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Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Law

Justice Souter And The Civil Rules, Scott Dodson Dec 2010

Justice Souter And The Civil Rules, Scott Dodson

Faculty Publications

Justice Souter’s recent retirement from the Court after nearly twenty years presents a unique opportunity to comment on his legacy. No doubt others will eulogize or castigate him for his membership in the Planned Parenthood v. Casey troika, but there is much more to the man and his jurisprudence. Indeed, the danger is that Justice Souter will be pigeonholed into one opinion, an opinion that he wrote early in his Supreme Court career, to the detriment of understanding the complex justice that he was. And what it finds is a justice deeply committed to the fair treatment of the litigants …


New Pleading, New Discovery, Scott Dodson Oct 2010

New Pleading, New Discovery, Scott Dodson

Faculty Publications

Pleading in federal court has a new narrative. The old narrative was one of notice, with the goal of broad access to the civil justice system. New Pleading, after the landmark Supreme Court cases of Twombly and Iqbal, is focused on factual sufficiency, with the purpose of screening out meritless cases that otherwise might impose discovery costs on defendants. The problem with New Pleading is that factual insufficiency often is a poor proxy for meritlessness. Some plaintiffs lack sufficient factual knowledge of the elements of their claims not because the claims lack merit but because the information they need is …


Oral Dissenting On The Supreme Court, Christopher W. Schmidt, Carolyn Shapiro Oct 2010

Oral Dissenting On The Supreme Court, Christopher W. Schmidt, Carolyn Shapiro

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

In this Article we offer the first comprehensive evaluation of oral dissenting on the Supreme Court. We examine the practice in both historical and contemporary perspective, take stock of the emerging academic literature on the subject, and suggest a new framework for analysis of oral dissenting. Specifically, we put forth several claims. Contrary to the common assumption of scholarship and media coverage, oral dissents are nothing new. Oral dissenting has a long tradition, and its history provides valuable lessons for understanding the potential and limits of oral dissents today. Furthermore, not all oral dissents are alike. Dissenting Justices may have …


Law Versus Ideology: The Supreme Court And The Use Of Legislative History, David S. Law, David Zaring Apr 2010

Law Versus Ideology: The Supreme Court And The Use Of Legislative History, David S. Law, David Zaring

William & Mary Law Review

Much of the social science literature on judicial behavior has focused on the impact of ideology on how judges vote. For the most part, however, legal scholars have been reluctant to embrace empirical scholarship that fails to address the impact of legal constraints and the means by which judges reason their way to particular outcomes. This Article attempts to integrate and address the concerns of both audiences by way of an empirical examination of the Supreme Court’s use of a particular interpretive technique— namely, the use of legislative history to determine the purpose and meaning of a statute. We analyzed …


Impeachment As Judicial Selection?, Tuan Samahon Mar 2010

Impeachment As Judicial Selection?, Tuan Samahon

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

No abstract provided.


Controversial Gvrs And The "Degradation" Of The Gvr, Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl Feb 2010

Controversial Gvrs And The "Degradation" Of The Gvr, Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl

Popular Media

No abstract provided.


Deciding When To Decide - Appellate Procedure And Legal Change, Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl Feb 2010

Deciding When To Decide - Appellate Procedure And Legal Change, Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl

Popular Media

No abstract provided.


The Restrictive Ethos In Civil Procedure, A. Benjamin Spencer Feb 2010

The Restrictive Ethos In Civil Procedure, A. Benjamin Spencer

Faculty Publications

Those of us who study civil procedure are familiar with the notion that federal civil procedure under the 1938 Rules was generally characterized by a "liberal ethos," meaning that it was originally designed to promote open access to the courts and to facilitate a resolution of disputes on the merits. Most of us are also aware of the fact that the reality of procedure is not always access-promoting or fixated on merits- based resolutions as a priority. Indeed, I would say that a "restrictive ethos" prevails in procedure today, with many rules being developed, interpreted, and applied in a manner …


Wired: What We've Learned About Courtroom Technology, Fredric I. Lederer Jan 2010

Wired: What We've Learned About Courtroom Technology, Fredric I. Lederer

Popular Media

No abstract provided.


Nationwide Personal Jurisdiction For Our Federal Courts, A. Benjamin Spencer Jan 2010

Nationwide Personal Jurisdiction For Our Federal Courts, A. Benjamin Spencer

Faculty Publications

Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure limits the territorial jurisdiction of federal district courts to that of the courts of their host states.T his limitation is a voluntary rather than obligatory restriction, given district courts' status as courts of the national sovereign. Although there are sound policy reasons for limiting the jurisdictional reach of our federal courts in this manner, the limitation delivers little benefit from a judicial administration or even a fairness perspective, and ultimately costs more to implement than is gained in return. The rule should be amended to provide that district courts have personal …


Public Opinion And State Supreme Courts, Neal Devins, Nicole Mansker Jan 2010

Public Opinion And State Supreme Courts, Neal Devins, Nicole Mansker

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Talk Loudly And Carry A Small Stick: The Supreme Court And Enemy Combatants, Neal Devins Jan 2010

Talk Loudly And Carry A Small Stick: The Supreme Court And Enemy Combatants, Neal Devins

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.