Law Commons^™

Unmasking Undue Influence, Ray D. Madoff

Ray D. Madoff

The substantial passage of wealth that occurs upon death in the United States each year brings into focus the tension between the belief that people should be able to dispose of their wealth as they wish and society’s interest in maintaining social stability. Nowhere is this tension more apparent than in the doctrine of undue influence. The dominant paradigm presents the undue influence doctrine as providing a double benefit of protecting freedom of testation as well as preventing overreaching by others. In this Article, the author challenges the dominant paradigm by demonstrating how the undue influence doctrine denies freedom of …

Relativism, Reflective Equilibrium, And Justice, Justin Schwartz

Justin Schwartz

THIS PAPER IS THE CO-WINNER OF THE FRED BERGER PRIZE IN PHILOSOPHY OF LAW FOR THE 1999 AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE BEST PUBLISHED PAPER IN THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS.

The conflict between liberal legal theory and critical legal studies (CLS) is often framed as a matter of whether there is a theory of justice that the law should embody which all rational people could or must accept. In a divided society, the CLS critique of this view is overwhelming: there is no such justice that can command universal assent. But the liberal critique of CLS, that it degenerates into …

Litter Or Literature: Does The First Amendment Protect Littering Of Neighborhoods?, Stephen Durden

Stephen Durden

Pamphlets can be as simple as a single piece of paper or as voluminous as a small newspaper placed in a plastic bag. Each method of distribution engenders its own particular problems. The purpose of this Article is to examine the legal implications of pamphlet distribution, particularly distribution on residential property. Are these pamphlets litter or literature? Or, might they be called “litter-ature”--a combination of both? The first part of this Article sets forth some of the problems associated with the distribution of pamphlets, especially on residential property. The second part examines the First Amendment speech implications of distributing literature …

If It Can't Be Lake Woebegone...A Nationwide Survey Of Law School Grading And Grade Normalization Practices, Nancy Levit, Robert Downs

Nancy Levit

This article explores various methods of grade normalization used by law schools. Based on a survey of 116 responding ABA accredited law schools, 84% have some form of grade normalization policy, and the trend is toward adoption of grade normalization. The survey assessed the types of normalization plans (distributional requirements, required means, required medians, set standard deviations, and informal policies), as well as the reasons schools have adopted such plans. It also inquired about methods for ensuring faculty compliance as well as justifications for departures from grade norms.

The article considers and responds to the arguments against grade normalization and …

Once A Rapist? Motivational Evidence And Relevancy In Rape Law, Katharine K. Baker

Katharine K. Baker

Feminist scholars and activists have long sought to reform rape laws and evidence rules in order to increase the number of successful rape prosecutions in the United States. In partial response to these efforts, and in an effort to decrease crime, the 104th Congress amended the Federal Rules of Evidence by adding Rule 413, which makes prior acts of sexual assault by alleged rapists admissible in criminal sexual assault cases. The new Rule 413 was meant to level the legal playing field between rapists and their accusers. Professor Baker argues that the new Rule is misguided because it fails to …

Taking Care Of Our Daughters, A Book Review Of Martha Fineman, The Neutered Mother, The Sexual Family And Other Twentieth Century Tragedies, Katharine K. Baker

Katharine K. Baker

No abstract provided.

The Failure Of The Freedom-Based And Utlilitarian Arguments For Assisted Suicide, Scott T. Fitzgibbon

Scott T. FitzGibbon

In recent years, numerous initiatives have been launched to promote physician-assisted suicide. Numerous statutes have been proposed, and one (in Oregon) has been enacted. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit were recently persuaded to recognize constitutionally protected rights to assisted suicide, although their decisions have been reversed by the Supreme Court. An international organization called the World Federation of Right-to-Die Societies furthers such efforts in other countries. The two most common justifications for such initiatives are that assisted suicide enhances freedom or liberty, and that …

Embracing The Tar Baby: Latcrit Theory And The Sticky Mess Of Race, Angela P. Harris, Leslie Espinoza

Angela P Harris

No abstract provided.