Law Commons^™

Administrative Law, Moses M. Tincher, Abrianna Harris

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys cases from the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Court of Appeals of Georgia from June 1, 2022 through May 31, 2023, in which principles of administrative law were a central focus of the case. Review of decisions by administrative agencies will be the first topic discussed, followed by cases discussing discretionary appeals, followed by cases discussing procedural requirements, with scope of authority to follow. The Article will conclude with cases discussing statutory construction

Deregulation: Too Big For One Branch, But Maybe Not For Two, Stephen M. Johnson

Articles

When President Trump took office in 2017, he pursued a deregulatory agenda that exceeded even that of President Reagan. Environmental rules and policies were a major target of the Administration. The President deployed a mix of traditional tools, such as executive orders, guidance documents and policies, and rulemaking to suspend or reverse longstanding regulations and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of the Interior, and other environmental agencies. The Administration also utilized the Congressional Review Act as it had not been used before and aggressively sought abeyances in litigation challenging disfavored rules and policies to advance its …

Rulemaking 3.0: Incorporating Ai And Chatgpt Into Notice And Comment Rulemaking, Stephen M. Johnson

Articles

Technological innovations since the turn of the century have created opportunities to increase public participation in notice and comment rulemaking, increase the efficiency of the process, and increase the quality of the rules adopted by agencies. For some rules, online rulemaking and social media have facilitated increased public participation, but have not necessarily facilitated improvements in the quality of public comments. In addition, in some cases, the transformation of the process has created new challenges for government agencies by making it easier for supporters or opponents of rules to flood agencies with duplicative and potentially false comments to which the …

Administrative Law, Moses M. Tincher, Chelsea J. Harris

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys cases from the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Georgia Court of Appeals from June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2022, in which principles of administrative law were a central focus of the case. Review of decisions by administrative agencies will be the first topic discussed, followed by cases discussing discretionary appeals, followed by cases discussing procedural requirements, with scope of authority to follow. The Article will conclude with cases discussing statutory construction.

Whither The Lofty Goals Of The Environmental Laws?: Can Statutory Directives Restore Purposivism When We Are All Textualists Now?, Stephen M. Johnson

Articles

Congress set ambitious goals to protect public health and the environment when it enacted the federal environmental laws through bipartisan efforts in the 1970s. For many years, the federal courts interpreted the environmental laws to carry out those enacted purposes. Over time, however, courts greatly reduced their focus on the environmental and public health purposes of the environmental laws when interpreting those statutes due to the rise in textualism, the declining influence of the Chevron doctrine, and the increasing willingness of courts to defer to agency underenforcement of statutory responsibilities across all regulatory statutes.

In 2020, the Environmental Protection Network, …

Administrative Law, Chelsea M. Lamb, Moses M. Tincher, Matthew M. White, Hannah M. Couch

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys cases from the Georgia Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals from June 1, 2020, through May 31, 2021, in which principles of administrative law were a central focus of the case. Review of decisions by administrative agencies will be the first topic discussed, followed by cases discussing discretionary appeals, followed by cases discussing procedural requirements, with scope of authority to follow. The Article will conclude with cases discussing statutory construction

From Protecting Water Quality To Protecting States’ Rights: Fifty Years Of Supreme Court Clean Water Act Statutory Interpretation, Stephen M. Johnson

Articles

In 1972, a bipartisan Congress enacted the Clean Water Act “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” Almost fifty years have passed since Congress enacted the law, and during that time, the Supreme Court has played a significant role in the administration and evolution of the law. Since the dawn of the environmental era in the 1970s, the Supreme Court has heard more cases involving the Clean Water Act than any other environmental law. However, the manner in which the Court has analyzed the law has changed substantially over the last half century. …

Administrative Law, Chelsea M. Lamb, Moses Tincher, Matthew M. White

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys cases from the Georgia Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals from June 1, 2019, through May 31, 2020, in which principles of administrative law were a central focus of the case. Exhaustion of remedies will be the first topic discussed, followed by a review of decisions by administrative agencies, followed by cases discusses administrative scope of authority, with statutory construction to follow. The Article will conclude with cases discussing the standard of review of decisions by administrative agencies.

Administrative Law, Alan Gregory Poole Jr., Chelsea M. Lamb

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys cases from the Georgia Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals from June 1, 2018 through May 31, 2019, in which principles of administrative law were a central focus of the case. Exhaustion of administrative remedies will be the first topic discussed, followed by a review of decisions by administrative agencies, followed by cases discussing the administrative scope of authority, with statutory construction to follow. The Article will conclude with cases discussing the standard of review of decisions by administrative agencies.

You’Re Fired! Why The Alj Multi-Track Dual Removal Provisions Violate The Constitution & How To Fix Them, Linda D. Jellum

Articles

This Article explains why the for-cause removal provisions for ALJs are unconstitutional and offers three potential solutions to remedy this problem. Part I provides background information, which explains that the APA was a compromise of competing interests. Some wanted ALJs to be completely in-dependent from their agencies to further unbiased decision-making and inde-pendence, and others feared agencies would lose control over setting policy, should ALJs have such an independent function.Ultimately, Congress com-promised by including provisions to make the ALJs more independent, while also ensuring that agencies retained complete control to set policy.

As part of the independence piece of the …

Quacks Or Bootleggers: Who’S Really Regulating Hedge Funds?, Jeremy Kidd

Articles

Influential scholars of corporate law have questioned previous federal interventions into corporate governance, calling it quackery. Invoking images of medical malpractice, these critiques have argued persuasively that Congress, in responding to crises, makes policy that disrupts efficient private rules and established state laws. This Article applies the Bootleggers and Baptists theory to show that Dodd–Frank’s hedge fund rules are more than just negligent or reckless, but designed to benefit special interests that compete with the hedge fund model. Those rules offer no solutions to any real or perceived risks arising from hedge fund investing, but might offer an advantage to …

Indeconstructible: The Triumph Of The Environmental “Administrative State”, Stephen M. Johnson

Articles

Shortly after the 2017 Presidential inauguration, a senior advisor to the President proclaimed that a top priority of the Administration would be the “deconstruction of the administrative state.” A primary target of the Administration’s deconstruction efforts was the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and federal environmental regulations.

While the President can use a variety of tools, including the appointment power, budget power, treaty power, and executive orders, to influence the manner in which the EPA and other agencies interpret and enforce laws, the President has very little power to unilaterally “deconstruct the administrative state.” The “administrative state” is a creation …

The Brand-X Effect: Declining Chevron Deference In The 21st Century, Stephen Johnson

Articles

Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. is the most frequently cited Supreme Court administrative law decision and has generated substantial scholarship over the past thirty-four ears. Almost three decades ago, Robert Glicksman and Christopher Schroeder examined the nature of judicial review of the actions of the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") by the federal courts during the agency's first twenty years of existence, focusing, in part, on the changing nature of that review in light of the Chevron decision. Glicksman and Schroeder concluded that the courts aggressively reviewed EPA's actions during the agency's early years, interpreting the …

Administrative Law, Jennifer B. Alewine, Courtney E. Ferrell, Allison W. Pryor

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys cases from the Georgia Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals from June 1, 2016 through May 31, 2017 in which principles of administrative law were a central focus of the case. The Article first discusses the exhaustion of administrative remedies, followed by decisions by state administrative agencies, then on to scope of authority, statutory construction, a review of administrative decisions, and concludes with a brief review of enactments from the 2017 regular session of the Georgia General Assembly.

The Shadow Of Free Enterprise: The Unconstitutionality Of The Securities & Exchange Commission's Administrative Law Judges, Linda D. Jellum, Moses M. Tincher

Articles

Six years ago, Congress enacted the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), for the first time giving the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) the power to seek monetary penalties through its in-house adjudication. The SEC already had the power to seek such penalties in federal court. With the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC’s enforcement division could now choose between an adjudication before an SEC Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) or a civil action before an Article III judge. With this new choice, litigants contended that the SEC realized a significant home-court advantage. For example, the Wall Street Journal …

Advancing Auer In An Era Of Retreat, Stephen M. Johnson

Articles

At the dawn of the modern administrative state, the Supreme Court held, in Bowles v. Seminole Rock & Sand Company, that an agency’s interpretation of its own regulation is “of controlling weight unless it is plainly erroneous or inconsistent with the regulation.” A half century later, the Court retained that approach in Auer v. Robbins, a decision authored by Justice Scalia. Auer deference is generally regarded as the most accommodating standard of judicial review applied by courts to agency decision-making.

Although the Supreme Court created Seminole Rock/Auer deference more than seventy years ago, the Court has created exceptions to …

#Betterrules: The Appropriate Use Of Social Media In Rulemaking, Stephen M. Johnson

Articles

In December 2015, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) use of various social media tools in a rulemaking under the Clean Water Act violated prohibitions in federal appropriations laws against publicity, propaganda, and lobbying. Although academics previously explored whether the use of technology in rulemaking might violate the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), the Paperwork Reduction Act, or the Federal Advisory Committee Act, none predicted that one of the first firestorms surrounding the use of social media in rulemaking would arise out of federal appropriations laws. ...

As the Administrative Conference of the United States …

Administrative Law, Jennifer B. Alewine, Courtney E. Ferrell, Erin G. Watstein

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys cases from the Georgia Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals from June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016, in which principles of administrative law were a central focus of the case.' Exhaustion of administrative remedies will be the first topic discussed, to be followed by standard of review of an agency decision, then on to statutory construction, with sovereign immunity and discretionary appeals to follow, and the article will conclude with a brief review of enactments from the 2016 regular session of the Georgia General Assembly.

(Not So) Desperate Times Call For (Not So) Desperate Measures: The First Use Of Remand Without Vacatur In The Eleventh Circuit, Rebekah L. Hogg

Mercer Law Review

In Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Inc. v. United States Army Corps of Engineers, as a matter of first impression for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the court of appeals issued "remand without vacatur." In civil cases, remand without vacatur applies solely to suits questioning the validity of federal administrative regulations, and courts use this remedy sparingly. Just five circuit courts have applied remand without vacatur, and only the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has employed the remedy with any frequency. Black Warrior Riverkeeper involved two environmental groups alleging the Army …

Timber! The Sec Falls Hard As The Georgia District Court In Timbervest Finds The Appointment Of The Sec Aljs "Likely Unconstitutional", Moses M. Tincher

Mercer Law Review

The higher you go, the harder you fall. This simple, yet powerful, adage could not be more apt regarding the recent rise and fall in power of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The rise began in 2010 when Congress enacted the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), giving the SEC new power over its administrative proceedings. Using this new power, the SEC brought more insider-trading and highly contested cases before specially hired administrative law judges (ALJs), who conduct these administrative proceedings. This "home-court" advantage corresponded with the SEC's enforcement division enjoying an 86%, …

Administrative Law, Jennifer B. Alewine, Courtney E. Ferrell, Erin G. Watstein

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys cases from the Georgia Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals from June 1, 2014 through May 31, 2015 in which principles of administrative law were a central focus of the case. The Article begins with a discussion of cases on exhaustion of administrative remedies, followed by a series of cases discussing standard of review for an agency decision, a review of sovereign immunity cases, and a brief review of enactments from the 2015 regular session of the Georgia General Assembly.

This Article is dedicated to the illustrious Martin M. Wilson, who authored this Article for …

Administrative Law, Martin M. Wilson, Jennifer A. Blackburn, Courtney E. Ferrell, Erin G. Watstein

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys cases from the Georgia Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals from June 1, 2013 through May 31, 2014 in which principles of administrative law were a central focus of the case. The Article begins with a discussion of cases on exhaustion of administrative remedies, followed by a series of cases discussing statutory construction. The next topic discussed will be the standard of review of an agency decision, with a review of sovereign immunity cases to follow, and the Article concludes with a brief review of enactments from the 2014 regular session of the Georgia General …

Sue And Settle: Demonizing The Environmental Citizen Suit, Stephen M. Johnson

Articles

When federal agencies fail to issue regulations, respond to petitions, approve plans, review standards, or take any number of actions that are required by statute, the federal Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and federal environmental laws authorize citizens to sue the agencies to force them to carry out their legal obligations. Indeed, Congress anticipated that citizens would play an important role in the enforcement of federal environmental laws. When faced with lawsuits for failing to perform non-discretionary duties, agencies tend to settle because their liability is clear.

Administrative Law, Martin M. Wilson, Jennifer A. Blackburn, Courtney E. Ferrell

Mercer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Usual Suspects: Acus, Rulemaking 2.0 And A Vision For Broader, More Informed And More Transparent Rulemaking, Stephen M. Johnson

Articles

In an ideal world, administrative agencies would develop regulations in an informal rulemaking process that would be transparent and efficient and that included broad input from the public, or an entity advocating for the public, as well as the regulated community. Instead, critics assert that the informal rulemaking process is opaque and is dominated by regulated entities and industry groups, rather than public interest groups. The process does not encourage a dialogue among the commenters or between the commenters and the agency. Indeed, regulated entities are frequently strategic in the timing of their comments, withholding comment until the end of …

Administrative Law, Martin M. Wilson, Jennifer A. Blackburn, Courtney E. Ferrell

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys cases from the Georgia Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals from June 1, 2011 through May 31, 2012, during which principles of administrative law were either illuminated or formed an important piece of the decision making. For a change, the Authors observed a significant increase in the number of reported cases during the survey period, but that increase does not necessarily indicate a trend. No attempt has been made to survey cases that properly would fall under categories of more specific articles in this issue, although some degree of overlap is inevitable because of shared …

In Defense Of The Short Cut, Stephen M. Johnson

Articles

Congress frequently gives administrative agencies a choice of several different tools—including legislative rulemaking, nonlegislative rulemaking, and adjudication—to interpret and apply the statutes that they administer. When Congress gives agencies a choice, courts rarely second-guess the agencies’ choice of policymaking tool. Rarely, that is, unless the agency chooses to interpret a statute through nonlegislative rulemaking. ...

Part II of this Article explores the variety of policymaking tools that are available to agencies, the deference generally accorded an agency’s choice of tool, and the reluctance of courts to defer when agencies choose to make policy through nonlegislative rulemaking. Part III explores Franklin’s …

Administrative Law, Martin M. Wilson, Jennifer A. Blackburn

Mercer Law Review

The difficult economic times and resulting budget cuts to many state agencies were evident in the reduced number of high-level administrative law cases brought before the courts during this survey period. It seems in tough times such litigation is often not pursued to the degree it is in a more comfortable economic climate. As the economy begins to recover, we will likely see an increase in the number and complexity of administrative law cases brought before the appellate courts.

This Article is a survey of cases from the Georgia Supreme Court and Georgia Court of Appeals from June 1, 2010 …

Disclosing The President’S Role In Rulemaking: A Critique Of The Reform Proposals, Stephen M. Johnson

Articles

Whether for want of time, expertise, or political will, Congress frequently drafts laws that leave important questions unanswered. Ever since the New Deal era, administrative agencies have resolved these questions pursuant to broad delegations of authority from Congress. For decades, academics have debated the appropriate role for the President in the process of settling such questions. In practice, the President and the President's staff often exert strong influence over agencies in their resolution of the unanswered questions. Frequently, though, the President's hand is invisible in the records created by the agencies to justify their decisions. Rather than documenting political influences, …

Administrative Law, Martin M. Wilson, Jennifer A. Blackburn

Mercer Law Review

Even in tough economic times, the work of administrative agencies seems to continue with particularly robust growth at the state level. The number of contested agency cases seems to be rising, even those involving the most trivial details. Although the idea of more government is not fashionable in most corridors, higher levels of activity by existing governmental agencies will be the norm until the state's economic picture achieves measurable improvement.

This Article is a survey of cases from the Georgia Supreme Court and Georgia Court of Appeals from June 1, 2009 through May 31, 2010. The cases chosen for review …