State and Local Government Law Commons^™

Erisa Preemption: Judicial Flexibility And Statutory Rigidity, Leon E. Irish, Harrison J. Cohen

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Article attempts to describe the ways in which, and the reasons why section 514(a) has caused the courts and Congress so much difficulty. Part I reviews the legislative history of section 514(a), with emphasis on the ambivalence Congress has shown toward its 1974 draftsmanship. Part II attempts to provide a coherent description of the case law that has developed under section 514(a). Part III completes the legislative history by examining the two instances in which experience compelled Congress to revise section 514. Finally, Part IV discusses examples of problems courts have faced when crafting a federal common law of …

Bad Samaritanism And The Duty To Render Aid: A Proposal, Mark K. Obseck

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Part I of this Note explains the history of the law's response to Bad Samaritanism. Part II discusses the benefits of enacting a duty to notify. Part III responds to various objections that might be raised against the duty to notify. And Part IV offers a model statute for legislatures to follow in enacting the duty to notify.

Erisa Retirement Plans In Individual Bankruptcy, John Minton Newell

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

When an employee covered by an ERISA retirement plan files a petition in bankruptcy, the court is presented with a number of complex issues regarding the relationship among ERISA, the Bankruptcy Code (Code), and the state law of creditors' rights. Three issues have emerged in these cases, and the courts have divided on the proper resolution of each of these issues. First, is the debtor's interest in an ERISA retirement plan "property of the estate," and thus available for distribution to creditors? Second, if the debtor's interest is property of the estate, and the debtor uses the state exemption scheme, …

Coercive Freedom: A Response To Professor Chambers, Robert A. Burt

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

At this happy gathering of the Michigan family it is fitting to begin by discussing the law of the family. David used the Marvin case as the central example of the various principles which he supported and opposed.

I want to focus on that case in order to consider whether he has successfully distinguished among these principles of state coercion and state facilitation of individuals' free choice. Let me begin by briefly restating David's view of the Marvin case, as I understand it.

The Myth Of State Intervention In The Family, Frances E. Olsen

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Most people concede that there are times when state officials should intervene in the private family. Doctrines of family privacy are no longer thought to justify societal neglect of beaten wives or abused children. Yet society continues to use the ideal of the private family to orient policy. It seems important therefore to examine the concept of state intervention in the private family. In this essay, I argue that the private family is an incoherent ideal and that the rhetoric of nonintervention is more harmful than helpful.

House Of Judah: The Problem Of Child Abuse And Neglect In Communes And Cults, Gregory M. Gochanour

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Note argues that although some modifications were appropriate, state intervention and removal of children, even from a commune or cult, should be handled through examination of each individual parent/child relationship. Part I examines the statutory and case law framework for state intervention and removal of children from the custody of abusive parents in Michigan, and discusses the policies supporting these laws. Part II examines the circumstances present in the House of Judah and notes the state's departures from the statutes and rules. Part III analyzes and evaluates the usefulness and wisdom of these departures. Finally, Part IV briefly proposes …