Law Commons^™

Judgement As A Matter Of Law On Punitive Damages, Colleen P. Murphy

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Exclusionary Rule And Damages: An Economic Comparison Of Private Remedies For Unconstitutional Police Conduct, Jeffrey Standen

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Reinventing Structural Reform Litigation: Deputizing Private Citizens In The Enforcement Of Civil Rights, Myriam E. Gilles

Articles

The aim of this Article is to explore the possibility of constructing a model that harnesses the power of private citizens to reform unconstitutional practices, particularly in the critical area of police-related rights violations. I seek here to reintegrate private citizens into the enforcement of public laws; to tap the private experiential and financial resources that were a necessary condition of the great structural reform efforts of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

The vehicle by which I propose to accomplish these ends is a simple, yet novel, amendment to 42 U.S.C. § 14141, the statute which …

What's Half A Lung Worth? Civil Jurors' Accounts Of Their Award Decision Making, Nicole L. Mott, Valerie P. Hans, Lindsay Simpson

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Jury awards are often criticized as being arbitrary and excessive. This paper speaks to that controversy, reporting data from interviews with civil jurors' accounts of the strategies that juries use and the factors that they consider in arriving at a collective award. Jurors reported difficulty in deciding on awards, describing it as "the hardest part" of jury service and were surprised the court did not provide more guidance to them. Relatively few jurors entered the jury deliberation room with a specified award figure in mind. Once in the deliberation room, however, they reported discussing a variety of relevant factors such …

Pleading Under Section 11 Of The Securities Act Of 1933, Krista L. Turnquist

Michigan Law Review

The Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act") requires full and fair disclosure of the nature of securities sold in interstate and foreign commerce. Section 11 of the Securities Act prohibits false or misleading registration statements. It also provides buyers a private remedy for false or misleading statements against any signer of the registration statement, any partner or director of the issuer, any professional involved in preparing or certifying the statement, and any underwriter. The rule appears simple: if there is a material misstatement or omission in the registration statement, the buyer may sue the seller. Courts disagree, however, over how …

Law And Regret, Eric A. Posner

Michigan Law Review

Professor Farnsworth's1 topic is what he calls the "law of regretted decisions," those laws "that apply when you change your mind and reverse a decision" (p. ix). One finds such laws across many doctrinal divisions. Contract law influences the decision to change one's mind about keeping a promise. Tort law influences the decision to change one's mind after starting to rescue another person. The law of wills influences the decision to change one's mind about the distribution of one's assets among heirs. Farnsworth believes there are general principles that underlie the law of regretted decisions. Although there are some "anomalies," …

Whipped By Whiplash? The Challenges Of Jury Communication In Lawsuits Involving Connective Tissue Injury, Valerie P. Hans, Nicole Vadino

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ibpp Research Associates: Botswana, Ditso Anneleng

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses educational and legal issues surrounding students from Botswana enrolled in an alleged fake educational institution - African Media University in South Africa.

A Taxing Time For The Bishop Estate: What Is The I.R.S. Role In Charity Governance?, Evelyn Brody

Evelyn Brody

This piece, included in the University of Hawaii Law Review's symposium issue on the Bishop Estate, explores the relationship between the new intermediate sanctions law and the IRS's power to revoke tax exemption under § 501(c)(3). Inspired by the storied setting, I indulge in a fantasy: This article pretends that the IRS revoked the Estate's exemption, and takes the form of the Tax Court declaratory judgment opinion. I reluctantly 'rule' that exemption was not appropriate, because State enforcement action against the trustees was proceeding. (However, this forum allows me to hedge my argument by producing two concurring and one dissenting …

Watching The Watchdog: China's State Compensation Law As A Remedy For Procuratorial Misconduct, Keith Hand

Washington International Law Journal

In 1994, China enacted a comprehensive State Compensation Law ("SCL"). The SCL provides individuals and legal entities with the right to compensation in a limited number of situations in which they are harmed by illegal government acts. The purpose of the law is twofold: (1) to guarantee the rights of individuals and legal entities to obtain compensation and (2) to encourage state officials to exercise their powers lawfully. In theory, the SCL provides an important check on the conduct of procurators and other government officials. China's procurators serve dual roles as criminal prosecutors and as supervisors of the legal process. …

Breaking The Code Of Silence: Rediscovering "Custom" In Section 1983 Municipal Liability, Myriam E. Gilles

Articles

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Practicality And Constitutionality Of Alaska's Split-Recovery Punitive Damages Statute, Scott Dodson

Faculty Publications

In 1997, Alaska responded to its reputation for unusually high punitive awardsby amending its punitive damages statuteto require that 50% of any punitive damages award be deposited into the general fund of the state.Such “split-recovery” statutes attempt to reduce some of the plaintiff's windfall by allocating part of the punitive award to the state.Although the plaintiff shares in the award to compensate her for bringing the punitive claim in the first place,the state receives the balance to use for the public benefit.This Note evaluates the practicality and constitutionality of Alaska’s split- recovery statute. Part I reviews the nature and purpose …

Damages Mitigation Doctrine In The Statutory Anti-Discrimination Context: Mitigating Its Negative Impact, Howard C. Eglit

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Epstein's Property, Emily Sherwin

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

In an era of skepticism about common law traditions and sensitivity to claims of distributive injustice, Richard Epstein has been an unflinching defender of private property rights. He has insisted that property rights are intelligible, and reminded us of their importance to social and economic welfare. In this paper, I shall offer what I believe is a friendly interpretation of Epstein's writings on property, and then pose some internal questions about the approach he has outlined. I begin with a quick summary of his description of property rights in an ideal legal regime.

Cleveland V. Policy Management Systems Corporation: Triumph For The Working Disabled Or Hollow Procedural Device?, Sarah N. Otwell

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

The Futures Problem, Geoffrey C. Hazard Jr.

All Faculty Scholarship

Perhaps the most difficult problem in addressing mass torts is that of future claimants. "Futures" are those who do not now have claims, because injury has not been sufficiently manifested, but who may well have claims in the future. The Supreme Court's decisions in Amchem and Ortiz appear to have foredoomed any procedural mechanism by which to resolve future claims. This, in turn, will leave defendants in mass tort cases with greatly reduced incentives to participate in mass settlement. That implication makes the possibility of reforms in substantive law perhaps more attractive. In addition, these decisions invite further questions about …

The Liability Of International Arbitrators: A Comparative Analysis And Proposal For Qualified Immunity, Susan Franck

Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals

With the advent of the global economy and the increasing number of international commercial transactions, arbitration has become an important dispute resolution option. Arbitration is traditionally extolled because it helps to resolve commercial disputes economically, confidentially, and finally within a neutral forum.' Additionally, unlike national court judgments, arbitration provides an internationally recognized method for enforcing awards.' As a result of these benefits, arbitration is now the preferred dispute resolution mechanism for international commercial disagreements. Unfortunately, because of perceived misconduct by arbitrators and the risk of party manipulation, the arbitration process has come under increasing attack through civil actions against arbitrators.

Nlrb Remedies: Where Are They Going?, Leanord Page

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

The National Labor Relations Board's remedies are the vehicles through which the policies of the National Labor Relations Act are realized, and the means by which rights conferred by the Act are protected. Through the appropriate remedies, the Board ensures that conditions at the workplace are restored to those which existed before the onset of unlawful conduct. Effective remedies also deter unlawful conduct and promote voluntary compliance with the Act. Congress chose not to specify the precise remedies that would be available to the Board, understanding the Board's need for flexibility to meet diverse situations and those which Congress did …

Nlrb Remedies: Where Are They Going?, Leanord Page

Richmond Journal of Law and the Public Interest

The National Labor Relations Board's remedies are the vehicles through which the policies of the National Labor Relations Act are realized, and the means by which rights conferred by the Act are protected. Through the appropriate remedies, the Board ensures that conditions at the workplace are restored to those which existed before the onset of unlawful conduct. Effective remedies also deter unlawful conduct and promote voluntary compliance with the Act. Congress chose not to specify the precise remedies that would be available to the Board, understanding the Board's need for flexibility to meet diverse situations and those which Congress did …

The Scope Of 'High Crimes And Misdemeanors' After The Impeachment Of President Clinton, Neil J. Kinkopf

Faculty Publications By Year

Constitutional theorists have begun focusing a great deal of attention on constitutionalism outside the judiciary. As Professor Neal Katyal points out in his insightful paper, the impeachment and trial of President Clinton provide an outstanding opportunity to reflect upon the practice of constitutionalism outside the courts. During these episodes, the House of Representatives and the Senate confronted numerous constitutional questions, but rarely resolved them on the basis of an identifiable construction of the Constitution's meaning. There is, however, at least one important question of constitutional interpretation that the House of Representatives must be understood to have resolved: the scope of …

Governments, Citizens, And Injurious Industries, Hanoch Dagan, James J. White

Articles

In this Article, Professors Hanoch Dagan and James White study the most recent challenge raised by mass torts litigation: the interference of governments with the bilateral relationship between citizens and injurious industries. Using the tobacco settlement as their case study, Dagan and White explore the important benefits and the grave dangers of recognizing governments' entitlement to reimbursement for costs they have incurred in preventing or ameliorating their citizens' injuries. They further demonstrate that the current law can help capture these benefits and guard against the entailing risks, showing how subrogation law can serve as the legal foundation of the governments' …

Lies Between Mommy And Daddy: The Case For Recognizing Spousal Emotional Distress Claims Based On Domestic Deceit That Interferes With Parent–Child Relationships, Linda L. Berger

Scholarly Works

This Article discusses whether courts should recognize spousal IIED causes of action based on intentional lies that interfere with the establishment or the continuation of parent-child relationships. The Article begins with an overview of the currents in family law and tort law that converge in domestic tort actions. Next, it reviews the current status of a particular domestic tort: spousal emotional distress. It then examines the evolution of emotional distress claims based on interference with parent-child relationships, moving from California's early and continuing rejection of these claims to the very recent recognition of these claims by other states. Finally, it …

Fashionable Genetic Explanations In The Courtroom: Litigating Personal Injuries Based On Genetic Risk, Jennifer Wriggins

Faculty Publications

New developments in molecular genetics hold much promise for society. Gene therapy research is underway with the aim of helping to fight, and perhaps even eliminate some diseases. DNA data can be used as evidence to help free innocent people and put guilty ones in jail. Agricultural biotechnology can make crops and pesticides more productive. And cloning may offer exciting potential. There is little doubt that further· developments in the areas of genetics and biotechnology will change our lives in unanticipated ways.

Despite the potential benefits to society, there exist valid and serious I concerns about the potential for misuse …

The Bitter With The Sweet: Tradition, History, And Limitations On Federal Judicial Power--A Case Study, Stephen B. Burbank

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Secrecy Interest In Contract Law, Omri Ben-Shahar, Lisa Bernstein

Articles

A long and distinguished line of law-and-economics articles has established that in many circumstances fully compensatory expectation damages are a desirable remedy for breach of contract because they induce both efficient performance and efficient breach. The expectation measure, which seeks to put the breached-against party in the position she would have been in had the contract been performed, has, therefore, rightly been chosen as the dominant contract default rule. It does a far better job of regulating breach-or-perform incentives than its leading competitors-the restitution measure, the reliance measure, and specific performance. This Essay does not directly take issue with the …

Leveling The Playing Field Or Stacking The Deck? The "Unfair Advantage" Critique Of Perceived Disability Claims, Michelle A. Travis

Michelle A. Travis

In Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Congress recognized that the fears, misperceptions, and stereotypes about disabled individuals are so pervasive that employment discrimination reaches beyond those who actually possess substantially limiting impairments. Accordingly, the ADA protects not only employees with actual disabilities, but also those nondisabled employees who mistakenly are regarded as disabled by their employers. This Article analyzes to what extent those with perceived disabilities should receive the same substantive safeguards as those who are actually disabled. Specifically, the Article argues that applying the traditional forms of the ADA's reasonable accommodations and essential …