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Full-Text Articles in Law

Reforming Recusal Rules: Reassessing The Presumption Of Judicial Impartiality In Light Of The Realities Of Judging And Changing The Substance Of Disqualification Standards To Eliminate Cognitive Errors, Melinda A. Marbes Oct 2017

Reforming Recusal Rules: Reassessing The Presumption Of Judicial Impartiality In Light Of The Realities Of Judging And Changing The Substance Of Disqualification Standards To Eliminate Cognitive Errors, Melinda A. Marbes

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

In recent years, high profile disqualification disputes have caught the attention of the public. In each instance there has been an outcry when a presiding jurist was asked to recuse but declined. Unfortunately, even if the jurist explains his refusal to recuse, the reasons given often are unsatisfying and do little to quell suspicions of bias. Instead, litigants, the press, and the public question whether the jurist actually is unbiased and doubt the impartiality of the judiciary as a whole. This negative reaction to refusals to recuse is caused, at least in part, by politically charged circumstances that cause further …


Professional Responsibility Of The Criminal Defense Lawyer Redux: The New Three Hardest Questions, Todd A. Berger Oct 2017

Professional Responsibility Of The Criminal Defense Lawyer Redux: The New Three Hardest Questions, Todd A. Berger

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

In 1966, Professor Monroe Freedman authored Professional Responsibility of the Criminal Defense Lawyer: The Three Hardest Questions, a work that occupies an important place in the cannon of legal ethics. Freedman believed that the three hardest questions facing a criminal defense attorney relate to whether it is ethical to discredit a truthful witness; whether it is proper to knowingly allow a client to testify falsely; and whether a lawyer may provide a client with legal advice when the lawyer suspects the client may use that advice to commit a crime. Beyond Freedman’s queries there are other important, yet largely unaddressed, …


Alternative Business Structures: Good For The Public, Good For The Lawyers, Jayne R. Reardon Oct 2017

Alternative Business Structures: Good For The Public, Good For The Lawyers, Jayne R. Reardon

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

There has been a shift in consumer behavior over the last several decades. To keep up with the transforming consumer, many professions have changed the way they do business. Yet lawyers continue to deliver services the way they have since the founding of our country. Bar associations and legal ethicists have long debated the idea of allowing lawyers to practice in “alternative business structures,” where lawyers and nonlawyers can co-own and co-manage a business to deliver legal services. This Article argues these types of businesses inhibit lawyers’ ability to provide better legal services to the public and that the legal …


Ethics And The “Root Of All Evil” In Nineteenth Century American Law Practice, Michael Hoeflich Oct 2017

Ethics And The “Root Of All Evil” In Nineteenth Century American Law Practice, Michael Hoeflich

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

This Article discusses the bifurcated notions on the purpose of working as an attorney—whether the purpose is to attain wealth or whether the work in and of itself is the purpose. This Article explores the sentiments held by distinguished and influential nineteenth-century lawyers—particularly David Hoffman and George Sharswood—regarding the legal ethics surrounding attorney’s fees and how money in general is the root of many ethical dilemmas within the arena of legal practice. Through the texts of Hoffman and Sharswood, we find the origins of the ethical rules all American attorneys are subject to in their various jurisdictions.


The Ambulance Chasing Epidemic In Texas, Ronald Rodriguez Oct 2017

The Ambulance Chasing Epidemic In Texas, Ronald Rodriguez

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

Barratry and solicitation of professional employment is illegal and unethical. The Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct define barratry as ethical misconduct and a serious crime. Unfortunately, for citizens and law-abiding attorneys of Texas, the criminal and ethical prohibitions against barratry have rarely been enforced. Consequently, barratry continues to proliferate rapidly throughout South Texas. For lawyers who engage in this unethical practice, the potential for large financial gain proves irresistible given the virtually nonexistent risk of prosecution. The lack of robust and successful prosecutions has created an optimal environment for barratry to proliferate. This Article discusses the current barratry epidemic …


Conflicts Of Interest For Former Law Firm Clerks Turned Lawyers, Daniel Haley Oct 2017

Conflicts Of Interest For Former Law Firm Clerks Turned Lawyers, Daniel Haley

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

There is no consensus for how the legal profession should treat a lawyer who has a conflict that arises from their time working as a law clerk while in law school. The majority of states allow a lawyer to be screened from participation if there is a conflict that arises from work they performed while still in law school. Nonetheless, not all states have adopted the Model Rules, and not all states that have adopted them accept and apply their rules uniformly. Clerkships are beneficial to both the student and the potential employer, and to limit these educational experiences due …


Electronic Social Media: Friend Or Foe For Judges, M. Sue Kurita Oct 2017

Electronic Social Media: Friend Or Foe For Judges, M. Sue Kurita

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

The use of electronic social communication has grown at a phenomenal rate. Facebook, the most popular social networking website, has over 1,968,000,000 users—a number that has exponentially grown since its inception in 2004. The number of judges accessing and using electronic social media (ESM) has also increased. However, unlike the general population, judges must consider constitutional, ethical, technical, and evidentiary implications when they use and access ESM. The First Amendment forbids “abridging the freedom of speech” and protects the expression of personal ideas, positions, and views. However, the American Bar Association’s Model Code of Judicial Conduct and the Texas Code …


Helping Students Develop Affirmative Evidence Of Cross-Cultural Competency, Neil Hamilton, Jeff Maleska Jan 2017

Helping Students Develop Affirmative Evidence Of Cross-Cultural Competency, Neil Hamilton, Jeff Maleska

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.


The Texas Supreme Court Retreats From Protecting Texas Students, Albert Kauffman Jan 2017

The Texas Supreme Court Retreats From Protecting Texas Students, Albert Kauffman

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

This Article criticizes the 2016 Texas Supreme Court school finance decision, the latest of seven decisions starting in 1989, for its disregard of both the record in the case and the realities of the Texas Constitution and Texas politics. The Article also focuses on how standards for reviewing legislation have changed and the Texas Supreme Court's irrational and unfounded retreat to the "money doesn't make a difference" theory of school finance. Finally, the Article recommends a return to an objective, comprehensible, enforceable and constitutional system of review, and concludes with a prayer for holdings that recognize the inequities of the …


Navigating The Post-Shelby Landscape: Using Universalism To Augment The Remaining Power Of The Voting Rights Act, Jesús N. Joslin Jan 2017

Navigating The Post-Shelby Landscape: Using Universalism To Augment The Remaining Power Of The Voting Rights Act, Jesús N. Joslin

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.


¡Que Viva The Scholar!, Bill Piatt Jan 2017

¡Que Viva The Scholar!, Bill Piatt

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.


Blue Lives Have Always Mattered: The Usurping Of Hate Crime Laws For An Unintended And Unnecessary Purpose, Lisa M. Olson Jan 2017

Blue Lives Have Always Mattered: The Usurping Of Hate Crime Laws For An Unintended And Unnecessary Purpose, Lisa M. Olson

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.


The Persistence Of Memory: The Continuing Influence Of Antebellum Missouri Laws Regarding African Americans, Roy Dripps Jan 2017

The Persistence Of Memory: The Continuing Influence Of Antebellum Missouri Laws Regarding African Americans, Roy Dripps

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.


Non-Sexual Predators: The Negative Implications Of Required Registration For Non-Sexual Offenses, Alexandra Vargas Jan 2017

Non-Sexual Predators: The Negative Implications Of Required Registration For Non-Sexual Offenses, Alexandra Vargas

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.


The English Rule - It Ain't English, And Ought Not Be American., Timothy M. Mulligan Jan 2017

The English Rule - It Ain't English, And Ought Not Be American., Timothy M. Mulligan

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


A New Remedy For Junk Science: Article 11.073 And Texas's Response To The Changing Landscape In The Forensic Sciences., Trevor Rosson Jan 2017

A New Remedy For Junk Science: Article 11.073 And Texas's Response To The Changing Landscape In The Forensic Sciences., Trevor Rosson

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


United States V. Mcintosh: Ninth Circuit Limits Federal Prosecutors From Spending To Enforce Marijuana Laws In Medicinal States., Daniel Haley Jan 2017

United States V. Mcintosh: Ninth Circuit Limits Federal Prosecutors From Spending To Enforce Marijuana Laws In Medicinal States., Daniel Haley

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


The Exclusionary Rule And The Dueling Legacies Of Utah V. Streiff: Which Will Be Suppressed., Marcos Herrera Jan 2017

The Exclusionary Rule And The Dueling Legacies Of Utah V. Streiff: Which Will Be Suppressed., Marcos Herrera

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


The Post-Production Costs Issue In Texas And Louisiana: Implications For The Fate Of Implied Covenants And Pro-Lessor Clauses In The Shale Era Oil And Gas Lease., Laura H. Burney Jan 2017

The Post-Production Costs Issue In Texas And Louisiana: Implications For The Fate Of Implied Covenants And Pro-Lessor Clauses In The Shale Era Oil And Gas Lease., Laura H. Burney

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article discusses the implications of Heritage Resources, Hyder, and several Louisiana cases on the “post-production costs” issue in gas royalty clauses, as well as the fate of implied covenants in the shale era. To better understand that issue, this Article first provides a background on the interaction of express lease clauses and the doctrine of implied covenants. This discussion reveals that implied covenants are relegated to a minor role in light of extensive express clauses in Shale Era leases because courts frequently view express or “plain” terms as barring implied covenants. The problem, however, as commentators have noted—particularly regarding …


Tx Rice V. Denbury., Thomas Alan Zabel Jan 2017

Tx Rice V. Denbury., Thomas Alan Zabel

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


Force Majeure: How Lessees Can Save Their Leases While The War On Fracking Rages On., Allison R. Ebanks Jan 2017

Force Majeure: How Lessees Can Save Their Leases While The War On Fracking Rages On., Allison R. Ebanks

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


What If The International Criminal Court Could Prosecute President Al-Assad For The Chemical Weapon Attacks In Ghouta?, Paul Cho Jan 2017

What If The International Criminal Court Could Prosecute President Al-Assad For The Chemical Weapon Attacks In Ghouta?, Paul Cho

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract forthcoming.


First They Came For The Child Pornographers: The Fbi's International Search Warrant To Hack The Dark Web, Zoe Russell Jan 2017

First They Came For The Child Pornographers: The Fbi's International Search Warrant To Hack The Dark Web, Zoe Russell

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract forthcoming.


No Appropriation Without Compensation: How Per Se Takings Of Personal Property Check The Power To Regulate Commerce., William Sumner Macdaniel Jan 2017

No Appropriation Without Compensation: How Per Se Takings Of Personal Property Check The Power To Regulate Commerce., William Sumner Macdaniel

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


The Demise Of Anti-Panhandling Laws In America., Natie Pilgram Neidig Jan 2017

The Demise Of Anti-Panhandling Laws In America., Natie Pilgram Neidig

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


The Executive Right To Lease After Kcm Financial Llc V. Bradshaw And A Louisiana Solution To A Texas Problem., Christopher S. Kulander Jan 2017

The Executive Right To Lease After Kcm Financial Llc V. Bradshaw And A Louisiana Solution To A Texas Problem., Christopher S. Kulander

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


Pipe(Line) Dreams Post-Denbury Green., Nicholas Laurent, Christopher Oddo Jan 2017

Pipe(Line) Dreams Post-Denbury Green., Nicholas Laurent, Christopher Oddo

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Denbury Green Pipeline-Texas, LLC v. Texas Rice Land Partners, the Beaumont Court of Appeals articulated the test that should be applied when considering whether the condemnation of private property, which would result favorably for pipeline companies, should be allowed. In Denbury, the Beaumont Court of Appeals balanced the protection of private property rights against the need for true common carrier pipeline companies to condemn private property. The court held that in order to condemn private property, a substantial public interest must exist to justify such condemnation. The Texas Supreme Court, however, reversed the decision of the Beaumont Court of …


Covenants Running With The Land., Michael P. Pearson Jan 2017

Covenants Running With The Land., Michael P. Pearson

St. Mary's Law Journal

The analysis of real covenants in wellhead contracts (e.g., gas purchasing, gathering, processing, etc.) by Texas courts has not been consistent. As a result, some bankruptcy courts are holding that a debtor in bankruptcy is not liable for a prior contractual obligation, unless the covenant is held to be a real covenant running with the land. For instance, the holding in In re Sabine Oil & Gas Corp. (Sabine I) contradicts the holdings in Westland Oil Development Corp. v. Gulf Oil Corp. and in Inwood North Homeowners' Association, Inc. v. Harris. The Sabine I court held that because the Acreage …


Network Investigation Techniques: Government Hacking And The Need For Adjustment In The Third-Party Doctrine, Eduardo R. Mendoza Jan 2017

Network Investigation Techniques: Government Hacking And The Need For Adjustment In The Third-Party Doctrine, Eduardo R. Mendoza

St. Mary's Law Journal

Modern society is largely dependent on technology, and legal discovery is no longer limited to hard-copy, tangible documents. The clash of technology and the law is an exciting, yet dangerous phenomena; dangerous because our justice system desperately needs technological progress. The clash between scientific advancement and the search for truth has recently taken an interesting form—government hacking. The United States Government has increasingly used Network Investigation Techniques (NITs) to target suspects in criminal investigations. NITs operate by identifying suspects who have taken affirmative steps to conceal their identity while browsing the Internet. The hacking technique has become especially useful to …