Law Commons^™

Understanding The Federal Tort Claims Act: A Different Metaphor, Paul F. Figley

Paul Figley

When it enacted the Federal Tort Claims Act Congress waived the United States’ sovereign immunity for certain torts of the federal government. That waiver is subject to exclusions, exceptions, and limitations that may seem puzzling or counterintuitive. This essay explains the structure and operation of the Federal Tort Claims Act by comparing it to “a traversable bridge across the moat of sovereign immunity” (a metaphor used by Judge Max Rosenn in a slightly different context). The essay examines why Congress enacted the FTCA, the jurisdictional grant that allows some tort claims but not others, the pre-requisites to bringing suit, the …

Contracting For State Intervention, W. Mark C. Weidemaier

W. Mark C. Weidemaier

Multi-Level Marketing And Its Brethren: The Legal And Regulatory Environment In The Down Economy, Adam Epstein

Adam Epstein

This article explores the legal and regulatory environment of multi-level marketing companies also known as MLM. Legal research is lacking in this area of business law though the regulatory environment involves a combination of federal and state laws including administrative agencies such as the FTC and SEC. In the current down economy, criminal enterprises such as Ponzi schemes have been exposed. MLMs are often compared to Ponzi and pyramid schemes and do share similarities. The article offers that personal responsibility is vital when determining whether to join any MLM in light of the volume of resources available on the internet.