Digital Commons Network^™

The Implications Of Section 230 For Black Communities, Spencer Overton, Catherine Powell

Faculty Scholarship

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act generally immunizes online platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Amazon, and Uber from liability for third-party user content (for example, posts, comments, and videos) and for moderation of that content. This Article addresses an important issue overlooked by both defenders and critics of Section 230: the implications of the law and proposed reforms for Black communities in particular. By relieving tech platforms of most legal liability for third-party content, Section 230 helps facilitate Black social activism, entrepreneurship, and artistic creativity. Section 230 also relieves platforms of most legal liability for content moderation, which boosts …

Is There A Presumption Against Wealth Taxation?, Linda Sugin

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Can Crt Save Dei?: Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion In The Shadow Of Anti-Affirmative Action, Tanya K. Hernandez

Faculty Scholarship

Just four years after the nation’s summer of 2020 protests—sparked by the murder of George Floyd— culminated in a racial reckoning in which many organizations across the country instituted racial equity measures and policies, legislators across the nation are enacting anti-Critical Race Theory (CRT) bans in a seeming backlash to this advocacy for racial justice. The bans simultaneously mischaracterize CRT as anti-White discrimination while strategically conflating it with workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Further inflaming the racially hostile public discourse is the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023), which greatly narrows …

Impact Ipsa Loquitur: A Reverse Hand Rule For Consumer Finance, Susan Block-Lieb, Edward J. Janger

Faculty Scholarship

Algorithms in consumer finance can entrench, exacerbate, and conceal bias. This article considers the increased importance, in the age of algorithmic lending, of disparate impact analysis as a tool to combat predation and discrimination in consumer finance transactions. It explores the existing legal landscape and finds gaps in the relationship between discrimination and predatory lending doctrines. It then situates both disparate impact analysis and UDAAP doctrines within the broader context of balancing and burden-shifting rules in tort law and considers how this analysis might be tailored for the new algorithmic lending environment. We conclude that predatory discrimination permits consideration of …

Consent And Disagreement, Aditi Bagchi

Faculty Scholarship

Contracts purport to settle rights and obligations between parties. The fact that parties have consented to a given set of terms seems to hold the promise of preempting conflict about those terms after the fact. But contract gives rise to disputes about consent itself. Many disputes about implied conditions, for example, are best understood as disagreements about the scope of consent.

This article identifies several moral ambiguities in the concept of concept. We not only disagree about the analytic merits of competing conceptions among ourselves but, even as individuals, we tend not to endorse and consistently apply a single version …

Long Live The Federal Rules Of Evidence!, Daniel J. Capra, Liesa L. Richter

Faculty Scholarship

The Federal Rules of Evidence have been pronounced dead. Indeed, the Federal Rules of Evidence have recently been declared dormant, stagnant, frozen, lethargic, and yes, deceased. In The Living Rules of Evidence, 170 U. Pa. L. Rev. 937 (March 2022), Professor Alexander Nunn claims that the Rules are lifeless, incapable of any meaningful change, and littered with anachronistic and even dangerous standards and provisions. To blame for the moribund state of the Federal Rules of Evidence is the bureaucratic and complex federal rulemaking process that requires amendments to traverse multiple constituencies in a multi-year process before taking effect. As a …

Statutory Interpretation In The 2020s: A View Of The Cathedral, Ethan J. Leib, Fordham University School Of Law

Faculty Scholarship

This Comment looks at eighty-seven statutory interpretation cases in the Supreme Court’s docket over the 2020–2022 Terms to evaluate trends in how the nation’s highest court reads statutes in the modern era. It concludes that the overarching story is neither a purely “textualist” one, nor one in which the liberal bloc is very often at odds with the conservative bloc. Instead, statutory interpretation is much more consensual than it is often credited to be—and contextual and purposive arguments continue to remain valid modalities of interpretation, even as standard textualist tools also remain relevant.

Proportionalities, Youngjae Lee

Faculty Scholarship

"Proportionality" is ubiquitous. The idea that punishment should be proportional to crime is familiar in criminal law and has a lengthy history. But that is not the only place where one encounters the concept of proportionality in law and ethics. The idea of proportionality is important also in the self-defense context, where the right to defend oneself with force is limited by the principle of proportionality. Proportionality plays a role in the context of war, especially in the idea that the military advantage one side may draw from an attack must not be excessive in relation to the loss of …

Painting A Clearer Picture: Introducing New Federal Rule Of Evidence 107 Regulating Illustrative Aids, Daniel J. Capra, Liesa L. Richter

Faculty Scholarship

They say a picture is worth a thousand words—and charts, drawings, diagrams, computer animations, and even tangible items are utilized at trial in virtually every case tried in the federal and state court systems. Litigants have come to depend heavily upon such aids to engage visual learners in the jury box and to present a compelling narrative. And the creative use of trial aids has only increased with the rapid technological advancements of recent decades. The ubiquity of such aids notwithstanding, there is no written standard governing their use, no agreed-upon lexicon for describing them, and no set of uniform …

Regulating For Asymmetric Market Power : Beyond The Consumer Sovereignty Model, Olivier Sylvain

Faculty Scholarship

Recent policy developments suggest that consumer sovereignty models of regulation have substantial, if not fatal, limitations. Binding decisions by the European Data Protection Board in 2023, as well as other recent public law enactments in the EU and the US, overtly reject the assumption that individuals are best situated to manage how companies process or use their personal information. Prevalent online practices are too opaque. And the “ take it or leave it ” services that companies provide render individuals’ rights and commercial choices effectively meaningless. In short, the relative power of consumers as compared to the companies that collect, …

Demoralizing Elite Fraud, Zephyr Teachout

Faculty Scholarship

The Supreme Court keeps striking down wire fraud convictions. Why?

As I show in this piece, from the 1970s to this year, the Court has repeatedly attempted to shift the framework of fraud cases from moral language to morally neutral language. As a result, the Court ends up making a hash of statutory interpretation, because it then has to interpret statutes that it has effectively rewritten. For instance, much of the current fraud jurisprudence revolves around defining what property means. The Mail Fraud statute does not have the language of property in it, and the legislative history does not involve …

Public Confidence, Judges, And Politics On And Off The Bench, Bruce A. Green, Rebecca Roiphe

Faculty Scholarship

Public confidence in the judiciary is at a low point. There are multiple reasons for the public’s waning faith in judges, but the perception that they are merely politicians in robes plays a significant part. This article analyzes the politicization of the judiciary and argues that while ideology invariably affects judicial decisionmaking, the professional identity of judges limits its impact. A commitment to judicial norms and processes as well as a concern for professional reputation serve as a real break on partisan loyalty and affiliation. The task is to preserve and promote this professional identity and convey to the public …

Reconceptualizing Presidents' Clemency Power Under The Framework Of Human Rights: The Right To Seek Capital Clemency In Taiwan, Mao-Hong Lin

Fordham International Law Journal

The incorporation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights into Taiwan’s domestic law provided death row inmates with the legal basis to submit requests for the President’s mercy. However, Presidents have persistently ignored these requests without any response to the inmates, and the judiciary regularly dismissed the cases of the inmates by rendering decisions in support of the Presidents’ inaction. The court justifications for these decisions were that the clemency power falls under the executive prerogative, and that it is a political question in nature and therefore not subject to judicial oversight. This Article argues against these justifications. …

“Kill, Rape, Control”: Gender-Based Violence By Gang Members In El Salvador As Crimes Against Humanity Under International Criminal Law, Elizabeth Garrison

Fordham International Law Journal

In the Northern Triangle countries (El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala), gang violence, particularly against women, girls, and LGBTQ+ persons, results in gross violations of human rights and is a major driver of forced displacement. Gang members systematically use gender-based violence, including rape, femicide, kidnapping, sexual slavery, and persecution of LGBTQ+ persons, to exert territorial control over the local population. However, the international community has failed to recognize both the severity and systemic nature of gender-based violence by gang members. This Note—which focuses on El Salvador, but has implications for the rest of the Northern Triangle countries—argues that gender-based violence by …

Captain Hook To Space Crook: Towards A Convention On The Suppression Of Space Piracy, Vinita Singh

Fordham International Law Journal

While the commercial future of outer space endeavors is bright, parallels between outer space and the high seas and advances in modern technology suggest Space Piracy will become a real and serious peril to States and their nationals. Because preexisting international law does not adequately empower States to tackle this threat, States must proactively consider adoption of a Convention on the Suppression of Space Piracy. Based on the strengths and weaknesses of applicable law of the sea and criminal aviation law, this work offers draft language for two key provisions of this Convention—a definition of “Space Piracy” and a delineation …

The Participation Of Non-State Actors In The Bbnj Agreement's Area-Based Management Tools Regime: Successes And Roadblocks, Charlotte Verdon

Fordham International Law Journal

The recently adopted BBNJ Agreement creates a multilateral framework for the establishment of Area-Based Management Tools (ABMTs) in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction. Part of the process for establishing ABMTs under the new Agreement is the consultation of non-State actors (NSAs). ABMTs such as marine protected areas can negatively impact various NSAs, such as Indigenous Peoples that may rely on fishing in ABMTs for subsistence or cultural practices. At the same time, NSAs possess unique knowledge that can be instrumental in the design and management of ABMTs. The Article explores the theoretical and practical justifications for involving NSAs in the …

Swimming Against The Current: Ethiopia's Quest For Access To The Red Sea Under International Law, Mahemud Eshtu Tekuya

Fordham International Law Journal

In October 2023, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali declared access to the Red Sea is “an existential matter” for Ethiopia, reigniting the longstanding dispute with Eritrea over the Assab Red Sea coastal areas. This Article addresses the need for a peaceful resolution of this dispute while scrutinizing the legitimacy of Ethiopia’s claim for access to the Red Sea within the framework of international law. Contrary to the prevailing view among Ethiopian scholars, the Article argues that Ethiopia lacks a legitimate ownership claim over Assab or any parts of the Red Sea. However, it argues that Ethiopia, as a landlocked …

Universal Criminal Jurisdiction V. Universal Civil Jurisdiction: Why It Matters, Margaret Myaskovskaya

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The International Legal Framework Of Oceanic Shipping Of Carbon Dioxide For Permanent Storage, Carolina Arlota And Michael B. Gerrard

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Human Rights & The Rights Of Nature: Friends Or Foes?, Jérémie Gilbert

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Criminal "Apartheid" In The Occupied Palestinian Territory?: A Call For A More Nuanced Approach From The Perspective Of International Criminal Law, Kai Ambos

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Exile As A Human Rights Violation, Frédéric Mégret

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Not An Apartheid State, A Defamed State, Jeremy Rabkin

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

A Decade Of Impunity: Finding Justice For The Yazidi Women Victims Of The Islamic State, Leah Calabro

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The International Trade Law Implications Of Regulating E-Cigarettes: Lessons From Tobacco Litigation, Genevieve Wilkinson And Elizabeth Sheargold

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Nuclear Weapons And International Law, Existential Risks Of Nuclear War And Deterrence Through A Legal Lense, 2 Volumes, Second Edition, By Charles J. Moxley Jr. (2024), Roger S. Clark

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Corporate Speech And Corporate Purpose: A Theory Of Corporate First Amendment Rights, Sean J. Griffith

Faculty Scholarship

The negative speech right (the right to refrain from speaking) strains the standard rationale for corporate speech rights. First Amendment jurisprudence extends speech rights to corporations on a mix of intrinsic and instrumental rationales. The intrinsic rationale is derived from the natural rights of persons, and often thought not to apply to corporations. Meanwhile the instrumental rationale, grounded on the value of speech in promoting self-government, would seem not to apply to the negative right. Remaining silent, after all, does little to advance public debate.    This article uses the SEC’s shareholder proposal rule to examine the larger question of corporate …

The Public’S Companies, Andrew K. Jennings

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

This Essay uses a series of survey studies to consider how public understandings of public and private companies map into urgent debates over the role of the corporation in American society. Does a social-media company, for example, owe it to its users to follow the free-speech principles embodied in the First Amendment? May corporate managers pursue environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) policies that could reduce short-term or long-term profits? How should companies respond to political pushback against their approaches to free expression or ESG?

The studies’ results are consistent with understandings that both public and private companies have greater public …

Expanding Mfw: Delaware Law Should Offer A Business Judgment Rule Safe Harbor For All Conflicted Controller Transactions, Alex Lindsey

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

While courts usually defer to a board’s business decisions under the business judgment rule, courts will apply a much less deferential standard of review due to loyalty concerns if a conflicted controller is involved in a business decision such as a merger. However, in Kahn v. M & F Worldwide (“MFW”) when a squeeze out merger was challenged by a minority stockholder, the Delaware Supreme Court reviewed the transaction under the deferential business judgment rule standard because the Court found that the structure of the transaction neutralized the controller loyalty concerns. Building on this reasoning, the Court developed a checklist …

Loophole Entrepreneurship, Brian M. Sirman

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

All entrepreneurs seek favorable legal or regulatory treatment for their businesses. Sometimes this leads an entrepreneur to build a business within a gap in the law—a loophole. In so doing, these “loophole entrepreneurs” may avoid steep regulatory compliance costs that otherwise would beset (or perhaps prohibit) their businesses, thereby gaining advantages over competitors. Despite these benefits, loophole entrepreneurship is fraught with risks. Loopholes, by nature, are fragile, and their contours are often uncertain. Moreover, the stigma of “exploiting a loophole” (which connotes unfairness or deception) can provoke ill will among competitors, policymakers, and the public.

The ranks of loophole entrepreneurs …