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Fordham Urban Law Journal

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The Urban Criminal Justice System: Where Young + Black + Male = Probable Cause, Elizabeth A. Gaynes Jan 1993

The Urban Criminal Justice System: Where Young + Black + Male = Probable Cause, Elizabeth A. Gaynes

Fordham Urban Law Journal

We live in a country where one out of four young African-American men is under some form of custodial supervision. In our nation's capital, seven out of ten African-American men can anticipate being arrested and jailed at least once before reaching the age of thirty-five. We live in a city where a black man between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four is far more likely to die of homicide than all other causes combined. The official response to the problem of urban crime by minority youth has been prison, prison, and more prison. This essay provides an overview and examples …

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Curing America's Addiction To Prisons, David C. Leven Jan 1993

Curing America's Addiction To Prisons, David C. Leven

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Our prisons have failed society because they do not, generally, provide an experience that is likely to help offenders overcome the obstacles that led them to make mistakes for which they are now being punished. Instead, they reinforce the violence and exploitation that many offenders were sentenced to prison for in the first place. They have failed because they do not promote restoration, a key to successful reintegration, and nobody benefits when offenders are more dangerous when they are released than when they entered prison. This Essay proposes that a restorative model of justice replace our failed punitive model. By …

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Financial Arrangements In Class Actions, And The Code Of Professional Responsibility, Daniel J. Capra, Thomas W. Jackson, John Koeltl Jan 1993

Financial Arrangements In Class Actions, And The Code Of Professional Responsibility, Daniel J. Capra, Thomas W. Jackson, John Koeltl

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The Rules of Professional Conduct impose various restrictions relating to attorney fees and the payment of litigation costs, which are designed to preserve the lawyer's role as a zealous but objective advocate. Class actions stand apart from other kinds of litigation in that they are designed to promote efficiency by their combining like claims into single actions, and individual justice by their vindicating claims that if taken individually might not be economically viable. In light of these special concerns, the courts have carved out several exceptions to ordinary attorney's fees, litigation expense, and disbursement rules that they routinely apply to …

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Report On The Debate Over Whether There Should Be An Exception To Confidentiality For Rectifying A Crime Or Fraud, Maria Helen Bainor, Nancy Batterman Jan 1993

Report On The Debate Over Whether There Should Be An Exception To Confidentiality For Rectifying A Crime Or Fraud, Maria Helen Bainor, Nancy Batterman

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The Model Rules of Professional Conduct fail to provide lawyers with adequate guidance for dealing with situations in which a client has used the lawyer's services to perpetuate a fraud. He Model Rules do not discuss confidentiality in cases of client-committed fraud at all, and the provided exceptions to the confidentiality requirement do little to help attorney's deal with past frauds committed by a client with the unwitting aid of the attorney. The Model Rules should be amended to authorize disclosure of client confidences to rectify a crime or fraud when the lawyer's services have been used in the commission …

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A Case Study In Fiscal Federalism: New York City And New York State, Carol O'Cleireacain Jan 1992

A Case Study In Fiscal Federalism: New York City And New York State, Carol O'Cleireacain

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This essay argues that under the current system of American state and local government funding schemes, there is a permanent imbalance between revenues and expenditures as a result of strain placed on local governments by other levels of government which can only be fixed with actions take by these other levels of government. This essay examines the current structure of American "Fiscal Federalism", the recent experience of America's cities with Fiscal Federalism (particularly New York), changing relationship between city and state government, and Governor Mario Cuomo's proposal for a phased-in takeover of Medicaid spending. The author concludes that the Governor's …

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Report Of The New York State Judicial Commission On Minorities Jan 1992

Report Of The New York State Judicial Commission On Minorities

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The Commission was given a three-fold mandate to study how (1) court participants and the public at large perceive minority treatment in the New York Court System; (2) the representation of minorities in non-judicial staff positions within the court system; and (3) the number of minorities, both elected and appointed, in judicial positions in New York. The Commission recommended a milieu of changes to address the problems of racism in the court system and proposed another commission-- with a five year mandate-- be created to implement these recommendations, further analyze and collect data on race and the court system, and …

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The Domestic Violence Component Of The New York Task Force Report On Women In The Courts: An Evaluation And Assessment Of New York City Courts, Sarah Eaton, Ariella Hyman Jan 1992

The Domestic Violence Component Of The New York Task Force Report On Women In The Courts: An Evaluation And Assessment Of New York City Courts, Sarah Eaton, Ariella Hyman

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This piece contains the findings of a survey conducted to evaluate the impact of the New York Task Force On Women in the Court's Report in the area of domestic violence and of the progress that has taken place since the Report's publication. The authors hope to provide insight not only into the next steps that should be taken in New York City, but also into the most effective methods of implementing change to combat bias against women in the courtroom. The authors conclude that although progress has been made in the area of combating bias against women in the …

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Lawyers In The Public Service And The Role Of Law Schools, Frank J. Macchiarola, Joseph Scanlon Jan 1992

Lawyers In The Public Service And The Role Of Law Schools, Frank J. Macchiarola, Joseph Scanlon

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Law schools should recognize and maximize their opportunity to work in public service. Law schools have an obligation to recognize a causal link between legal education and value learned through the law school experience and the tremendous effect that this training can have on the community. This essay examines the history of the traditional law school curriculum and poses practical and philosophical suggestions for the improvement of existing course work towards the public good. Next, the essay examines the community beyond the walls of the school as a source of instruction and finally, argues that a more expansive definition of …

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Eviction Free Zones: The Economics Of Legal Bricolage In The Fight Against Displacement, Lawrence K. Kolodney Jan 1991

Eviction Free Zones: The Economics Of Legal Bricolage In The Fight Against Displacement, Lawrence K. Kolodney

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Gentrification, the influx of high-income dwellers into low-income neighborhoods, has in the past decade become a serious cause of concern to low-income tenants in older American cities. Although gentrification has had some positive effects, one important negative effect has been the displacement of existing neighborhood residents. Various schemes have been suggested to combat displacement caused by gentrification. One strategy entails seeking legislative relief in the form of rent control and condominium-conversion laws to directly curb the influx of high-income residents; another makes use of rent vouchers and public housing to ameliorate the effects of displacement. This Article analyzes an alternative …

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The Long Process Of Change: The 1990 Amendments To The New York Code Of Professional Responsibility, Marjorie E. Gross Jan 1991

The Long Process Of Change: The 1990 Amendments To The New York Code Of Professional Responsibility, Marjorie E. Gross

Fordham Urban Law Journal

“The purposes of this Article are to describe the significant changes to the 1970 (New York) Code (of Professional Responsibility) and to give a firsthand account of the amendment process. Part I explains the process by which the Appellate Divisions adopt Disciplinary Rules promulgated by the New York State Bar Association. Part II discusses the specific amendments to the 1970 Code which became effective September 1, 1990. Part III summarizes the overall results of the amendments to the Code. “The principal changes reflected in the 1990 Code include: making a lawyer subject to discipline for unlawfully discriminating in the practice …

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Prosecutorial Ethics: The Case For The Per Se Rule, Kara S. Donahue Jan 1991

Prosecutorial Ethics: The Case For The Per Se Rule, Kara S. Donahue

Fordham Urban Law Journal

“The integrity of the legal system is essential to public confidence in government. Without public confidence, the rule of law loses its meaning. The prosecutor is often the most visible participant in the criminal justice system, and thus, even the appearance of impropriety in the prosecutor's behavior erodes the public trust. He has a duty to seek justice and truth, not only to convict. This duty creates a dual role for the prosecutor: he is both an advocate seeking to obtain convictions and a minister of justice attempting to discover the truth. The public expects him to fulfill these functions …

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Eviction Free Zones: The Economics Of Legal Bricolage In The Fight Against Displacement, Lawrence K. Kolodney Jan 1991

Eviction Free Zones: The Economics Of Legal Bricolage In The Fight Against Displacement, Lawrence K. Kolodney

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Gentrification, the influx of high-income dwellers into low-income neighborhoods, has in the past decade become a serious cause of concern to low-income tenants in older American cities. Although gentrification has had some positive effects, one important negative effect has been the displacement of existing neighborhood residents. Various schemes have been suggested to combat displacement caused by gentrification. One strategy entails seeking legislative relief in the form of rent control and condominium-conversion laws to directly curb the influx of high-income residents; another makes use of rent vouchers and public housing to ameliorate the effects of displacement. This Article analyzes an alternative …

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A Piece In The Puzzle Of Providing Adequate Housing: Court Effectiveness In Code Enforcement, Sarah H. Ramsey, Fredrick Zolna Jan 1991

A Piece In The Puzzle Of Providing Adequate Housing: Court Effectiveness In Code Enforcement, Sarah H. Ramsey, Fredrick Zolna

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article provides an overview of the general characteristics of the City of Syracuse, and the efforts of the City to improve housing and its code enforcement system. This overview is designed to relate the Syracuse model to other urban areas that face similar housing problems and share many of the City's demographic attributes. This article proceeds to set out the research methodology and findings of an empirical study of Syracuse's court system. Finally, this article addresses the problems in measuring court effectiveness in code enforcement. This article emphasizes the limits on a court in effecting social changes and suggests …

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Mount Laurel And The Fair Housing Act: Success Or Failure? A Presentation By The Affordable Housing Colloquium Of The Seton Hall University Center For Social Justice With An Introduction And Commentary By Paula A. Franzese, Paula A. Franzese, Art Bernard, Peter Van Doren Jan 1991

Mount Laurel And The Fair Housing Act: Success Or Failure? A Presentation By The Affordable Housing Colloquium Of The Seton Hall University Center For Social Justice With An Introduction And Commentary By Paula A. Franzese, Paula A. Franzese, Art Bernard, Peter Van Doren

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article details a colloquium held by the Seton Hall University University Center for Social Justice concerning affordable housing. This article explores the historical and theoretical underpinnings of the Mount Laurel doctrine, and explores the viability of existing mechanisms to implement the associated constitutional imperative. The first speaker, Mr. Art Bernard, advocates that the current enforcement plan for realizing affordable housing goals is an effective means of enforcement. The second speaker, Professor Peter Van Doren, advocates that the Mount Laurel strategy is fundamentally ineffective, and suggests, in leiu of manipulation of housing market outcomes, that the various efficiency and equity …

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Law School's Pro Bono Role: A Duty To Require Student Public Service, Frederick J. Martin Iii Jan 1989

Law School's Pro Bono Role: A Duty To Require Student Public Service, Frederick J. Martin Iii

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The immense legal needs of the indigent are not being met. Pro bono work is the responsibility of every lawyer, but most lawyers do not do any pro bono work. The author argues that law schools have a responsibility not only to nurture student interest in pro bono work but also to develop students’ abilities to provide legal services to the indigent. The author proposes that law schools require students to participate in programs that provide legal services to the poor, either through a private organization or through a clinical program. The author contends that the latter method would be …

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The Referral Fee And The Aba Rules Of Model Conduct: Should States Adopt Model Rule 1.5(E)?, Sheryl Zeligson Jan 1987

The Referral Fee And The Aba Rules Of Model Conduct: Should States Adopt Model Rule 1.5(E)?, Sheryl Zeligson

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Note examines the history behind DR 2-107 and the reasons for the ABA's adoption of Model Rule 1.5(e). It then analyzes DR 2-107 in depth to determine whether it has been effective in terms of advancing the policies and purposes it was designed to promote. The Note concludes that DR 2-107 is deficient for the following reasons: (1) members of the legal profession oppose and flagrantly violate the rule; (2) except in a few jurisdictions, violators of the rule are rarely prosecuted while even in those jurisdictions that do enforce the rule, the courts are vague in their interpretation …

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A Message From The Dean, John D. Feerick Jan 1987

A Message From The Dean, John D. Feerick

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Thanking the Fordham Urban Law Journal for bringing to light, through its publication of the Task Force on Women Report and related scholarly works, the sexist practices persisting in the legal community and the practical challenges facing women in the legal industry.

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Report Of The New York Task Force On Women In The Courts Jan 1987

Report Of The New York Task Force On Women In The Courts

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Charged by the New York State Unified Court System with the responsibilities of reviewing and reporting on gender biases existing throughout the New York legal industry, the New York Task Force on Women, comprised of judges, leading practitioners, and academic scholars, set forth a plethora of evidence revealing the depth of gender biases in the New York legal industry. Concluding that gender bias is rampant and pervasive both in the court system and in the private legal industry, the Report reasons that the quickest and most effective way by which reform can be achieved is through the enlistment of the …

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Ten Years After: Evolving Mental Health Advocacy And Judicial Trends, Michael L. Perlin Jan 1987

Ten Years After: Evolving Mental Health Advocacy And Judicial Trends, Michael L. Perlin

Fordham Urban Law Journal

"Address to the Mental Health Legal Advocacy Symposium, "Current Issues in Law and Psychiatry," New York, New York, May 30, 1985." This speech provides an overview of trends in mental disability law as they evolved from 1972 to 1982. It also explores social, economic, and political developments impacting on mental health advocacy, and looks at both seminal supreme court cases and lower courts' responses. It finds an ambivalent Supreme Court without a clear position on many issues related to mentally disabled individuals.

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Protecting Battered Women: A Proposal For Comprehensive Domestic Violence Legislation In New York, Lisa R. Beck Jan 1987

Protecting Battered Women: A Proposal For Comprehensive Domestic Violence Legislation In New York, Lisa R. Beck

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This note proposes that New York implement a mandatory arrest policy for certain types of domestic violence. The author first examines New York's current methods of addressing domestic violence, including previous attempts at decriminalization, judicial remedies, and the effectiveness of orders of protection. The author then describes the issues of the current discretionary arrest policy. The note examines domestic violence legislation in other states, then proposes a comprehensive statutory scheme to address domestic violence in New York state.

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The Quiet Revolution In The American Law Proffesion: Remarks Before The Commission On Professionalism Of The American Bar Association, Peter Megargee Brown Jan 1986

The Quiet Revolution In The American Law Proffesion: Remarks Before The Commission On Professionalism Of The American Bar Association, Peter Megargee Brown

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Speech discusses the decline of the law profession in its commitment to public service. It analyzes the reasons as to why the practice of law has evolved from a profession once thought to epitomize professionalism into one that does not seem much different from other businesses. It discusses the consequences of such a reality. The author suggests measures that the American Bar Association should employ to ameliorate the effects of this reality and outlines steps it should take to help restore the high level of professionalism to the industry.

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Conservatorship: A Viable Alternative To Incompetency, Allen Federman Jan 1986

Conservatorship: A Viable Alternative To Incompetency, Allen Federman

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The Article presents a general introduction to the concept of conservatorship, which is utilized to protect and care for the assets of impaired, but not adjudicated as incompetent, individuals. The Article gives an overview of the legislative history leading to the enactment of Article 77 of the New York Mental Hygiene Law and it explores some of the alternatives to conservatorship by discussing the benefits and disadvantages that the alternative processes provide to the impaired individual, the conservatee. The Article also discusses the role the conservator plays in the appointment and termination processes, how the conservator goes about marshaling the …

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The Effects Of Hensley V. Eckerhart On The Award Of Attorney's Fees, E. Wayne Powell Jan 1985

The Effects Of Hensley V. Eckerhart On The Award Of Attorney's Fees, E. Wayne Powell

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The traditional "American Rule" regarding attorney fees did not allow for prevailing parties to collect attorney's fees from the unsuccessful party. In response to the Supreme Court's decision in Alyeska v. Wilderness Society, which reaffirmed the American Rule and its limited exceptions, Congress passed the Civil Rights Attorneys Fees Award Act of 1976. In its wake, courts began awarding attorneys fees to prevailing parties. The Supreme Court's decision in Hensley v. Eckerhart, focused on the correlation between the degree of success of prevailing plaintiffs and the amount of the attorney's fees awarded. This Article discusses the effects on fee awards …

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Legal Ethics: Discretion And Utility In Model Rule 1.6, Charles A. Kelbley Jan 1985

Legal Ethics: Discretion And Utility In Model Rule 1.6, Charles A. Kelbley

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No other profession requires practitioners to identify so closely and completely with the interests and confidences of their clients, as in the legal profession. Unlike doctors, priests, rabbis and other professionals, the lawyer is an adviser but also an advocate. Rule 1.6 is a major flaw in the legal profession's history of self-discipline. This rule fails the test of logic because the concept of discretion which it reflects is self-contradictory. This rule is a crude form of utilitarianism and should be reformulated to require disclosure whenever clients have no right to confidentiality and their conduct would constitute unjustified aggression or …

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New York City's J-51 Program: Controversy And Revision, Debra S. Vorsanger Jan 1984

New York City's J-51 Program: Controversy And Revision, Debra S. Vorsanger

Fordham Urban Law Journal

New York City administers a real estate tax incentive program, called the J-51 program, for eligible building owners who rehabilitate existing structures. Despite the need for such a program, various problems and abuses arose, emphasizing the need for major reform. Economic conditions changed the housing market and the tax incentives demonstrated several deleterious effects which contravene the original legislative intent of the program. After long negotiations surrounding several competing arguments, reforms were made. The current revisions were necessary to correct the abuses and to return the program to its original purpose of providing adequate housing for moderate and lower income …

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The Employee Retirement Income Security Act Of 1974 And Union Influence In Pension Fund Investment Decisions, Gerald P. Cunningham Jan 1984

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act Of 1974 And Union Influence In Pension Fund Investment Decisions, Gerald P. Cunningham

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Unions will eventually attempt to gain a voice in the direction of the investment of pension funds to which their members contribute. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) contains provisions relating to fiduciary duty which may bar union influence over the investment decision-making process. This Note addresses the issue of whether a union-appointed fiduciary may influence investment decisions to incidentally benefit the union without violating the fiduciary duty provisions of ERISA. Ultimately, Courts should apply a materiality standard when interpreting the fiduciary duty provision of ERISA. The issue should be whether the investment decision was materially affected …

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Economically Motivated Relocations Of Work And An Employer's Duties Under Section 8(D) Of The National Labor Relations Act: A Three-Step Analysis , Edward P. O'Keefe, Seamus M. Tuohey Jan 1983

Economically Motivated Relocations Of Work And An Employer's Duties Under Section 8(D) Of The National Labor Relations Act: A Three-Step Analysis , Edward P. O'Keefe, Seamus M. Tuohey

Fordham Urban Law Journal

As industrial technology has progressed, large businesses have restructured in order to attract capital, resources, and customers. As a result, many employers have dislocated or outright terminated large numbers of their workforces. This Article addresses the legal and practical issues which arise under the National Labor Relations Act in connection with fundamental alterations of a business enterprise. In a series of administrative decisions and federal court actions, the National Labor Relations Board has sought to limit employer attempts to implement sweeping changes to their operations without prior consultation, and in certain circumstances prior agreement, with bargaining representatives of affected employees. …

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The Effective Assistance Of Counsel: Chance Or Guarantee?, Joanne Legano Jan 1983

The Effective Assistance Of Counsel: Chance Or Guarantee?, Joanne Legano

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Comment reviews the historical development of the right to effective assistance of counsel for criminal defendants as defined by the Supreme Court, and discusses the various standards applied by lower federal courts. This Comment next examines United States v. Decoster, which provides the most comprehensive judicial analysis of the right to effective assistance of counsel at this juncture in time. The standards applied by the New York State courts are also analyzed. Finally, the author recommends uniform guidelines for evaluating claims of ineffective assistance of counsel.

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Medical Malpractice Damage Awards: The Need For A Dual Approach, Janice Kabel Jan 1983

Medical Malpractice Damage Awards: The Need For A Dual Approach, Janice Kabel

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Damage awards in medical malpractice cases have risen steadily in New York state courts over the past ten years. This increase has resulted in higher medical insurance premiums, which insured physicians pass along in higher prices to health care consumers. There are several theories as to why increased damages has occurred, but few legislative actions have deterred the process. Ultimately, this Note proposes reform in the tort/litigation/insurance system.

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The Mechanics Of Institutional Reform Litigation , A. David Reynolds Jan 1980

The Mechanics Of Institutional Reform Litigation , A. David Reynolds

Fordham Urban Law Journal

An examination of large scale public interest lawsuits in the 1970s aimed at institutional reform which resulted in the federal courts becoming involved in the administration of governmental agencies. These actions were considered by some to be a new breed of litigation. This article provides some insight into the process that these suits are litigated. Further, the article examines the relief provided in these lawsuits as well as the enforcement issues involved providing that relief was granted.

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