Law Commons^™

The Friends Creative Exemption: How Stereotypes Play A Role In Objectivity Standards, Jessica N. Leal

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

The recent, controversial California Supreme Court holding in Lyle v. Warner Brothers Television Productions is illustrative of whether the pervasiveness of sexually explicit conduct is insufficient as a matter of law or should be sent to the trier of fact. The court held that a former writer's assistant for the popular, adult-oriented television show Friends failed to establish actionable harassment under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act ("FEHA"). According to the court, the circumstances did not establish a prima facie case of hostile workplace environment sexual harassment, even though there was no dispute that sexually coarse and vulgar language …

The Supreme Court As The Grand Mediator In Social Regulation Of The Media - De Gustibus Non Disputandum Est: Or Are They, Richard J. Hunter, Ann M. Mayo, Hector R. Lozada

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This article presents a study of administrative and statutory schemes designed to regulate various aspects of the media in considering broad questions of indecency, obscenity, and societal and parental controls over content in various forms of media broadcasting. The article then provides an important historical back-drop by referencing Burstyn v. Wilson (a 1950s case involving an alleged "secular sacrilege") and Pacifica Foundation (the George Carlin "Filthy Words" monologue case). It then turns to a discussion of the litigation and controversy spurred by passage of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 and the Child Online Protection Act of 1998 as the …

Actual Interpretation Yields Actual Dissemination: An Analysis Of The Make Available Theory Argued In Peer-To-Peer File Sharing Lawsuits, And Why Courts Ought To Reject It, Shana Dines

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

The Recording Industry Association of America has sued thousands of individuals for peer-to-peer file sharing in an attempt to save the failing music industry and resist new technology. The lawsuits rely on an interpretation of copyright law that making a work available to the public is an infringement of the distribution right. The recording industry has vigorously argued this "make available" theory because it is easy to prove, given the limited evidence obtainable in peer-to-peer file sharing cases. However, the district courts in various federal circuits are split on accepting this theory, some holding that actual dissemination is required to …

The Water Nectar, And The Rocks Pure Gold: Finding A Legal Structure To Facilitate Necessary Change In California's Jewel, The Delta, Kakuti M. Lin

UC Law Journal

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta region is unique in terms of its natural resources and disproportionate economic impact on the State of California. Several aspects of its history have also given rise to unusual legal problems affecting property rights in both land and water. The fragility of the current levee and water supply systems, along with the many different public and private parties with interests at stake, combine to make an untenable situation that has been difficult to change. This Note explores some possible legal consequences of the way in which the region developed, and describes property rights transfer systems applicable …

Replacing The Estate Tax With A Reimagined Accessions Tax, Joseph M. Dodge

UC Law Journal

This Article proposes replacing the federal estate and gift tax system with an accessions tax. An accessions tax is a tax, at progressive rates, on the aggregate lifetime gratuitous receipts of an individual in excess of a specified exemption. The main thesis of this Article is that an accessions tax is not simply a reverse image of the current estate tax system, but is significantly different both in purpose and effect. An accessions tax should be an easier pill to swallow than the estate tax, because it is a tax on the unearned income (accessions to wealth) of individuals. The …

Heller And Constitutional Interpretation Originalism's Last Gasp, Rory K. Little

UC Law Journal

The Author posits that the Supreme Court's opinions in Heller are "thick and pure" originalism: greater historical detail than ever before, and virtually no other basis is offered for the decision. But is this "originalism's last gasp"? That is, a deep and desperate attempt to give life to originalism, before it expires? Even as the majority proclaims textual originalism more loudly and purely than ever before, it ultimately-and the Author argues necessarily-leaves originalism behind. By summarily endorsing, without any historical support, the currently existing prohibitions on firearms possession by various categories of people or in various "sensitive" places, the Court …

Transitions To Justice: Prisoner Reentry As An Opportunity To Confront The Counteract Racism, Adrienne Lyles-Chockley

UC Law Journal of Race and Economic Justice

This article discusses the issues facing formerly incarcerated individuals upon reentry from prison into their communities, focusing primarily on the unique challenges faced by African-American males. The article first highlights the strong correlation between incarceration and race: People of color make up a disproportionate percentage of the U.S. prison population, are more likely to receive harsh prison sentences, and are less likely to be found eligible for parole. The article focuses specifically on the challenges facing African-American males as they exit prison and attempt to reenter a society where they will face institutional racism in multiple forms and on multiple …

Warth Redux: The Making Of Warth V. Seldin, Brian G. Gilmore

UC Law Journal of Race and Economic Justice

This article examines the holding in the archetypal case onstanding, Warth v. Seldin, through the lens of racial and economic discrimination. In Warth, five sets of plaintiffs brought a claim challenging the city of Penfield's zoning ordinances that prevented the construction of low and moderate-income housing in the area. The plaintiffs included low income, African- American and Puerto Rican residents of a nearby city who sought low income housing options in Penfield, taxpayers in the neighboring city, and a non-profit organization dedicated to combating discrimination in housing. The U.S. Supreme Court held that none of the plaintiffs had standing to …

Mean Streets: Violence Against The Homeless And The Makings Of A Hate Crime, Raegan Joern

UC Law Journal of Race and Economic Justice

In 1999 the National Coalition for the Homeless began to document incidents of hate crime and violence against homeless people in an annual report. The statistics and stories in these reports demonstrate a disturbing rise in violent attacks and murders of homeless people across the country. This note argues that these attacks, whereby the perpetrator targets the victim because he or she is homeless, meet the legal definition for a bias motivated or hate crime. Bias motivated crimes against the homeless are bred in a social context that devalues homeless people's lives and pinpoints them as appropriate targets for violence. …

Heller, Citizenship, And The Right To Serve In The Military, Elizabeth L. Hillman

UC Law Journal

District of Columbia v. Heller could prove a turning point not in the law governing the right to keep and bear arms, but governing the right to serve in the military. Heller's reasoning, notwithstanding the Court's efforts to constrain its analysis from reaching a right to serve, should lead to a reconsideration of military service as a broadly-held and long-recognized constitutional right. Because of the political meaning of military service and the changes that have altered the role and make-up of the military in the United States, the Second Amendment ought to be read, in the wake of Heller, as …

Heller And Nonlethal Weapons, Craig S. Lerner, Nelson Lund

UC Law Journal

Two important opinions in the past decade, both written by Justice Antonin Scalia, have sought to apply originalist jurisprudence to constitutional issues raised by technologies that were unknown at the time of the founding. In Kyllo v. United States, the Court held that using sense-enhancing technology to obtain information about the interior of a home, even without a physical intrusion, constitutes a Fourth Amendment search, at least if the technology is not "in general public use." This rule appropriately preserves the privacy that could only have been violated by a trespass in 1791. In District of Columbia v. Heller, the …

Changing The Current Policy Towards Spousal Abuse: A Proposal For A New Model Inspired By Jewish Law, Yuval Sinai, Benjamin Shmueli

UC Law SF International Law Review

Abuse in general, and within an ongoing, intimate relationship with a spouse in particular, is a scourge that the legal system must uproot. This paper examines two models that differ in their approach to the issue of spousal abuse (physical, sexual, and emotional): modern secular common law, as represented by two legal systems-American and Israeli law-and ancient, religious Jewish law. Thus, the paper offers an opportunity to see and analyze the dialogue between an ancient, religious legal system and its modern, secular counterparts, and the possible-perhaps surprising--contribution of the former to the latter.

The two models, secular common law and …

Divine Judgment: Judicial Review Of Religious Legal Systems In India And Israel, Josh Goodman

UC Law SF International Law Review

This paper analyzes and compares how two democratic states, India and Israel, incorporate discrete areas of religious law into their secular legal systems. As religion has become an increasingly important political force in India and Israel, both countries have turned to constitutionalism and to civil courts to manage the role of religious law within the democratic system. This development represents the convergence of two global trends: an expansion in the power of courts and the growth of religious politics. This paper examines how the conflict of secular and religious legal norms has played out in the Israeli and Indian civil …

The Importance Of Teaching Law And The Reinforcement Of The Judiciary System In Haiti, Jomanas Eustache

UC Law SF International Law Review

This article is a reflection on the inseparable binome "Law and Justice." The concepts of Law and Justice are so intertwined that the absence or weakness of either can lead to impunity and finally to a lack of peace in society. Unfortunately, some behavior, misconduct, or practices, are mainly facilitated by the malfunction of the judicial system. This can be seen all too clearly in the situation in Haiti. This article highlights the urgency of the situation and the need for all interested sectors and individuals to act swiftly, legally, and with firmness to ensure and strengthen the basis of …

What The Rest Think Of The West - Legal Dimensions, Laura Nader

UC Law SF International Law Review

No abstract provided.

When Sex And Cell Phones Collide: Inside The Prosecution Of A Teen Sexting Case, Robert D. Richards, Clay Calvert

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

The high-tech phenomenon of teen "sexting," which is now garnering mainstream media attention, is pushing and straining traditional legal notions of what constitutes child pornography. As teens take sexually provocative photos of themselves and send them off to other teens via cell phones, some prosecutors are charging them as child pornographers. This article pivots on an exclusive, in-person interview conducted in Florida by the authors in May 2009 with attorney Lawrence Walters and his client Phillip Alpert, who sexted a nude photo of his girlfriend when he was 18 years old. Alpert was charged under child pornography laws and, today, …

When Something Is Not Quite Right: Considerations For Advising A Client To Seek Mental Health Treatment, Carol M. Suzuki

UC Law Journal of Race and Economic Justice

This article explores the important role that lawyers are afforded in evaluating the mental health concerns of clients. The article advocates that, where a lawyer has concerns about the mental, cognitive, or emotional health of a client, the lawyer should counsel the client to consider seeking appropriate mental health treatment. While acknowledging that counseling a client to seek mental health treatment is not an intuitive aspect of providing legal services, the article argues that humanitarian concerns, as well as the Model Rules of Professional Responsibility allow, and in some situations perhaps require, a lawyer to consider providing such a referral. …

San Fransisco Public Housing As An Avenue For Empowerment: The Case For Spirited Compliance With Tenant Participation Requirements, Nicole Schmidt

UC Law Journal of Race and Economic Justice

This note examines the spirit and letter of statutes aimed at improving the state of public housing in America, focusing on the realities of the San Francisco Housing Authority's jurisdiction. The Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 devolved responsibility for public housing administration to local housing authorities and in turn required that each jurisdiction submit an Annual Plan detailing all aspects of the local housing programs. In addition, the Act required that Resident Advisory Boards be established to gather information and concerns from tenants and present them to local authorities for consideration and comment. The vague language of …

From The Protection Of Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act Of 1977 To The Adam Walsh Child Protection And Safety Act Of 2006: How Congress Went From Censoring Child Pornography To Censoring Protected Sexual Speech, Onki Kwan

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

Congress first outlawed child pornography in the Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act of 1977. The statute was amended in 1984 because Congress found that the 1977 Act did not adequately protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse. In 1988, Congress introduced record-keeping requirements as codified in 18 U.S.C. § 2257 to supplement existing the 1984 statute. Since 1988, § 2257 has been amended several times, broadening in scope each time. Today, the statute is so broad that it infringes on constitutionally protected speech. As such, in Keisler v. Connection Distribution Company the Sixth Circuit held that § 2257 …

Beyond Corporate Social Responsibility: Reconciling The Ideals Of A For-Benefit Corporation With Director Fiduciary Duties In The U.S. And Europe, Alissa Mickels

UC Law SF International Law Review

Traditionally, organizations are divided into three sectors: for-profit, non-profit, and the government. Over the past few decades, a new Fourth Sector of organizations has been emerging in the U.S. and abroad. These "Fourth Sector" organizations attempt to integrate social purposes with business methods as seamlessly as possible. A few social entrepreneurs take a more ambitious approach to this "hybrid" approach and are creating For-Benefit corporations that, in addition to integrating social purposes with business methods, adopt a corporate policy to benefit all stakeholders, require inclusive governance and ownership, accountability, and transparency. Will the law allow these For-Benefit corporations to benefit …

The Right To A Fair Trial And The Confrontation Clause: Overruling Crawford To Rebalance The U.S. Criminal Justice Equilibrium, Lindsay Hoopes

UC Law SF International Law Review

In the United States, the right to confrontation is the hallmark fair trial protection. Most foreign and international jurisdictions have adopted the right to confrontation as an integral component of their fair trial protections, modeling the right after the U.S. Constitution's Sixth Amendment. Just as any other right, the right to confrontation requires society to strike a balance between a defendant's right to a fair trial with other competing rights in the criminal justice system: namely, victim's and society's right to adjudication of criminal matters.

Historically, the United States allowed abrogation of the right to confrontation when evidence was sufficiently …

Duty Of Confidentiality In Korea, Suh-Young Shin

UC Law SF International Law Review

The duty of confidentiality is fundamental for the relationship between an attorney and the client. How and when the duty of confidentiality should be enforced upon an attorney has been debated in Korea, after a former in-house counsel of Samsung Group publicly disclosed that the chairman of Samsung allegedly engaged in illegal conduct. Relevant rules from the Korean Bar Association Code of Ethics and Conduct are not specific enough to allow one to assess the act of the former in-house counsel. This note analyzes the issue first under the Korean rules, and then under the relevant U.S. rules. While acknowledging …

The End Of Peremptory Challenges: A Call For Change Through Comparative Analysis, Amy Wilson

UC Law SF International Law Review

Lawyers use peremptory challenges to create partial juries. United States Supreme Court precedent has shown the Court's willingness to limit some blatantly discriminatory uses of the right to peremptory challenges. However, the use of peremptory challenges in jury voir dire is inherently discriminatory. Merely limiting the use of peremptory challenges is not sufficient. This note discusses how jury selection is treated in the United Kingdom. The analysis is specifically focused on the abolition of peremptory challenges in the United Kingdom and uses the experience there to argue for an abolition of their use in the United States as well.

Eight Perspectives On Yvon Neptune V. Haiti, Jens Iverson

UC Law SF International Law Review

Yvon Neptune v. Haiti is a noteworthy decision of the Inter- American Court of Human Rights, with potentially wide-ranging impacts. The Court ordered a wholesale change in the Haitian prison system in order to prevent Haiti from violating former Haitian Prime Minister Yvon Neptune's rights again. Haiti violated Articles 1 (obligation to respect rights), 5 (humane treatment), 7 (personal liberty), 8 (fair trial) and 25 (the right to judicial protection) of the American Convention on Human Rights. Haitian and U.S. human rights groups worked together with a "virtual" human rights clinic to trigger the decision by filing a petition with …

Introduction - Recent Events In Gaza, Rose Mishaan

UC Law SF International Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Preliminary Reference Procedure Of The Court Of Justice Of The European Communities: A Model For The Icj, Alicia Farrell Miller

UC Law SF International Law Review

When nations fail to observe their international obligations it undermines both respect for and future compliance with international law. In the so-called vicious cycle, the more the law is flouted, the less legitimate it becomes and the less states and individuals feel bound by it. The United States Supreme Court in Medellin recently exemplified this vicious cycle by spurning the authority of the International Court of Justice ("ICJ") and holding that a decision of the ICJ is not self-executing and thus does not constitute binding federal law. In contrast, the Court of Justice of the European Communities (formerly known as …

It's Just Business, Or Is It: How Business And Politics Collide With Sovereign Wealth Funds, Matthew Saxon

UC Law SF International Law Review

Over the past few years, sovereign wealth funds have played an increasingly important role in the global financial system. This note seeks to shed light on the foreign investment vehicles known as sovereign wealth funds (SWF's). In the first section I will explain what a sovereign wealth fund is; why regulators in the U.S. and European have recently become concerned with them; and how SWF's have reacted to these concerns. In the second section, I will compare and contrast the strategies that U.S. and European regulators have employed in adjusting to these funds. Finally, I will argue that lawmakers in …

Nation-Building In The Penumbra: Notes From A Liminal State, Monica Eppinger

UC Law SF International Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Exceptional Nature Of Terrorism: The United States And Middle Eastern Legal Systems, Wadie E. Said

UC Law SF International Law Review

No abstract provided.

Climate Change And Weather-Related Disasters: What Role For Insurance, Reinsurance And Financial Sectors?, Alberto Monti

UC Law Environmental Journal

No abstract provided.