Law Commons^™

The Secret Sauce: Examining Law Schools That Overperform On The Bar Exam, Derek T. Muller, Christopher J. Ryan Jr.

Journal Articles

Since 2010, law schools have faced declining enrollment and entering classes with lower predictors of success despite recent signs of improvement. At least partly as a result, rates at which law school graduates pass the bar exam have declined and remain at historic lows. Yet, during this time, many schools have improved their graduates' chances of success on the bar exam, and some schools have dramatically outperformed their predicted bar exam passage rates. This Article examines which schools do so and why.

Research for this Article began by accounting for law schools' incoming class credentials to predict an expected bar …

Review Of Tom Ginsburg, Democracies And International Law, Diane A. Desierto

Journal Articles

Review of Tom Ginsburg, Democracies and International Law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021. Pp. 250. £29.99. ISBN: 9781108843133.

Court-Packing In Context, Barry Cushman

Journal Articles

From the Introduction

There is a curious lacuna in the literature on the Court-packing crisis of 1937. The proposal for reform of the federal judiciary that received the most attention and consideration in that year was, of course, president Franklin D. Roosevelt’s proposal to enlarge the membership of the Supreme Court from nine to fifteen justices.1 Yet, both before and throughout the battle over the president’s “Court-packing plan,” members of Congress introduced a wide variety of alternative measures for addressing their dissatisfaction with recent Supreme Court decisions invalidating various state and federal laws designed to relieve economic distress and stimulate …

The Law And Economics Of Freshwater, Bruce R. Huber

Book Chapters

The chapter is a tribute to Klaus Mathis for his invaluable contributions at the intersection of law and economics.

Law and Economics in all seinen Facetten Festschrift zu Ehren von Klaus Mathis trans: Law and Economics in All His Facets: Festschrift in Honor of Klaus Mathis

Series: Schriften zur Rechtstheorie, vol. 309

Nudge Efficiency, Avishalom Tor

Book Chapters

Only a small portion of the substantial literature on behavioral interventions ("nudges") that developed over the last fifteen to twenty years has considered nudges from an economic perspective. Moreover, despite the importance of the topic for a law and economics assessment of this increasingly common form of regulation, even fewer contributions have examined whether and when behavioral instruments are likely to make an efficient means for increasing social welfare. This chapter therefore offers some basic observations about nudge efficiency: Part I opens with a reminder that behavioral instruments should be implemented only when they are the most efficient means available …

Rethinking Victim Participation In International Criminal Tribunals, Julia L. Jacovides

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

China Informs A 21st Century Definition Of The Rule Of Law, Ashley Topel

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

Politicians, lawyers, and academics alike have long been fascinated with the rule of law, but this fascination has never immunized them from the challenges of defining just what the rule of law is. Indeed, defining the rule of law by citing an example, such as the United Kingdom or the United States, remains easier than articulating why those nations have the rule of law and how other nations can advance the ideal within their own boundaries. Still, modern scholarship has led to the creation of three alternative theories of the rule of law–formalist, procedural, and substantive conceptions. A formalist theory …

Letter From The Editor, Michael Klein

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Volume 13 Masthead, Journal Of International & Comparative Law, Notre Dame Law School

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

More Than A "Drop Of Justice:" How Nazi-Looted Art Cases Promote "Transitional Justice" And Why These Cases Still Matter, Mark I. Labaton

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

When it comes to Nazi looting, the past is not dead.Nor should it be. Even now more than three-quarters of a century after the Holocaust, Nazi-looted art cases still provide direct justice to victimized families while also advancing broader historical redress known as “transitional justice,” which since World War II has become a means to address mass atrocities through criminal trials, civil litigation, truth reconciliation commissions, memorials, and reparations.

Switzerland's "Summary Penalty Order" System: Should A Similar System Be Used For America's Minor Crimes?, Kirk Earl

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

Jack Ford did not think he was committing a crime when his girlfriend let him spend the night with her at a house in Baltimore. However, what Ford did not know was that the owner of the house had not given permission for the couple to stay there. Ford was arrested and charged with burglary in the fourth degree, which is a misdemeanor in the state of Maryland. Ford’s attorney believed that Ford would have a strong case at trial because he did not know that he was not allowed in the house, so there was no intent to commit …

Radical Overhaul Of Hong Kong's Governance Regime: Likely Implications For Prosperity And Stability, Roda Mushkat

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

Constitutional evolution is normally a steady process, with the prevailing equilibrium seldom punctuated. Sharp reversals periodically occur but they are uncommon, usually confined to low-income and lower middle-income countries. The introduction of a draconian national security law and its heavy-handed enforcement in the affluent Hong Kong capitalist enclave, serving as one of the world economy’s pivotal global metropolises, thus amounts to a historically unprecedented emasculation of a sound and well-thought-out governance architecture. The abrupt unraveling of a semi-democratic infrastructure, pulverizing of key components of a time-honored rule-of-law system, and erosion of international legal personality has been breathtaking and profoundly disconcerting. …

Letter From The Editor, Michael Klein

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Constructing The "Lawless Other" In Scotland And The Southern United States, Caroline K. Abbott

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Volume 13, Issue 1 - Full Issue, Journal Of International & Comparative Law, Notre Dame Law School

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Volume 13, Issue 2 - Full Issue, Journal Of International & Comparative Law, Notre Dame Law School

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Ndls Communicator: Week Of 12.19.22, Notre Dame Law School

NDLS Communicator

The Latest News

• Roger Alford was quoted by Reuters in a report on the Federal Trade Commission’s attempt to block the Microsoft- Activision merger.
• Nicole Garnett was quoted in the article, "Oklahoma takes 'momentous' step to allow taxpayer-funded religious schools."
• Rick Garnett was quoted by Deseret News in an article about the Supreme Court case 303 Creative v. Elenis.
• Sherif Girgis was in the video, "The Constitution: Our Bill of Rights" produced by PragerU.
• Diane Desierto will moderate the Innovation in Investor- State Arbitration Panel at the Fifth Annual Schiefelbein Global Dispute Resolution Conference coming up in January.
• Catholic Schools …

Fireside Chat With Dean Cole And Notre Dame Law Student Rachel Schneider, Marcus Cole, Rachel Schneider

2019–Present: G. Marcus Cole

Dec 13, 2022

Dean G. Marcus Cole and Rachel Schneider '23 share their journeys to Notre Dame Law School, their connection to the Order of St. Thomas More, and the impact your gifts have on Notre Dame Law students.

Ndls Communicator: Week Of 12.12.22, Notre Dame Law School

NDLS Communicator

The Latest News

• Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick ’04 J.D. of the Delaware Court of Chancery delivers inaugural Patricia O’Hara Distinguished Lecture in Law & Business
• Last year, the ND Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate (FIRE) started the Church Properties Initiative to help the Church to think through real estate concerns. Dan Kelly is the faculty director for FIRE.
• Rick Garnett explained public accommodation laws for a Today Show report on a Virginia restaurant that refused to serve a conservative Christian group.
• Nicole Garnett writes about how religious charter schools will add valuable pluralism to the U.S. educational landscape in an essay …

Mmu: 12/05/22–12/11/22, Student Bar Association

Monday Morning Update

Note from the Editor

This Week @ NDLS

Screening of "The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai's Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom"

CLS Prayer Meeting

Dog Day

FREE COFFEE from Student Services

Mass Times

Commons Daily Menu

General Announcements

Kresge Law Library: Study Rooms

1L of the Week: Harry Weeks

2Ls Taking Ls: Tori Hust

Ask a 3L: Erin Gormley

Jackie's [Kamel] Corner

Ndls Communicator: Week Of 12.05.22, Notre Dame Law School

NDLS Communicator

The Latest News

• Professor Emily Bremer wins Emerging Scholar Award from AALS
• Dublin and Hamburg Honor Scholars Programs offer unique opportunities for students to learn international law
• Notre Dame recognized as top LL.M. Human Rights Law Program
• Religious Liberty Initiative mentioned in article about Ohio EdChoice debate
• Mary Ellen O'Connell was quoted in The Intercept article, "Will Biden Sell Advanced Drones to Ukraine?"
• Jimmy Gurulé was quoted by the Washington Post in "Sedition trial win bolsters Justice Dept. in Jan. 6 probe."
• Avishalom Tor has published a new article, "The Law and Economics of Behavioral Regulation," 18 Review of Law …

State Digital Services Taxes: A Good And Permissible Idea (Despite What You Might Have Heard), Young Ran (Christine) Kim, Darien Shanske

Notre Dame Law Review

Tax systems have been struggling to adapt to the digitalization of the economy. At the center of the struggles is taxing digital platforms, such as Google or Facebook. These immensely profitable firms have a business model that gives away “free” services, such as searching the web. The service is not really free; it is paid for by having the users watch ads and tender data. Traditional tax systems are not designed to tax such barter transactions, leaving a gap in taxation.

One response, pioneered in Europe, has been the creation of a wholly new tax to target digital platforms: the …

Bostock And Textualism: A Response To Berman And Krishnamurthi, Andrew Koppelman

Notre Dame Law Review Reflection

The Bostock Court adopted an argument I’ve been making for years, and that I pressed upon it in an amicus brief: that discrimina-tion against gay people is necessarily sex discrimination. I defended Justice Neil Gorsuch’s opinion for the Court in my article, Bostock, LGBT Discrimination, and the Subtractive Moves, which catalogues various common but unsuccessful strategies for evading the force of the sex discrimination argument. That piece, originally drafted before the Supreme Court’s decision as a critique of arguments by Court of Appeals judges, was easy to revise and update. The dissenters, Justices Samuel Alito (joined by Clarence …

Put Mahanoy Where Your Mouth Is: A Closer Look At When Schools Can Regulate Online Student Speech, Courtney Klaus

Notre Dame Law Review

This Note proposes a way to approach online student speech in three different contexts: cyberbullying, online threats, and other kinds of incendiary speech. Each approach is informed by a combination of lower court precedent, historical trends, and Supreme Court dicta to piece together when exceptions to online student speech protection may apply. Each analysis provides an explanation of how Tinker can and should be used to justify school discretion over particular kinds of online speech. Part I provides the history behind how the First Amendment has been used to protect public school student speech and discusses the unique issues the …

The First Amendment And Military Justice: Threats To Political Neutrality, Joshua Paldino

Notre Dame Law Review Reflection

This backdrop illustrates a throughline that runs throughout, and creates tension within, the Military Justice system. On the one hand, there is a need to protect the individual rights of servicemembers. This concern is driven (in part) by the intuition reflected in Judge O’Connor’s opening sentences—those sworn to protect constitutional liberties should surely enjoy the benefits of that which they protect. On the other, individual rights protections must yield, to some degree, to the needs of military life and military exigency. Of course, "to some degree" is the space in which debate and maneuverability resides. But while discretionary space certainly …

Revisiting The Fried Chicken Recipe, Zachary B. Pohlman

Notre Dame Law Review Reflection

Twenty-five years ago, Gary Lawson introduced us to legal theory’s tastiest analogy. He told us about a late-eighteenth-century recipe for making fried chicken and how we ought to interpret it. Lawson’s pithy essay has much to be praised. Yet, even twenty-five years later, there remains more to be said about legal theory’s most famous recipe. In particular, there remains much more to be said about the recipe’s author, a person (or, perhaps, group of people) whom Lawson does not discuss. Lawson’s analysis of the recipe leads him to an “obvious” conclusion: the recipe’s meaning is its original public meaning. If …

Notre Dame Lawyers Connect: December 2022, Notre Dame Law School

Notre Dame Lawyers Connect

Merry Christmas from ND Law!

Passing the baton at Jones Day

Chancellor McCormick speaks at ND Law

Honoring Father Link’s legacy

More news

• 2L Macio Sexton Jr.
• Honor Scholars Programs
• Dean G. Marcus Cole to be inducted into American College of Bankruptcy
• Professor Emily Bremer wins Emerging Scholar Award from AALS

Events

• Save the Date: March 2 Dean Marcus Cole and the Irish Theatre of Chicago present one-hour ethics CLE on the history of St. Thomas More and a reenactment of his trial
• Save the Date: September 23 The Law School’s 2023 Homecoming

In Memoriam - Paul J. Polking

Alumni …

The Constitutional Law Of Interpretation, Anthony J. Bellia Jr., Bradford R. Clark

Notre Dame Law Review

The current debate over constitutional interpretation often proceeds on the assumption that the Constitution does not provide rules for its own interpretation. Accordingly, several scholars have attempted to identify applicable rules by consulting external sources that governed analogous legal texts (such as statutes, treaties, contracts, etc.). The distinctive function of the Constitution—often forgotten or overlooked—renders these analogies largely unnecessary. The Constitution was an instrument used by the people of the several States to transfer a fixed set of sovereign rights and powers from one group of sovereigns (the States) to another sovereign (the federal government), while maintaining the “States” as …

Solidarity Federalism, Erin F. Delaney, Ruth Mason

Notre Dame Law Review

Studies of federalism, especially in the United States, have mostly centered on state autonomy and the vertical relationship between the states and the federal government. This Article approaches federalism from a different perspective, one that focuses on state solidarity. We explain how solidarity structures found in constitutional federations—including the United States—generate solidarity obligations, such as duties not to harm other states or their citizens. These duties give rise to principles, such as nondiscrimination, that are vital to federalism. Focusing on interstate relations and relations between states and citizens of other states, we argue that affirming both solidarity and autonomy as …

On The Rightful Deprivation Of Rights, Frederick Schauer

Notre Dame Law Review

When people are deprived of their property rights so that the state can build a highway, a school, or a hospital, they are typically compensated through what is commonly referred to as “takings” doctrine. But when people are deprived of their free speech rights because of a clear and present danger, or deprived of their equal protection, due process, or free exercise rights because of a “compelling” governmental interest, they typically get nothing. Why this is so, and whether it should be so, is the puzzle that motivates this Article. Drawing on the philosophical literature on conflicts of rights and …