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Full-Text Articles in Law
Federal Common Law, Climate Torts, And Preclusion, Tom Boss
Federal Common Law, Climate Torts, And Preclusion, Tom Boss
Washington and Lee Law Review Online
Municipalities have been trying for decades to hold energy companies accountable for their role in the climate change crisis. In an effort to prevent suits, these companies are pushing the novel legal theory that federal common law provides a basis for jurisdiction in federal court over these claims. Once in federal court, the defendants argue that the very federal common law that served as the basis for removal has been displaced by the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. This would then justify dismissal of the entire case for failure to state a claim. Luckily for the plaintiffs, nearly all …
Show Me The Money: How Bankruptcy Courts Could Become The Most Equitable Mass Tort Forum, Olivia Maier
Show Me The Money: How Bankruptcy Courts Could Become The Most Equitable Mass Tort Forum, Olivia Maier
Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice
The Texas Two-Step has emerged as a dangerous bankruptcy maneuver for companies to defend against mass tort liability. The process allows a company to allocate all of its tort liability to a newly created company which then files for bankruptcy. The Bankruptcy Code provides instantaneous benefits for that new company, which tort victims are left unable to proceed with their claims. This has resulted in an inequitable process, and outcomes, for those victims as seen by the recent Johnson & Johnson Texas Two-Step. While this process is unjust, it has raised an interesting question: could a bankruptcy court become the …
The Counterintuitive Court: How The Supreme Court’S Punitive Damages Jurisprudence Endangers Marginalized Communities, Anne Rodgers
The Counterintuitive Court: How The Supreme Court’S Punitive Damages Jurisprudence Endangers Marginalized Communities, Anne Rodgers
Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice
Punitive damages are awarded in civil suits to deter intentionally reckless and grossly negligent behavior. The goal of punitive damages is to punish the tortfeasor and protect the public from future misconduct. However, the Supreme Court’s recent jurisprudence on punitive damages reflects a shift towards protecting businesses from what the Court perceives as an arbitrary taking under the Due Process Clause. This Note argues that these decisions are dangerous, especially for marginalized communities. This Note begins by defining punitive damages and common criticisms of punitive damages awards. This Note then discusses the role of the Supreme Court in reviewing punitive …