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Full-Text Articles in Law

No-Fault Auto Reparation In Florida: An Empirical Examination Of Some Of Its Effects, Joseph W. Little Jan 1975

No-Fault Auto Reparation In Florida: An Empirical Examination Of Some Of Its Effects, Joseph W. Little

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article discusses certain aspects of reparations systems that can be described by statistical parameters, but it does not attempt to evaluate whether or not pervasive sociological changes may result from legal modifications of the concept of fault. It may be that any erosion of fault as a legal concept will result in a decline in individual responsibility. The fact that some members of the bar and some members of the medical profession allegedly regularly engage in conspiracies to defeat the $1,000 medical expense threshold of the Florida statute could be cited as evidence of such deterioration. Nevertheless, this writer …


Public Broadcasting And The Problem Of Government Influence: Towards A Legislative Solution, Oscar G. Chase Jan 1975

Public Broadcasting And The Problem Of Government Influence: Towards A Legislative Solution, Oscar G. Chase

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article will explore the problems raised by the emergence of the federal government as a television "sponsor." It will argue that fundamental structural reform is needed to promote the constitutional values at issue, that such reform will also promote the interests of local control sought by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, and that legislative action in furtherance of this structural solution is desirable. In this context this article will consider the proposed Public Broadcasting Financing Act of 1974 and will argue that any bill modeled on it would not eliminate the problems despite its salutary innovations. Not considered, …


Providing An Effective Remedy In Shareholder Suits Against Officers, Directors, And Controlling Persons, Michael H. Woolever Jan 1975

Providing An Effective Remedy In Shareholder Suits Against Officers, Directors, And Controlling Persons, Michael H. Woolever

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Corporate officers, directors, and controlling persons occupy a fiduciary relationship toward the corporation and its shareholders in the exercise of control over corporate affairs. This fiduciary obligation requires that officers, directors, and controlling persons act in good faith and perform their offices in the best interests of the corporation and its shareholders and not to their own advantage. When this duty is breached, a shareholder may bring an action against these fiduciaries, either in his own name or derivatively for the benefit of the corporation. Under present law, however, it may be impossible for an American court to secure jurisdiction …


Presumption Of Dependence In Workers' Compensation Death Benefits As A Denial Of Equal Protection, A. Russell Localio Jan 1975

Presumption Of Dependence In Workers' Compensation Death Benefits As A Denial Of Equal Protection, A. Russell Localio

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This note will examine the sex bias prevalent in many workers' compensation statutes and the constitutionality of these statutes in light of recent Supreme Court decisions on sex discrimination. After this examination, alternative methods for effecting reform of the sex-biased death benefit provisions will be analyzed.


The Impact Of Michigan's Health Maintenance Organization Act, Roger Alan Petzke Jan 1975

The Impact Of Michigan's Health Maintenance Organization Act, Roger Alan Petzke

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Growing dissatisfaction with the shortcomings of the traditional system of health care has led to renewed interest in the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) concept in recent years. Although some HMO's have been operating in the United States for over forty years, conditions have been less than favorable to their growth and development. Major obstacles have been opposition from the medical profession, lack of public understanding about the nature and function of HMO's, and state laws restricting or prohibiting the establishment of HMO's. In order to create a more favorable legal climate and encourage HMO development, a number of states, including …


Whose Needy Children?, David L. Bazelon Jan 1975

Whose Needy Children?, David L. Bazelon

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

As an appellate judge for twenty-five years, the author has been confronted daily with cases involving what we call "behavior problems." As a judge, he can tell you it is a distressing task to sift daily through the records detailing the wreckage of human lives. He does not speak only of criminal cases. He also refers to child abuse and neglect cases, welfare eligibility cases, civil commitment cases, and many others.


Employer Racial Discrimination: Reviewing The Role Of The Nlrb, Lawrence F. Doppelt Jan 1975

Employer Racial Discrimination: Reviewing The Role Of The Nlrb, Lawrence F. Doppelt

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The NLRB and various commentators rely upon three basic legal arguments in rejecting this interpretation: first, the EEOC, and not the NLRB, is the sole and proper agency for litigating racial issues; second, employer racial discrimination does not interfere with the protected rights of employees under the Act, and third, it is not, and never was, Congress' intent in passing the Act to bring racial discrimination within its purview. Unquestionably, each of these legal arguments has, or at some time had, surface appeal, and, at one time, considerable force. The great mass of legal commentary supports at least one of …


Lawyers And Professionalism: A Further Psychiatric Perspective On Legal Education, Andrew S. Watson Jan 1975

Lawyers And Professionalism: A Further Psychiatric Perspective On Legal Education, Andrew S. Watson

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

In recent years, clinical teaching methods have played an increasingly significant role in the education of this nation's lawyers. With the consequential accumulation of data pertaining to various institutional experiences, it is now worthwhile to explore, from a clinician's perspective, some of the psychodynamics of this educational process as it appears to affect a student's future professional behavior. In addition to such an examination, this article will delineate methods for dealing with the stresses of a lawyer's professional life, suggesting ways in which the attorney may satisfy his goals as well as those of his client. It is hoped that …


State Management Of The Environment Part One: An Evaluation Of The Michigan Experience, Geoffrey J. Lanning Jan 1975

State Management Of The Environment Part One: An Evaluation Of The Michigan Experience, Geoffrey J. Lanning

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Michigan's citizens, as well as its government, seem but dimly aware of the fact that Michigan-the home of America's most growth-centered industry, the automobile-lies at the very eye of the environmental storm. This article seeks to take a broad look at the shortcomings of Michigan's environmental protection in recent years. In so doing, it groups many of Michigan's recent environmental failings into broad categories which will both clarify the status of Michigan's environmental law climate and provide a basis for its reform. Parts One and Two consist of this analysis and evaluation. Part Three will examine possible solutions and offer …


Scope Of Disclosure Of Internal Revenue Communications And Information Files Under The Freedom Of Information Act, Peter R. Spanos Jan 1975

Scope Of Disclosure Of Internal Revenue Communications And Information Files Under The Freedom Of Information Act, Peter R. Spanos

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article will discuss the proper scope of disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act of the files and administrative and policy materials of the IRS, with particular attention to the following currently contested issues: (1) the extent to which IRS guideline documents and private letter rulings are subject to disclosure; (2) the proper scope of the FOIA exemption for "interagency or intra-agency memorandums or letters which would not be available by law to a party other than an agency in litigation with the agency" as applied to the IRS; and (3) the scope of the exemption for "investigatory records …


The Juvenile Court And Emotional Neglect Of Children, James B. Stoetzer Jan 1975

The Juvenile Court And Emotional Neglect Of Children, James B. Stoetzer

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

A primary function of the Juvenile Court is to assist in the protection of children from abuse and neglect. Juvenile court acts, child abuse reporting statutes, and child protective services legislation have incorporated provisions dealing with physical abuse and physical neglect of children. Such legislation enables state intervention into family life for the protection of children exposed to harmful environments. Statutory definitions of abuse and neglect provide a basis on which the community, frequently through the juvenile court, may pass judgment on the existence of child neglect and offer services or coerce family members to accept them. A few states, …


Toward A Uniform Approach To Multilevel Distributorships, Donald Daniels Jan 1975

Toward A Uniform Approach To Multilevel Distributorships, Donald Daniels

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The phenomenal growth and eventual collapse of the enterprises of Glenn Wesley Turner and William Penn Patrick during the 1960's should have surprised no one. They were only a recent example of an old and recurrent merchandising scheme, a variant of the chain letter device. Such operations, commonly called pyramid sales schemes, can temporarily succeed where a credulous public, willing to believe that it can get rich quickly for a small monetary investment and little or no expenditure of effort, exists in a legal system lacking a coordinated program for the prevention of such machinations. Pyramid sales schemes have been …


Prudence In Trust Investment, Thomas D. Johnston Jan 1975

Prudence In Trust Investment, Thomas D. Johnston

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Part I of this article presents a brief history of the prudent man standard and explores the meaning of "prudence." Part II discusses the shift in legal theory to include equities as prudent investments. Part III articulates the weaknesses in the method currently used by courts to assess investment prudence in view of the exigencies confronting today's trustee-investor. Finally, part IV shows that the same factors which justified the creation of the Prudent Man Rule and its expansion to include equities will support its modification to encompass modern investment theories and techniques.


Lead-Based Paint Poisoning: Remedies For The Hud Low-Income Homeowner When Neglect Is No Longer Benign, Thomas P. Sarb Jan 1975

Lead-Based Paint Poisoning: Remedies For The Hud Low-Income Homeowner When Neglect Is No Longer Benign, Thomas P. Sarb

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Lead-based paint poisoning is a completely preventable disease which particularly afflicts young children living in deteriorating areas of the cities. It is caused by the ingestion of paint chips containing significant amounts of lead that have fallen or been picked off ceilings, floors, and woodwork of older houses. Repeated ingestion of such paint chips can lead to mental retardation, permanent impairment of intellectual ability, cerebral palsy, and blindness. Every year at least 400,000 children show some effect of lead poisoning; 50,000 of them need treatment; and 200 children die of the disease. The early symptoms of lead poisoning are changes …


Standards For Accepting Guilty Pleas To Misdemeanor Charges, Richard A. Kopek Jan 1975

Standards For Accepting Guilty Pleas To Misdemeanor Charges, Richard A. Kopek

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The guilty plea-not the trial-is the most common manner of disposing of criminal cases in America. It has been estimated that 90 percent of all convictions and 95 percent of misdemeanor convictions are the result of guilty pleas. Various reasons have been advanced to explain this heavy reliance on the guilty plea. For example, it avoids the drain on judicial resources that would occur if all cases had to be tried. In addition, it eliminates the risks and uncertainties of trials and permits flexibility in sentencing. Because of the prevalence of guilty pleas, there must be procedural safeguards to insure …


To Tell The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth - Help For Florida's Frazzled Condominium Buyers?, Elizabeth Snider Jan 1975

To Tell The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth - Help For Florida's Frazzled Condominium Buyers?, Elizabeth Snider

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The condominium has become an increasingly familiar arrangement in the United States. In 1972, some 235,000 condominium units were built; this number swelled to about 420,000 in 1973, an increase of almost 79 percent. Accompanying this tremendous increase in building and selling has been an increasing awareness of the need for regulation of this multi-million dollar industry. This note explores the legislative background of condominium regulation; examines the recent Florida Condominium Act amendments, focusing on the Act's disclosure requirements, what they mean, and what their impact will be on developers and purchasers; and offers alternatives to the Florida scheme.


Compensation Of The Federal Judiciary: A Reexamination, Elliot A. Spoon Jan 1975

Compensation Of The Federal Judiciary: A Reexamination, Elliot A. Spoon

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The compensation of the federal judiciary has been a persistent issue since the enactment of the Judiciary Act of 1789. The problem has been traditionally perceived in the context of particular proposals for salary increases, but the underlying issues are much more fundamental than the concerns of the day. The institutional arrangements by which judicial compensation is determined and the factors which shape that determination have a profound impact on the fiscal and human resources of the judiciary, on the power relationships among the three branches of the national government, and, thereby, on the independence and quality of the judicial …


Michigan Motor Vehicle Service And Repair Act Of 1974, A. Russell Localio Jan 1975

Michigan Motor Vehicle Service And Repair Act Of 1974, A. Russell Localio

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This note will analyze the Michigan Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Act, examining the differences between it and prior Michigan and federal legislation. The new legislation will be compared with similar statutes in other states. Finally, the possible drawbacks of repair shop and mechanic certification programs will be discussed, and suggestions for improvements will be made.


The Michigan Abortion Refusal Act, G. Michael White Jan 1975

The Michigan Abortion Refusal Act, G. Michael White

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Since the United States Supreme Court handed down the landmark decisions of Roe v. Wade andDoe v. Bolton, which placed constitutional limitations, on state regulation of abortions, efforts have been made on the federal and state levels to blunt the effect of those cases. One prevalent reaction has been the enactment of state "conscience clause" legislation, such as the Michigan Abortion Refusal Act, which seeks to extend to all hospitals the right to refuse admission of abortion patients. This legislative note will consider whether the Michigan conscience clause is legally necessary to ensure the right it seeks to …


The Sherman Act And Bar Admission Residence Requirements, Harvey Freedenberg Jan 1975

The Sherman Act And Bar Admission Residence Requirements, Harvey Freedenberg

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article will focus on the restrictive aspects of residence qualifications for admission to the state bar. Such restrictions are significant in three cases: initial admission to the bar, relocation by a foreign attorney, and multistate practice by an attorney admitted to the bar in another state. An attempt will be made to determine whether these requirements might be invalid under the Sherman Act and to analyze the case for their abolition. The commercial counterpart of professional entry restrictions has been termed "the very essence of monopoly,” and on this basis it is submitted that further freedom from antitrust scrutiny …


Conversion Of Apartments To Condominiums And Cooperatives: Protecting Tenants In New York, Charles M. Cobbe Jan 1975

Conversion Of Apartments To Condominiums And Cooperatives: Protecting Tenants In New York, Charles M. Cobbe

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

In recent years, the number of conversions of rental apartments to cooperative and condominium ownership has increased dramatically. Such conversions often result in extreme hardships for tenants in the buildings affected. Those who are unable or unwilling to pay the purchase price of an apartment are generally forced to seek other rental accommodations at a time when these are increasingly difficult to find -a problem which becomes especially severe for elderly tenants and those with low incomes. In addition, tenants who purchase apartments may suffer the abuses which often accompany sales of condominium and cooperative units. A further problem in …


The New York Truth In Travel Act, Lisa Kennedy Jan 1975

The New York Truth In Travel Act, Lisa Kennedy

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

A New York couple arrange a vacation abroad through their travel agent. They expect a direct flight, deluxe, centrally located accommodations, and guided tours of local attractions. Once they have set out, they discover to their dismay that their flight makes several lengthy stops, their reservations are at a drab and uncomfortable hotel in an inconvenient location, and there are no reservations for the tours. This hypothetical situation is representative of instances of travel fraud, a frequent consumer grievance in what is acknowledged as the considerable volume of travel business being conducted in the United States. New York has attempted …


Federal Leased Housing Assistance In Private Accommodations: Section 8, Nancy S. Cohen Jan 1975

Federal Leased Housing Assistance In Private Accommodations: Section 8, Nancy S. Cohen

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The public housing program, which does not involve private developers, was also criticized as wasteful, poorly conceived, and inequitable. Further, it appeared to some that the federal government was assuming the losses caused by the accelerating decline of large cities. As a result of various investigations and HUD audits, the FHA was in a state of chaos after recurring reorganizations. The administration's suspension of housing subsidies on January 5, 1973 was an added impetus for the passage of a new act. The resulting legislation, the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974,20 is the federal government's first significant set of …


Michigan Standards Of Conduct And Ethics Act Of 1973, Rogan Alan Petzke Jan 1975

Michigan Standards Of Conduct And Ethics Act Of 1973, Rogan Alan Petzke

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article undertakes an analysis of the Standards of Conduct and Ethics Act. After a discussion of the factors prompting enactment, the statutory framework of the Act is presented. Finally, the Michigan legislation is contrasted with and evaluated in light of similar statutory efforts in other states.


Preferential Property Tax Treatment Of Farmland And Open Space Under Michigan Law, Ronald Henry Jan 1975

Preferential Property Tax Treatment Of Farmland And Open Space Under Michigan Law, Ronald Henry

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This note will attempt to explain the new Michigan statute and evaluate the effectiveness of this type of legislation as a means of preserving open space and farmland from conversion to more intensive use.


State Management Of The Environment Part Two: A Continuing Evaluation Of The Michigan Experience, Geoffrey J. Lanning Jan 1975

State Management Of The Environment Part Two: A Continuing Evaluation Of The Michigan Experience, Geoffrey J. Lanning

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

In Part One of this article, the author outlined the scope and character of Michigan's environmental problems and suggested some of the factors underlying the state's weak and bureaucratic decisionmaking process. Part Two concludes the author's analysis of the fundamental obstacles to effective environmental decisionmaking in Michigan, and Part Three will contain recommendations for reform.


Due Process Problems Of Property Damage No-Fault Insurance, Stephen L. Jones Jan 1975

Due Process Problems Of Property Damage No-Fault Insurance, Stephen L. Jones

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Michigan, Florida, and Massachusetts have recently enacted automobile property damage no-fault legislation. Similar to the concept of personal injury no-fault plans, the property damage legislation bars tort recovery for damage to vehicles involved in collisions and substitutes a system of insurance protection that would compensate the vehicle's owner for these losses without regard to fault. There are, however, two essential differences between the property damage and personal injury proposals. First, because property damage claims have been minor as compared to those for personal injuries, the property damage proposals have permitted the vehicle owner to self-insure for the former losses by …


Presidential Pensions And Impeachment: A Proposal For Reform, Patrick E. Mears Jan 1975

Presidential Pensions And Impeachment: A Proposal For Reform, Patrick E. Mears

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The Former Presidents Act grants annual monetary and clerical allowances and free office space to "former Presidents." Under the Act a President is ineligible to receive any retirement benefits if he or she is removed from office by impeachment and conviction in the Congress of the United States. However, a President facing imminent impeachment can retain the benefits by resigning before the impeachment process culminates in his removal from office. Constitutional considerations indicate that the benefits conferred by the Act could not be revoked or reduced by special congressional legislation upon resignation; such action could be challenged as a bill …