should Govern Lawyers” in the Harvard Law Review, legal ethics scholars and professors have paid attention to the range of processes and devices that govern lawyer behavior. This Article will report on the results of a study currently underway that seeks to provide empirical evidence to answer the question posed in this Article’s title: Do lawyers train staff in confidentiality preservation because they fear bar discipline? Because they fear malpractice liability? Because they must comply with malpractice liability carrier demands? Because they honor client confidences for their own …
Mindful Ethics-A Pedagogical And Practical Approach To Teaching Legal Ethics, Developing Professional Identity, And Encouraging Civility, Jan L. Jacobowitz, Scott Rogers
Mindful Ethics-A Pedagogical And Practical Approach To Teaching Legal Ethics, Developing Professional Identity, And Encouraging Civility, Jan L. Jacobowitz, Scott Rogers
St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics
Aristotle spoke of virtue and ethics as a combination of practical wisdom and habituation—an individual must learn from the application of critical reasoning skills to experience. Perhaps one of the earliest proclamations of the value of experiential learning, the Aristotelian view, reappears throughout history and is captured once again by the Carnegie Foundation’s Report on Legal Education, which includes a call for instruction that provides practical skills and ethical grounding to complement the teaching of legal analysis. The Carnegie Report continues to play a role in the ongoing discussion of the need to reform legal education; a debate that is …