Digital Commons Network^™

Autonomy And Precautions In The Law Of Armed Conflict, Eric Talbot Jensen

Faculty Scholarship

Already a controversial topic, legal debate and broader discussions concerning the amount of human control required in the employment of autonomous weapons—including autonomous cyber capabilities—continues. These discussions, particularly those taking place among States that are Parties to the 1980 Certain Conventional Weapons Convention, reveal a complete lack of consensus on the requirement of human control and serve to distract from the more important question with respect to autonomy in armed conflict: under what conditions could autonomous weapons “select” and “attack” targets in a manner that complies with the law of armed conflict (LOAC).

This article analyzes the specific LOAC rules …

Cyber Pillage, Christopher Greulich, Eric Talbot Jensen

Faculty Scholarship

Despite its historically narrow application under International law, in today’s digital age, usage of the term “pillage” has expanded to include the theft of intellectual property carried out by cyber means. The modern usage notwithstanding, it appears the law of armed conflict still limits liability for pillage to the non-consensual takings of public or private property by members of armed forces and affiliated non-state actors during armed conflict for private or personal use. This article applies the historical perspective to modern cyber activities, including those on and off the battlefield, and clarifies that while many activities do not rise to …

The (Erroneous) Requirement For Human Judgment (And Error) In The Law Of Armed Conflict, Eric Talbot Jensen

Faculty Scholarship

One of the most intriguing and important discussions in international law today is the potential impact of emerging technologies on the law of armed conflict (LOAC), including weapons that incorporate machine learning and/or artificial intelligence. Because one of the likely characteristics of these advanced weapons would be the ability to make decisions implicating life and death on the battlefield, these discussions have highlighted a fundamental question concerning the LOAC: does the law regulating armed conflict require human input in selecting and engaging targets or can that decision be made without human input? This article analyzes views expressed by scholars and …

Realistically Reevaluating Social Media Data: The Privacy Paradox And The Possibility Of Propertization, Thomas J. Gordon

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Constitutional Law - America's Drone War Abroad - Jaber V. United States, 861 F.3d 241 (D.C. Cir. 2017), Stephen R. Harris

Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy

No abstract provided.

Getting It Right Isn't Enough: The Appellate Court's Role In Procedural Justice, Steve Leben

Faculty Works

Extensive research has shown that adherence to procedural-justice principles leads to a greater sense of an authority’s legitimacy. In courts, adherence to procedural-justice principles leads to greater compliance with court orders, greater cooperation with courts, and higher overall approval for the court system. This Article applies the lessons of procedural justice to the appellate courts.

The Article first reviews public-opinion data about the courts, finding that a generally diminished trust in institutions includes the courts. The Article then reviews the research showing that the application of procedural-justice principles leads to a greater sense of court legitimacy. From that basis, the …

Illiberalism And Islam, Aziz Z. Huq

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

This chapter analyzes the role of anti-Islam and anti-Muslim discourse in North American and European ‘illiberal’ parties, movements, and ideologies. Its first aim is to situate those deployments in a longer history. Occidental engagements with Islam and Muslims, including anti-Islamic tropes, long predate the emergence of liberalism, let along illiberalism. It should not be a surprise that liberalism as it emerged in the nineteenth century partook of such ideas. Contra some theorists, however, I argue that there is no strong evidence that anti-Islam was constitutive of liberal theory or early practice. Rather, it was in the second half of the …

Protecting The Role Of The Press In Times Of Crisis, Mary-Rose Papandrea

Faculty Publications

Part I of this Article will discuss defamation law with a focus on the Court’s decision in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. This decision “constitutionalized” the common law tort of defamation and dealt a death blow to a series of lawsuits by southern government officials aimed at silencing the publication.14 The decision has since provided an essential foundation for press freedom for over fifty years. At the same time, because the decision did not grant the press (or the public generally) absolute immunity for the publication of defamatory information about matters of public concern, speakers potentially face years …

Where's The Beef: The Use Of Mediation To Resolve Disputes Between Rappers, Craig Epstein

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

The issues posed by rap feuds persist and remain prominent in the music industry and the news. In fact, rap feuds have received major media coverage in recent months, prompting major public confrontations between some of music's biggest stars. Therefore, this Note will endeavor to better understand the history and evolution of the genre of rap, and the movements and specific events that shaped its current adversarial character. The Note will also examine certain aspects of rap feuds and the ways in which they are waged that would indicate a potential to use mediation as a means to bring about …

Quantum Machine Learning: A Patent Review, Brian S. Haney

Journal of Law, Technology, & the Internet

One of the central problems bottlenecking machine learning research is classical computational power limits. Quantum computing provides a solution, offering more processing power for less electric cost. Quantum Machine Learning (QML) is a research field at the intersection of quantum computing and machine learning technologies, driving the cutting edge in technological innovation. While the legal literature on software patents is rapidly scaling, the research focused on QML patents is noticeably nascent. As such, this Article contributes the first empirical patent survey for QML technologies.

Mozambican Illegal Debts: Testing The Odious Debt Doctrine, Mauro Megliani

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In June 2019, the Constitutional Council of Mozambique delivered a judgment declaring a financial transaction arranged by the government in violation of the parliamentary prerogatives in budgetary matters unconstitutional. This was only the tip of an iceberg consisting of a series of transactions tainted with corruption. In the face of this illegality, many antidebt campaigners have invoked the application of the odious debt doctrine to block the enforcement of contractual claims and the availability of restitutionary remedies. Under the odious debt doctrine, a debt is odious if, in the awareness of the creditors, it is contracted without the consent of …

Space, Cyber, And Telecommunications Law: 2019-2020 Annual Report, Matt Schaefer, Justin Hurwitz, Jack M. Beard, Frans Von Der Dunk, Elsbeth Magilton

Space, Cyber, and Telecommunications Law Program: Faculty Publications

In assembling this Annual Report we appreciated the opportunity to review major accomplishments and growth of the Space, Cyber, and Telecommunications Law (SCTL) program during the 2019-2020 academic year. Of course, this was a year like no other as we responded to an unfolding global pandemic. We are proud of what we accomplished prior to that and of our response in the face of that sudden change. For readers unfamiliar with the program, the SCTL program was established in 2007 largely in response to interest by the U.S. Air Force in establishing a U.S. based program in space law to …

Art As A Weapon, Sahar Akhavan

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

การแบ่งปันข้อมูลในบริบทการต่อต้านการก่อการร้ายของคณะมนตรีความมั่นคงแห่งสหประชาชาติ, ธีรพันธุ์ แก้วคง

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การแบ่งปันข้อมูลเป็นวิธีการหนึ่งเพื่อการป้องกันและปราบปรามการก่อการร้ายของคณะมนตรีความมั่นคงแห่งสหประชาชาติที่มีความมุ่งหมายให้บรรดารัฐอาศัยบทบาทของความร่วมมือและการสานงานระหว่างกันทั้งระดับระหว่างประเทศและระดับภายในรัฐ แม้ว่าการแบ่งปันข้อมูลเป็นมาตรการที่ปรากฏอยู่ก่อนแล้วในตราสารระหว่างประเทศว่าด้วยการต่อต้านการก่อการร้ายก็ตาม แต่ยังขาดความชัดเจนในเนื้อหาและการกำหนดกระบวนการแบ่งปันข้อมูล ในบริบทของการปราบปรามการก่อการร้ายภายใต้สหประชาชาติ คณะมนตรีความมั่นคงได้รับรองบรรดาข้อมติกำหนดขอบเขตของพันธกรณีในเนื้อหาของข้อมูลที่จะต้องแบ่งปันให้ชัดเจน กำหนดกระบวนการของการแบ่งปันข้อมูลที่เป็นขั้นตอน และกลไกของการบังคับที่มีประสิทธิภาพ ตลอดจนมีการบูรณาการทำงานร่วมกับองค์การระหว่างประเทศอื่น จากการศึกษาค้นคว้าพบว่าการแบ่งปันข้อมูลนั้นเป็นกลไกหนึ่งที่ช่วยเสริมให้เกิดการบังคับใช้มาตรการต่อต้านการก่อการร้ายต่างๆของคณะมนตรีความมั่นคง อาทิ ข้อมูลที่เป็นประโยชน์ต่อการดำเนินคดีในกระบวนการยุติธรรม ข้อมูลของกิจกรรมการเงินที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการก่อการร้ายเพื่อดำเนินมาตรการปราบปรามและอายัดทรัพย์สิน ข้อมูลการเดินทางของผู้โดยสารเพื่อดำเนินมาตรการตรวจจับและยับยั้งการเดินทางของผู้ก่อการร้าย ข้อมูลที่เป็นประโยชน์ต่อการดำเนินมาตรการบังคับทางกฎหมาย และข้อมูลที่เกี่ยวข้องต่อการปราบปรามการแพร่ขยายของอาวุธที่มีอานุภาพทำลายล้างสูงของการก่อการร้าย อย่างไรก็ตามการแบ่งปันข้อมูลอันนำไปสู่การบังคับใช้มาตรการต่อต้านการก่อการร้ายต่างๆนั้นขึ้นอยู่กับการดำเนินการภายในของรัฐในการกำหนดกระบวนการทางกฎหมายและกลไกความร่วมมือ รวมไปถึงการมีความสามารถและองค์ความรู้ของรัฐในการปฏิบัติตามพันธกรณีในการแบ่งปันข้อมูลเพื่อการต่อต้านการก่อการร้าย

Autonomous Systems & International Norms, Charles J. Dunlap Jr., Richard Jordan, Elsa Kania, Michael Klare

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Protecting Against An Unable President: Reforms For Invoking The 25th Amendment And Overseeing Presidential Nuclear Launch Authority, Louis Cholden-Brown, Daisy De Wolff, Marcello Figueroa, Kathleen Mccullough

Faculty Scholarship

The immense powers of the presidency and the vast array of global threats demand a physically and mentally capable president. To help ensure able presidential leadership, this report advocates reforms related to the 25th Amendment, including proposals for an “other body” to act with the vice president in certain circumstances to declare the president unable and a mechanism for officials to report concerns about the president’s capacity. The report also recommends new checks on the president’s authority to use nuclear weapons, such as procedures for notifying top national security officials when use is contemplated.

This report was researched and written …

Forgotten Federal-Missionary Partnerships: New Light On The Establishment Clause, Nathan Chapman

Scholarly Works

Americans have long disputed whether the government may support religious instruction as part of an elementary education. Since Everson v. Board of Education (1947), the Supreme Court has gradually articulated a doctrine that permits states to provide funds, indirectly through vouchers and in some cases directly through grants, to religious schools for the nonreligious goods they provide. Unlike most other areas of Establishment Clause jurisprudence, however, the Court has not built this doctrine on a historical foundation. In fact, in Trinity Lutheran v. Comer (2017), the dissenters from this doctrine were the ones to rely on the founding-era record.

Intriguingly, …

Tim Edgar: The Accidental Comparatist, Kim Brooks

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

This paper focuses on the contributions of Tim Edgar as a major comparative law scholar. It reviews the major debates and theoretical directions in comparative law scholarship and offers a case study of Edgar's contributions in the light of the major debates in comparative law. Edgar's development as a comparatist is traced through three defined phases. His identification of the policy problem to be resolved is highlighted as a major feature of his contribution.

The Third Age Of Oil And Gas Law, James W. Coleman

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

History’s biggest oil boom is happening right now, in the United States, ushering in the third age of oil and gas law. The first age of oil and gas law also began in the United States a century ago when landowners and oil companies developed the oil and gas lease. The lease made the modern oil and gas industry possible and soon spread as the model for development around the world. In the second age of oil and gas law, landowners and nations across the globe developed new legal agreements that improved upon the lease and won these resource owners …

Are Publicly Traded Corporations Disappearing?, Margaret Blair

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Corporate law scholars and economists have expressed concern recently about the fact that the number of publicly traded corporations in the United States has declined significantly since a peak in the late 1990s. In this Essay, in honor of the late Professor Lynn Stout, who devoted much of her career to the study of large publicly traded corporations, I show that despite a decline in the number of such corporations in the last two decades, they collectively account for about the same share of total economic activity as they have for the last six decades. While there has been turnover …

Conquest And Slavery In The Property Law Course: Notes For Teachers, K-Sue Park

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This piece contains ideas for teaching about the foundational place of the histories of conquest and slavery to American property law and the property law course. I begin by briefly reviewing how these topics have been erased and marginalized from the study of American property law, as mentioned by casebooks in the field published from the late nineteenth century to the present. I then show how the history of conquest constituted the context in which the singular American land system and traditional theories of acquisition developed, before turning to the history of the American slave trade and the long history …

Unsafe At Any Campus: Don't Let Colleges Become The Next Cruise Ships, Nursing Homes, And Food Processing Plants, Peter H. Huang, Debra S. Austin

Publications

The decision to educate our students via in-person or online learning environments while COVID-19 is unrestrained is a false choice, when the clear path to achieve our chief objective safely, the education of our students, can be done online. Our decision-making should be guided by the overriding principle that people matter more than money. We recognize that lost tuition revenue if students delay or defer education is an institutional concern, but we posit that many students and parents would prefer a safer online alternative to riskier in-person options, especially as we get closer to fall, and American death tolls rise. …

Mettle Under The Stars, June Forte

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

A woman in her 30s enlists in the Army in pursuit of the GI Bill education benefits. Through her assignment as a photojournalist at Fort Carson, she came to know three Fourth Infantry Division Generals whose strengths of character and leadership styles profoundly influenced her life.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. …

The Cultural Property Conundrum: The Case For A Nationalistic Approach And Repatriation Of The Moai To The Rapa Nui, Annie Rischard Davis

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

Administrative Investigations, Aram A. Gavoor, Steven Platt

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

This Article establishes the subject of federal administrative investigations as a new area of study in administrative law. While the literature has addressed investigations by specific agencies and congressional investigations, there is no general account for the trans-substantive constitutional value of administrative investigations. This Article provides such an account by exploring the positive law, agency behaviors, and constraints pertaining to this unresearched field. It concludes with some urgency that the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946—the statute that stands as a bill of rights for the Administrative State—does not serve to regulate administrative investigations and that the Article III courts have …

Conflicts Of Law And Transnational Data Flows, Paul S. Berman

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

Phillip Jessup correctly observed sixty years ago that multinational corporate activity created new challenges for nation-states and their territorially based rules for jurisdiction, choice of law, and judgment recognition. Those challenges are exponentially more difficult in the 21st century because electronic data—everything from e-mails and text messages to Facebook and Instagram posts to Twitter pronouncements to drone warfare data to search algorithms to financial transactions to cloud data storage—travel around the globe with little relationship to physical territory. In addition, all of this data is often in the custody and control of data intermediaries.

Three important consequences flow from this …

Civil Procedure And Economic Inequality, Maureen Carroll

Articles

How well do procedural doctrines attend to present-day economic inequality? This Essay examines that question through the lens of three doctrinal areas: the “irreparable harm” prong of the preliminary injunction standard, the requirement that discovery must be proportional to the needs of the case, and the due process rights of class members in actions for injunctive relief. It concludes that in each of those areas, courts and commentators could do more to take economic inequality into account.

Ebola And Emerging Infectious Diseases In Armed Conflict: Contemporary Challenges In Global Health Security Laws And Policies, Caroline Sell

Minnesota Journal of International Law, Vols. 28:2 onward (2019-present)

No abstract provided.

Blood, Water, And The Indus Waters Treaty, Christopher R. Rossi

Minnesota Journal of International Law, Vols. 28:2 onward (2019-present)

The contested and divided province of Jammu and Kashmir, situated on the western side of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Mountains, is one of the most dangerous and heavily militarized places on earth. It is a Muslim-majority borderland harboring contested territorial claims of three nuclear powers-- India, Pakistan, and China. Through it flow the headwaters of the six major tributaries that form the massive Indus Basin, the essential fresh water source for Pakistan and for upwards of 300 million Indians and Pakistanis. Since 1960, the unusual Indus Waters Treaty has governed the use of these waters. The treaty forwards a water-division …

Euphemism And Jus Cogens, G. Alex Sinha

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

Jus cogens norms of international law encompass the most stringent prohibitions of the law of nations. They reflect a global-and typically moral-consensus about impermissible conduct so complete and forceful that no derogation is permissible under any circumstances. Yet states derogate nevertheless. Lacking any valid legal justification for violating jus cogens norms, derogating states instead seek to euphemize their unlawful conduct. Doing so appears at a glance to be a calculated choice that allows States to have their cake and eat it too-to acknowledge the peremptory norms that purportedly bind all sovereigns while acting freely in violation of those norms by …