Law Commons^™

Foreigners' Fate In America's Courts: Empirical Legal Research, Kevin Clermont, Theodore Eisenberg

Kevin M. Clermont

This article revisits the controversy regarding how foreigners fare in U.S. courts. The available data, if taken in a sufficiently big sample from numerous case categories and a range of years, indicate that foreigners have fared better in the federal courts than their domestic counterparts have fared. Thus, the data offer no support for the existence of xenophobic bias in U.S. courts. Nor do they establish xenophilia, of course. What the data do show is that case selection drives the outcomes for foreigners. Foreigners’ aversion to U.S. forums can elevate the foreigners’ success rates, when measured as a percentage of …

Death Of Paradox: The Killer Logic Beneath The Standards Of Proof, Kevin Clermont

Kevin M. Clermont

The prevailing but contested view of proof standards is that factfinders should determine facts by probabilistic reasoning. Given imperfect evidence, they should ask themselves what they think the chances are that the burdened party would be right if the truth were to become known; they then compare those chances to the applicable standard of proof. I contend that for understanding the standards of proof, the modern versions of logic — in particular, fuzzy logic and belief functions — work better than classical probability. This modern logic suggests that factfinders view evidence of an imprecisely perceived and described reality to form …

Procedure's Magical Number Three: Psychological Bases For Standards Of Decision, Kevin M. Clermont

Kevin M. Clermont

So many procedural doctrines appear, after research and teaching, to trifurcate. An obvious example is that kind of standard of decision known as the standard of proof: what in theory might have been a continuum of standards divides in practice into the three distinct standards of preponderance of the evidence, clear and convincing evidence, and proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Other examples suggest both that I am not imagining the prominence of three and that more than coincidence is at work. Part I of this essay describes the role of the number three in procedure, with particular regard to standards …

Trial By Jury Or Judge: Transcending Empiricism, Kevin M. Clermont, Theodore Eisenberg

Kevin M. Clermont

Pity the civil jury, seen by some as the sickest organ of a sick system. Yet the jury has always been controversial. One might suppose that, with so much at stake for so long, we would all know a lot about the ways juries differ from judges in their behavior. In fact, we know remarkably little. This Article provides the first large-scale comparison of plaintiff win rates and recoveries in civil cases tried before juries and judges. In two of the most controversial areas of modern tort law--product liability and medical malpractice--the win rates substantially differ from other cases' win …

Convicting Lennie: Mental Retardation, Wrongful Convictions, And The Right To A Fair Trial, John H. Blume, Sheri Lynn Johnson, Susan E. Millor

John H. Blume

"Lennie" refers to Lennie Small, the intellectually disabled character in John Steinbeck's famous novella Of Mice and Men, which tells the story of two Depression-era wandering farmhands, George and Lennie, who dream of getting their own stake and living "off the fat of the land." Their dream dies hard when Lennie accidently kills the young, beautiful, and flirtatious wife of a ranch owner's son and then tries to cover it up because he realizes that he has "done a bad thing." George, in turn, kills Lennie to prevent him from being lynched or tried for murder. Lennie was doomed because …

Acciones Colectivas Vs Cláusula De Arbitraje, Jorge E. De Hoyos Walther

Jorge E De Hoyos Walther

Análisis de la resolución de la Suprema Corte de Justicia que permite la procedencia una accione colectiva, aun cuando las partes se hayan sometido al arbitraje.

The Application And Avoidance Of Foreign Law In The Law Of Conflicts: Variations On A Theme Of Alexander Nekam, Gregory S. Alexander

Gregory S Alexander

Lying at the heart of all conflicts theories is a recognition that the function of the law of conflicts is to ensure rational and just solutions to controversies involving foreign elements. A just and rational solution is one that somehow accommodates those elements. This does not mean that the foreign law must be applied but simply suggests that at least some attention should be paid to that law in the process of resolving disputes. From these relatively uncontroversial postulates, one moves to the more difficult problem of defining the role of foreign law in the conflicts setting. Attention in this …

Pragmatism Applied: Imagining A Solution To The Problem Of Court Congestion, Michael L. Seigel

Michael L Seigel

Can we improve the efficiency of jury trials? If so, would this reduce the problem of court congestion? Is there any reason to favor this approach over those that seek to avoid jury trials altogether? This Article attempts to answer these difficult questions. It does so by articulating and then employing a methodology suggested by recent scholarly ruminations about the philosophy of pragmatism and its implications for legal scholarship and practice. Although pragmatism does not provide "right answers" to questions of legal doctrine-indeed, it rejects the notion that such things exist-it does provide some guidance in formulating the search for …

An Unsettling Outcome: Why The Florida Supreme Court Was Wrong To Ban All Settlement Evidence In Saleeby V Rocky Elson Construction, Inc., 3 So. 3d 1078 (Fla. 2009), Michael L. Seigel, Robert J. Hauser, Allison D. Sirica

Michael L Seigel

It is rare that a court as sophisticated as the Florida Supreme Court casually makes a fundamental mistake in an important area of the law. Unfortunately, Saleeby v. Rocky Elson Construction, Inc., 3 So. 3d 1078 (Fla. 2009) represents one of these unusual instances. The Court was faced with a simple question: may evidence pertaining to a prior settlement be offered at trial when it is relevant to something other than liability or the invalidity or amount of the pending claim. The universal answer under both federal law and the law of other states is yes, as long as the …

Is That All There Is? "The Problem" In Court-Oriented Mediation, Leonard L. Riskin, Nancy A. Welsh

Leonard L Riskin

The alternative process of mediation is now well-institutionalized and widely (though not universally) perceived to save time and money and satisfy lawyers and parties. However, the process has failed to meet important aspirations of its early proponents and certain expectations and needs of one-shot players. In particular, court-oriented mediation now reflects the dominance and preferences of lawyers and insurance claims adjusters. These repeat players understand the problem to be addressed in personal injury, employment, contract, medical malpractice and other ordinary civil non-family disputes as a matter of merits assessment and litigation risk analysis. Mediation is structured so that litigation issues …

Trans-Personal Procedures, Roger Michalski

Roger Michalski

No abstract provided.

A Tragédia Do Judiciário, Ivo T. Gico Jr.

Ivo Teixeira Gico Jr.

This paper shows how legal uncertainty caused by the lack of case law uniformity (legal capital) can explain the court congestion problem in Brazil. The analysis indicates that judges do not have enough incentives and mechanisms to invest in legal capital and to unify legal rules. The resulting legal uncertainty, combined with constitutionally granted free access to public adjudicatory services, generate incentives for the overexploitation of courts, hence, the endemic problem of court congestion, the Tragedy of Judiciary. Court congestion attracts litigation to stall legal obligations while excluding legitimate claims, a tragic adverse selection problem.

Reconceptualizing The Expert Witness: Social Costs, Current Controls And Proposed Responses, Jeffrey L. Harrison

Jeffrey L Harrison

Unlike virtually any other business, expert witnesses are not typically held accountable in either tort or contract law for their commercial activities. This means that many are inclined to deliver what the market demands - partisan, biased, or plainly dishonest testimony - without concern for the costs this testimony may impose on others. This immunity from the internalization of the social cost of their testimony is hard to reconcile with any moral or economic standard. Harsh judicial reactions to some experts and a slight increase in expert witness liability may signal that a change in the privileged status of experts …

Drafting New York Civil-Litigation Documents: Part Xxxvii—Motions To Reargue And Renew Continued, Gerald Lebovits

Hon. Gerald Lebovits

No abstract provided.

La Tutela Cautelar En El Proceso Contencioso-Administrativo. A Propósito Del Artículo 159 Del Código Tributario., Carlos Tamani

Carlos Tamani

The Short Road Home From Delaware: Boilermakers Local 154 Retirement Fund V. Chevron, Anne Tucker

Anne Tucker

One of the biggest Delaware Supreme Court cases of 2013 wasn’t. The Delaware Court of Chancery opinion in Boilermakers Local 154 Retirement Fund v. Chevron Corp., upheld the enforceability of Delaware forum selection clause bylaws unilaterally adopted by corporate boards of directors. It was widely expected that the Delaware Supreme Court would uphold the Court of Chancery’s opinion. However, Plaintiffs dismissed their appeal and moved to dismiss their remaining claims in the Court of Chancery, leaving intact Chancellor Strine’s strong support of forum selection clauses. National Industries Group (Holding) v. Carlyle Investment Managements L.L.C. and TC Group, L.L.C., a 2013 …

E-Discovery Business Impact: Response Plans And Insurance Coverage, Anne Tucker, Vjollca Prroni

Anne Tucker

No abstract provided.

Federal Rule Of Civil Procedure 71a(H) Land Commissions: The First Fifteen Years, Julian Conrad Juergensmeyer

Julian C. Juergensmeyer

No abstract provided.

Class Actions Under The Age Discrimination In Employment Act: The Question Is Why Not?, Anne S. Emanuel

Anne S. Emanuel

No abstract provided.

Cross-Jurisdictional Tolling, Tanya Pierce

Tanya Pierce

No abstract provided.

Auctioning Class Settlements, Jay Tidmarsh

Jay Tidmarsh

Although they promise better deterrence at a lower cost, class actions are infected with problems that can keep them from delivering on this promise. One of these problems occurs when the agents for the class (the class representative and class counsel) advance their own interests at the expense of the class. Controlling agency cost, which often manifests itself at the time of settlement, has been the impetus behind a number of class-action reform proposals. This Article develops a proposal that, in conjunction with reforms in fee structure and opt-out rights, controls agency costs at the time of settlement. The idea …

Drafting New York Civil-Litigation Documents: Part Xxxvi—Motions To Reargue And Renew, Gerald Lebovits

Hon. Gerald Lebovits

No abstract provided.

Drafting New York Civil-Litigation Documents: Part Xxxv—Contempt Motions Continued, Gerald Lebovits

Hon. Gerald Lebovits

No abstract provided.

The Right To Erasure: Privacy, Data Brokers, And The Indefinite Retention Of Data, Alexander Tsesis

Alexander Tsesis

No abstract provided.

De Graça, Até Injeção Na Testa: Análise Juseconômica Da Gratuidade De Justiça, Ivo T. Gico Jr., Henrique A. Arake

Ivo Teixeira Gico Jr.

A gratuidade de justiça para os “juridicamente pobres” é um solução possível para garantir o livre acesso ao Judiciário. No entanto, concedida de forma irrestrita, a gratuidade pode induzir à litigância frívola. O presente artigo emprega a Análise Econômica do Direito para analisar a estrutura de incentivos dos agentes privados criada pela gratuidade de justiça e explora suas consequências sociais.

La Eficacia De La Delegación De Poderes Contractuales Del Curador A Terceros, Angel Rimascca Huarancca

ANGEL RIMASCCA HUARANCCA

No abstract provided.

Lo Que Nos Dejó El Quinto Pleno Casatorio, Fort Ninamancco Córdova

Fort Ninamancco Cordova

No abstract provided.

Bringing Clarity To Title Clearing: Tax Foreclosure And Due Process In The Internet Age, James J. Kelly Jr.

James J. Kelly Jr.

The foreclosure of property tax liens performs an essential economic function by reconnecting underutilized properties to the real estate market. To clear title in an efficient and just manner, local jurisdictions foreclosing on tax liens require clear, balanced procedures for the provision of notice to affected parties. In its 2006 decision in Jones v. Flowers, the U.S. Supreme Court found that the foreclosing jurisdiction's lack of direct follow-up on returned notice mailings denied the addressee due process because the foreclosing party did not take steps that would be chosen by one desirous of actually informing the property owner. In subjecting …

La Defensa Posesoria Extrajudicial, Fort Ninamancco Córdova

Fort Ninamancco Cordova

No abstract provided.

Drafting New York Civil-Litigation Documents: Part Xxxiv—Contempt Motions Continued, Gerald Lebovits

Hon. Gerald Lebovits

No abstract provided.