Law Commons^™

Wage Discrimination And Job Segregation: The Survival Of A Theory, Ruth G. Blumrosen

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

My earlier article in this journal, Wage Discrimination, Job Segregation, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, advanced the theory that the same discriminatory factors which lead to job segregation are also likely to be responsible for wage differentials between segregated jobs. The discriminatorily depressed wage rate of the segregated job is therefore one of the "adverse effects" under Griggs v. Duke Power Co. of job segregation. In order to establish a prima facie case of wage discrimination in a Title VII action, plaintiffs must show the fact of job segregation - that the jobs were …

Employee Stock Ownership Plans: An Analysis Of Current Reform Proposals, Luis L. Granados

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article surveys the battle between the critics and advocates of the ESOP, and scrutinizes various proposals currently being considered in the legislative arena. Part I examines the philosophy and history of the ESOP, particularly focusing upon the conceptual foundations provided by the writings of Louis Kelso. Part II explicates the various functions performed by the ESOP: as a tool of corporate finance, as an "in-house" market for the sale of stock held by a company's shareholders, and as a means of obtaining additional investment tax credit. Part III analyzes critically six proposed improvements of the ESOP system from both …

Toxic Substance Contamination: The Risk-Benefit Approach To Causation Analysis, Bradford W. Kuster

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article argues that the dilemma described above requires change and proposes a new standard for causation in this type of toxic contamination case. Part I examines the difficulties posed by conventional common law relief mechanisms, and the inadequacies of existing statutory relief mechanisms. Part II scrutinizes a more lenient burden of proof standard, the risk-benefit approach, which some courts have applied when faced with situations involving scientific uncertainties. The risk-benefit approach will be applied to causation analysis in the context of damage recoveries, using the. Hemlock, Michigan, situation as a case study. Part III discusses present congressional proposals, and …

The Involuntary Public Figure Class Of Gertz V. Robert Welch: Dead Or Merely Dormant?, Dale K. Nichols

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article does not resolve the debate over involuntary public figures but argues instead that in light of the Court's pronouncements in Firestone, Hutchinson and Walston, the involuntary class should be abolished. Part I briefly traces the evolution and significance of public figure status in defamation law, and reviews various interpretations of the involuntary public figure references in Gertz. Part II examines the status of the involuntary class after Firestone, Hutchinson and Walston, and discusses the extent to which future use of the class remains logically consistent with those decisions. Finally, the article considers the merits of …

Specific Performance Of "Unfulfillable" Plea Bargains, Stuart L. Gasner

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article discusses how courts have handled the remedy dilemma presented by unfulfillable plea bargains. Part I analyzes the seminal Supreme Court opinion on the broken plea bargain question, Santobello v. New York. This section concludes that choice-of-remedy is not entirely a matter of lower court discretion. Rather, Santobello delegates to lower courts the authority to develop a law of remedies which conforms to the underlying principles of that decision. Part I also focuses on what courts have done with this mandate, discussing the elements of decision courts have developed to remedy unfulfillable plea bargains. Finally, Part II suggests …

Narrowing The "Routine Use" Exemption To The Privacy Act Of 1974, John W. Finger

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article suggests a balancing test to determine which routine uses of information legitimately fall within the Privacy Act. Part I briefly examines the background of the Act, concentrating on the legislative history of the routine use exemption, and examining problems the exemption presents. Part II then proposes a balancing test, based on notice and need for data, as a means of ascertaining proper routine uses.

Qualification Requirements For Foreign Corporations: The Need For A New Definition Of "Doing Business" Based On In-State Sales Volume, Stanley M. Klem

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Part I of this article examines the mechanics of the present qualification system, paying special attention to the problems created by a multiplicity of vague state standards. Part II discusses the historical justification and purposes of the present system, concluding that only the protection function justifies the continued existence of the system. Finally, Part III proposes that "doing business" be defined in terms of the annual volume of in-state sales. This solution would remedy the problems which plague the present system while furthering the legitimate protection function of the state qualification requirements.

A Model For Determining The Publication Requirements Of Section 552(A)(1) Of The Administrative Procedure Act, Michael J. Kump

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article addresses the question of when the publication rule requires an agency to publish its results in the Federal Register, particularly "interepretations of general applicability" and "statements of general policy." The vast number of recent cases involving violations of the publication rule provide ample· impetus for settling this controversy. Of striking significance is the broad spectrum across which these cases stretch: food stamp cases, prison matters, and immigration disputes. The list is as broad as the range of administrative practice.

Standards For Insecurity Acceleration Under Section 1-208 Of The Uniform Commercial Code: A Proposal For Reform, Darlene M. Nowak

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article examines in Part I how insecurity clauses function under the common law and the U.C.C .. Part II discusses the areas of controversy under section 1-208, the definition of good faith, the need for notice to the debtor, and the debtor's burden of proof. The article will evaluate the need for substantive reform in each area of controversy. A two-tier test of the creditor's insecurity is proposed wherein although the creditor has no responsibility to check the truth of his information, he may accelerate only if the information is true and is such as to make a reasonable …

The Public Broadcasting Act: The Licensee Editorializing Ban And The First Amendment, John C. Grabow

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article contends that the public is deprived of an important source of information on public affairs issues as a result of the section 399(a) prohibition on editorializing. After an examination of the legislative history of Section 399(a), and the heritage of broadcast regulation in the United States, the article concludes that the prohibition on editorializing is an improper restriction on free expression in violation of the First Amendment.

A Reasonable Approach To The Doctrine Of Reasonable Expectations As Applied To Insurance Contracts, Karen K. Shinevar

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Part I of this article examines standard insurance contract analysis and the existing confusion within that analysis. Part II examines the doctrine of reasonable expectations. In Part Ill, Professor Keeton's expansion of the reasonable expectations doctrine is explained and analyzed. This article concludes in Part IV that Keeton's expanded doctrine has the effect of confusing most courts, which continue to discuss reasonable expectations in relation to conventional rules of contract construction. The article proposes that the reasonable expectations doctrine be limited to contractual language and surrounding circumstances in order to establish clearer guidelines for insurers and consumers.

Michigan's Nursing Home Reform Law, John D. Croll

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article examines Michigan's new nursing home reform law, which has been hailed as "landmark legislation" and as a model for the entire country. Part I examines the past failures of nursing home regulation and the need for reform. Part II analyzes the law's key provisions. Part III examines the weaknesses of certain enforcement measures. The article proposes the following improvements: (1) extension of the law's protection to residents of homes for the aged; (2) greater access to patients by approved organizations; (3) adoption of nurse-patient ratios; (4) improvement of inspection procedures; and (5) allowance for patients or their representatives …

Police Use Of Cctv Surveillance: Constitutional Implications And Proposed Regulations, Gary C. Robb

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article evaluates the constitutionality of CCTV "searches." Part I discusses the present uses being made of closed circuit technology and evaluates the merits of the CCTV surveillance system. The critical policy trade-off is the system's effectiveness in combatting crime against the resulting loss of privacy to individual citizens.

Part II considers the constitutional implications of CCTV use in terms of three major doctrines: the Fourth Amendment prohibition against "unreasonable searches and seizures"; the constitutional right of privacy; and the First Amendment guarantees of free speech and association. This part briefly summarizes the state of the law concerning these constitutional …

The Use Of Collateral Estoppel By A Private Party In Suits Against Public Agency Defendants, John Kelly, David Rothenberg

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Collateral estoppel has been defined as "the facet of the doctrine of judicial finality that deals with a judgment's conclusive effect in a suit on another cause of action." It precludes relitigation of a previously decided issue when that same issue arises in the context of a subsequent suit based on a different claim.

Traditionally, a party seeking to assert collateral estoppel must establish three elements: (1) identity with an issue actually and necessarily litigated in the prior case, (2) mutuality of parties, that is, the same parties or their privies in the second case as in the first, and …

In Memoriam: Talbot Smith, Donald P. Lay

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

My goal this evening is first to reflect upon Talbot Smith's life as an unusual and gifted person and second, to underscore his career not so much as the judicial giant he was, but as a tremendous witness and teacher to all mankind.

Putting Bite In Nepa's Bark: New Council On Environmental Quality Regulations For The Preparation Of Environmental Impact Statements, David M. Lesser

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article will examine the new regulations to assess the manner in which they will affect federal decisionmaking. Part I briefly reviews the role the NEPA process has heretofore played in agency decisionmaking and its potential for the future. Parts II, III, and IV discuss specific provisions of the new regulations which may profoundly affect the agencies. Part II examines those sections of the regulations which seek to ensure that the EIS contains the substantive information necessary to fulfill NEPA's policies. Part III discusses significant procedural changes in the environmental assessment process designed to insure that this substantive information is …

Protection For Trade Secrets Under The Toxic Substances Control Act Of 1976, Paula R. Latovick

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article will examine the protection provided by the Act and the measures the EPA has adopted for implementing the Act's provisions. The approach will be to focus on the different functional areas in which disclosure may take place. Part I examines the scheme for designating information as confidential and the mechanics of the reporting system under TSCA. Part II deals with disclosures of confidential information made while implementing the TSCA. Part III focuses on legal disclosures of information submitted as confidential. Finally, Part IV examines the measures taken within the EPA to guarantee the safety of confidential information, the …

A Peek In Pandora's Box: Folding Carton And The Privilege Against Self-Incrimination In Civil Antitrust Actions, David D. Gregg

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The purpose of this article is to examine the dimensions of an individual's Fifth Amendment privilege in a civil antitrust action where the person has not yet been guaranteed that criminal prosecution is no longer possible. Two issues are apparent: first, under what conditions may a civil antitrust defendant properly invoke the privilege; second, if a civil antitrust plaintiff seeks to discover information privileged under the Fifth Amendment, what is the proper response to the problem? Folding Carton provides an excellent example of the process of antitrust litigation and demonstrates the tensions involved. Using that case as an example, the …

Wage Discrimination And The "Comparable Worth" Theory In Perspective, Bruce A. Nelson, Edward M. Opton Jr., Thomas E. Wilson

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Our article focuses primarily on one legal question: Does the wage discrimination theory, as sketched by Professor Blumrosen, fall within the remedial ambit of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act? Wage Discrimination's factual contentions as to the existence and universality of wage discrimination deserve equally detailed analysis, but we leave that task to scholars of the pertinent disciplines, sociology and economics. We will deal with the factual contentions of Wage Discrimination only so far as necessary to challenge its central factual conclusion: that a demonstration of job separation should lead to a judicial inference of wage discrimination. This …

Foreign Nation Suits For Treble Damages Under The Clayton Act After Pfizer V. Government Of India, Marianne P. Gaertner

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

After summarizing the rationale behind Pfizer, this article will trace the ramifications of the decision on American foreign, economic, and antitrust policies. Second, a suggestion for a foreign sovereign antitrust bill will then be offered. Finally, an examination of present congressional proposals will show that these proposals fail to address fully the political and economic consequences of Pfizer.