Law Commons^™

The Uncertain Status Of The Puerto Rico Ports Authority: Working Towards A Uniform Arm-Of-The-State Test, Jessica Landry Wildeus

Law Student Publications

Many port authorities are allocated special status and therefore partake in the parent state’s Eleventh Amendment immunity as effective arms-of-the-state. This serves several important policy goals, yet the precedent surrounding the arm-of-the-state test is muddled. This results in different tests and standards, depending on the court hearing the case, leading to different results for different entities. The Port Authority of Puerto Rico (“PRPA”) is in an especially vulnerable situation, due to its dual function as a governmental and corporate entity. The unclear status of what role the function of an entity should play in determining its status under the Eleventh …

A Further Note On Federal Causes Of Action, John F. Preis

Law Faculty Publications

In the article, I argue that federal causes of action ought to be treated as (1) distinct from substantive rights, (2) synonymous with the availability of a remedy (but not whether a remedy will in fact issue) and (3) distinct from subject matter jurisdiction (unless Congress instructs otherwise). This thesis is built principally on a historical recounting of the cause of action from eighteenth century England to twenty-first century America. In taking an historical approach, I did not mean to argue that federal courts are bound to adhere to centuries-old conceptions of the cause of action. I merely used history …

Leaving The Chisholm Trail: The Eleventh Amendment And The Background Principle Of Strict Construction, Kurt T. Lash

Law Faculty Publications

Most scholars and courts assume that the Eleventh Amendment emerged from a sudden 'shocked' public reaction to the Supreme Court's decision in Chisholm v. Georgia. The Supreme Court's decision in Hans v. Louisiana has been subject to particular criticism for extending the doctrine of sovereign immunity beyondthe text of the amendment and the particular subject matter before the Court in Chisholm. This article contends that the modern emphasis on Chisholm v. Georgia as the generative source of the Eleventh Amendment is historically incorrect. Public debate regarding the key issues behind the Eleventh Amendment had been underway long before the Court …

Civil Practice And Procedure, John R. Walk, Michael R. Spitzer Ii

University of Richmond Law Review

This article will summarize recent developments of interest to practitioners handling civil cases in the courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Specifically included are relevant decisions of the Supreme Court of Virginia dating from opinions announced on June 10, 2004 to those announced on April 22, 2005; changes to the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia announced during the same time period; and legislation enacted by the Virginia General Assembly at its 2005 Session, effective July 1, 2005.

Civil Practice And Procedure, John R. Walk

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

The American Doctrine Of Sovereign Immunity: An Historical Analysis, Daniel T. Murphy

Law Faculty Publications

Although more than one hundred and fifty years old, the case vivifying the concept of sovereign immunity, The Schooner Exchange v. M cFaddon, is still repeatedly referred to in judicial opinions. Significantly, it is cited not for purposes of distinction or historical perspective, but rather, is employed as a present underpinning for sovereign immunity, even though the political and social circumstances of today differ considerably from those existing in 1812.

Subsequent cases, however, while often justifying the conclusions reached by references to Marshall's discussion in The Schooner Exchange, have intertwined into the concept of sovereign immunity notions distinct from Chief …