Law Commons^™

Intra-Tribal Confrontations: What Is To Be Done?, David E. Wilkins

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Racial, ethnic, and religious wars and conflicts have plagued humanity since the primordial past. But since the thawing of the Cold War, there has literally been an explosion of devastating conflicts that seem far more complex than those which erupted in earlier eras. These are also potentially more threatening to international peace because of their breadth, scope, and probable duration.

These and the multitude of other ethnic, racial, and religious conflicts around the world are far more brutal and ruinous than anything most indigenous people have experienced since the federal government's aberrant and fortunately short-lived policy of Termination and Relocation, …

Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy: Broadening The Scope Of Child Abuse, Michael T. Flannery

University of Richmond Law Review

In July 1989, five-month-old Ryan Stallings spent two weeks in a hospital after suffering abdominal pains. Ryan was subsequently placed in a foster home when police suspected that he ingested antifreeze while in the care of his mother, twenty-four-year-old Patricia Stallings. Police became suspicious of Patricia because Ryan could not walk and thus was unlikely to ingest antifreeze accidentally. Patricia was allowed to visit Ryan once every week while he remained in foster care under the supervision of the Missouri Division of Family Services. Shortly after her visit on August 31, 1989, Ryan was readmitted to the hospital with symptoms …

Considerations Of Legislative Fit Under Equal Protection, Substantive Due Process, And Free Speech Doctrine: Separating Questions Of Advancement, Relationship And Burden, R. Randall Kelso

University of Richmond Law Review

Whenever a court reviews legislation under an equal protection, substantive due process, or free speech analysis, the court considers whether the fit between the legislature's chosen means and intended ends is sufficient to pass constitutional muster. The Supreme Court analyzes these "fit" questions by considering the manner in which the statute achieves its benefits and burdens in terms of whom the statute regulates and whom the statute fails to regulate. Of course, these "fit" questions are different depending upon whether the Court uses minimum rationality review, "heightened" rational review, intermediate review, or strict scrutiny. But in all cases, the question …

"Speech Acts" And The First Amendment, Lawrence Friedman

University of Richmond Law Review

Of the 1989 student protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, one image lingers still: a lone figure standing motionless before a column of tanks, an extreme act of self-expression in defense of the right to express oneself. The makeshift Statue of Liberty erected by the students occupying the Square pointed to the country providing their inspiration. The foundations of that inspiration may in turn be traced to the handful of words---"Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or the press . . . "--which have become synonymous with American-style democracy.'

Liteky V. United States: The Supreme Court Restricts The Disqualification Of Biased Federal Judges Under Section 455(A), Lori M. Mcpherson

University of Richmond Law Review

One of the basic tenets of our judicial system is the right of litigants to have a neutral and impartial judge preside over their case. Over the last two hundred years, American legislatures and courts have sought to "secure the impartiality of trial judges by requiring judges to disqualify themselves in various circumstances." The latest Supreme Court case to consider the issue of judicial disqualification was Liteky v. United States.

Money Laundering And Drug Trafficking: A Question Of Understanding The Elements Of The Crime And The Use Of Circumstantial Evidence, Thomas M. Dibiagio

University of Richmond Law Review

Drug trafficking in the United States generates millions of dollars in cash profits daily. The cash generated from narcotics trafficking usually follows one of two distinct paths. Domestically, the profits are converted into usable currency by disguising the association between the cash and the narcotics enterprise. Monies not spent domestically are transferred back to the nar- cotics source or drug cartel to be enjoyed by the drug traffickers and to provide operating capital for the enterprise. This conversion and transfer process has become known commonly as money laundering.

Legal Advice Toward Illegal Ends, Joel S. Newman

University of Richmond Law Review

Suppose you discovered a wonderful fishing hole hidden on some public lands. Would you be obligated to tell others about it? Of course not. But, could you go out of your way to hide its existence? Of course not-especially not from your friends.

Putting The Brakes On Carjacking Or Accelerating It? The Anti Car Theft Act Of 1992, F. Georgann Wing

University of Richmond Law Review

"We cannot put up with this kind of animal behavior. These people have no place in decent society, and ... they can go to jail and they can stay in jail and they can rot in jail for crimes like that." Soon after speaking those words, on October 25, 1992, President George Bush signed the Anti Car Theft Act of 1992 in Detroit, Michigan. For the citizens of Detroit, it was a fitting response to the crime that was coined "carjacking" and popularized in the same city-the Motor City-in the heat of the summer of 1991. Earlier federal legislation, the …

The Problem Of Concurrent Use Of Trademarks: An Old/New Proposal, David S. Welkowitz

University of Richmond Law Review

It is an old problem in trademark law. Someone develops a trademark and starts using it on goods or services. Business improves and the company slowly expands into different areas of the country. Sooner or later this first user discovers that someone else in another part of the country is using the same mark on the same goods. Although the second user started using the mark after the first user, the second use was made without knowledge of the first user. The next thing you know, there is a lawsuit. In such a case, who should win?

Brooke Group Ltd. V. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp.: A Victory For Consumer Welfare Under The Robinson-Patman Act, Keith Allen May

University of Richmond Law Review

The preservation of competition among business entities is vital to the success of any economy. Recognizing the importance of competition, the United States Congress has passed antitrust laws that seek to enhance productivity and protect consumers. Although the antitrust laws, like all statutes, are vulnerable to a variety of different interpretations, "[t]he language of the antitrust statutes, their legislative histories, the major structural features of the antitrust law, and considerations of the scope, nature, consistency, and ease of administration of the law all indicate that the law should be guided solely by the criterion of consumer welfare." The antitrust laws …

Agency Action, Finality And Geographical Nexus: Judicial Review Of Agency Compliance With Nepa's Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Requirement After Lujan V. National Wildlife Federation, Matthew C. Porterfield

University of Richmond Law Review

In recent years, there has been an increasing recognition of the need to address the complex and interrelated impacts that result from human interaction with the environment. One of the most effective tools for evaluating these impacts has been the preparation of programmatic environmental impact statements (EISs) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The status of programmatic EISs, however, has been called into question by the Supreme Court's decision in Lujan v. National Wildlife Federation, which has been interpreted by numerous commentators as heralding the end of "programmatic" environmental lawsuits. Even more significantly, Lujan has been …

Rico And The "Operation Or Management" Test: The Potential Chilling Effect On Criminal Prosecutions, Ira H. Raphaelson, Michelle D. Bernard

University of Richmond Law Review

For more than two decades, prosecutors, plaintiffs' lawyers, the civil and criminal defense bar, and the dourts have struggled with the coverage of the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO" or the "Act"). The Supreme Court has interpreted the Act many times in both criminal and civil cases. For the most part, the high Court has applied the mandatory "liberal" interpretation language of the law to expand the scope of the statute in criminal cases. However, in the civil cases considered, the Supreme Court has generally restricted the scope of the Act.

The Evolution Of Quasi-Judicial Activism In The Legislative Branch: Canadian Commercial Corp./Heroux, Inc., John M. Holloway Iii

University of Richmond Law Review

During the First Congress' debate over the bill to establish the Treasury Department, James Madison described the principal responsibility of the Comptroller of the Treasury as "deciding upon the lawfulness and justice of claims and accounts subsisting between the United States and particular citizens: this partakes strongly of the judicial character, and there may be strong reasons why an officer of this kind should not hold his office at the pleasure of the Executive Branch of Government." With the passage of the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, the General Accounting Office (GAO) was created and the responsibility to settle …

Annual Survey Of Virginia Law: Antitrust And Trade Regulation, Michael F. Urbanski, Francis H. Casola

University of Richmond Law Review

Once again this past year, the Fourth Circuit and the federal courts in Virginia proved inhospitable to antitrust plaintiffs. Plaintiffs consistently lost on summary judgment and only one plaintiff survived a motion to dismiss. The only major development in the law in the Fourth Circuit came from the Western District of Virginia where Judge James C. Turk refused to recognize the theory of monopoly leveraging under Section 2 of the Sherman Act.

Annual Survey Of Virginia Law: An Overview Of Automobile Liability Insurance In Virginia, Eileen N. Wagner, Jason W. Konvicka, Deborah M.B. Mcconnell

University of Richmond Law Review

Automobile liability insurance coverage is considered one of the basic necessities of modern living, following closely on the heels of shelter and food. This priority is the outgrowth of two facts of life: one, that automobile transportation is practically unavoidable and two, that automobile accidents are practically inevitable. Thus, the shadow of liability for the damage and the suffering of automobile accidents falls across most of the American population. Because the losses which may be sustained by the negligent-and the innocent alike-are so great, the need for protection has escalated to the top of modern society's list of indispensable commodities. …

Annual Survey Of Virginia Law: Charitable Immunity: What Price Hath Charity?, Barbara Ann Williams

University of Richmond Law Review

It is well settled in Virginia that charitable organizations are immune from liability arising from tort claims asserted by persons who accept the organizations' charitable benefits. The determination of whether a plaintiff is the beneficiary of charitable bounty is a legal issue for the court to decide. Although most older Virginia cases discuss charitable immunity as it applies to hospitals, the doctrine has been applied to many other types of charitable organizations.

Annual Survey Of Virginia Law: Property Law, Charles H. Rothenberg, Gina M. Burgin, L. Charles Long Jr.

University of Richmond Law Review

This article reviews some of the more significant cases and legislation affecting Virginia property law over the past year. The Virginia Supreme Court revisited a wide range of issues, including the level of visibility to which an adverse use must rise to establish title by adverse possession. The court also revisited the steps that a mechanic's lienor must take in order to protect his or her lien. Additionally, the court also explored some new issues, such as the applicability of the rule against perpetuities to a purchase option contained in a lease.

The Americans With Disabilities Act In The Unionized Workplace, Ann C. Hodges

Law Faculty Publications

This Article explores the issues raised by application of the ADA in the organized employment setting. The Article begins with an overview of the statute and then analyzes its applicability in the unionized workplace. In addition to recommending changes in the statute and regulations to clarify the obligations of employers and unions under the ADA, the Article makes recommendations with respect to judicial interpretation of the statute in three major areas. In Sections III C through E, the Article analyzes the circumstances under which the union should be held liable for discrimination, recommending that courts assess liability based on the …

The 1993 Revision Of Federal Rule 11, Carl W. Tobias

Law Faculty Publications

The 1983 revision of Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ("Rule 11" or the "Rule") proved to be the most controversial amendment in the long history of the Federal Rules. Many federal judges inconsistently interpreted the provision's language and inconsistently applied the Rule. The 1983 version fostered much costly, unwarranted satellite litigation over its phrasing and the magnitude of sanctions that courts imposed while increasing incivility among lawyers. Rule 11 motions were filed and granted against civil rights plaintiffs more frequently than any other class of litigant, and numerous judges vigorously enforced the provision against the plaintiffs, …

The Transmittal Letter Translated, Carl W. Tobias

Law Faculty Publications

The letter in which Chief Justice Rehnquist transmitted to Congress amendments to various Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which became effective on December 1, 1993 is reproduced. Professor Tobias then offers his "translation" of the letter with his interpretation of what likely took place during the rule revision process involving the Advisory Committee on the Civil Rules, emphasizing the controversial revision of F.R.C.P. Rule 11.

Elevated Pleading In Environmental Litigation, Carl W. Tobias

Law Faculty Publications

The recent United States Supreme Court opinion in Leatherman v. Tarrant County Narcotics Intelligence and Coordination Unit is critical to parties and attorneys who participate in environmental litigation. Leatherman proscribed the imposition of pleading requirements that are stricter than those ordinarily applied under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a). Such heightened pleading requirements compel plaintiffs to plead more facts, and courts can dismiss claims that fall short of the mark.

The Leatherman court considered civil rights actions alleging that municipalities are liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.2 Although Leatherman might seem of limited relevance to environmental lawsuits, its holding and …

Postpetition Lending Under Section 364: Current Issues - Incentives To Lenders To Provide Financing To Borrowers Who Are The Subject Of Bankruptcy Cases, David G. Epstein

Law Faculty Publications

A bankruptcy debtor is not viewed by most lenders as a desirable customer. Most lenders arc understandably reluctant to extend credit to such a borrower. This reluctance compounds the difficulties of a bankruptcy debtor. Without new financing, the cash needs of a debtor often will cause the debtor's assets to be liquidated, thereby foreclosing any hope of reorganization and defeating the rehabilitative purposes of the Bankruptcy Code. To counter the understandable reluctance of financial institutions to lend to bankruptcy debtors, section 364 of the Bankruptcy Code provides incentives to lenders to provide financing to borrowers who are the subject of …

Rejecting Conventional Wisdom: Federalist Ambivalence In The Framing And Implementation Of Article V, Kurt T. Lash

Law Faculty Publications

In 1787, the idea of placing an amending provision in a constitution was uncontroversial. Popular sovereignty was an assumed doctrine in the colonies; the people retained the unalienable right "to alter or abolish" their system of government whenever they so pleased. How this unquestionable right was to be incorporated into the new federal Constitution, however, was another matter. The delegates who faced each other at Philadelphia had very different views about which body should be entrusted with the power to propose amendments, when that power should be used, and how that power should be defined.

Article V, like the rest …

Who Gets A Dead Man's Gold? The Dilemma Of Lottery Winnings Payable To A Decedent's Estate, M. Eldridge Blanton

University of Richmond Law Review

This article addresses the federal estate tax and federal income tax consequences of lottery winnings which flow to the estate of a decedent or, alternatively, directly to the decedent's beneficiaries. State income tax and state death tax considerations must also be taken into account. With respect to these secondary implications, this article draws largely upon the Code of Virginia and the relevant sections of Virginia's income tax and estate tax statutes. Some references will be made to the possibility of contrary statutory treatment in other states, but primary reliance will be upon Virginia law.

Symposium On Religious Law: Roman Catholic, Islamic, And Jewish Treatment Of Familial Issues, Including Education, Abortion, In Vitro Fertilization, Prenuptial Agreements, Contraception, And Martial Fraud, Azizah Y. Al-Hibri

Law Faculty Publications

This symposium offers perspectives from three religious law traditions: Roman Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism. Each of the three legal traditions offers a comprehensive, normative system that translates doctrine into practice and religious values into concrete directives. While the place of theological law differs in the respective religious bodies, each body asserts a binding authority over its confessional members.

The New Simultaneous Death Act: Welcome Changes For Donative Transfers, J. Rodney Johnson

Law Faculty Publications

Professor Johnson compares the 1991 Uniform Simultaneous Death Act with its 1941 predecessor and finds the newer legislation a vast improvement, particularly ind dealing with deaths occurring within short intervals.

Richmond Law Magazine: Summer 1993

Richmond Law Magazine

Features:

Mudd Appeal

Jogging on the First Day of Law Practice

The Right To Religion-Based Exemptions In Early America: The Case Of Conscientious Objectors To Conscription, Ellis M. West

Political Science Faculty Publications

One of the more controversial decisions handed down by the Supreme Court in recent years was its decision in the case of Employment Division, Oregon v. Smith, which raised the basic issue of whether the free exercise clause of the First Amendment guarantees a right to religion-based exemptions, i.e., whether it gives persons and groups a prima facie right to be exempt from having to obey valid laws when they have religious reasons for noncompliance. More specifically, in Smith, two Native Americans claimed that their prosecution for using an illegal drug, peyote, was precluded by the free exercise …

Family Planning And Islamic Jurisprudence, Azizah Y. Al-Hibri

Law Faculty Publications

In this speech, the author provides a brief overview of Islamic jurisprudence on the subject matter and does not recommend any particular position with respect to the debate on family planning. The author, however, wishes to emphasize to the reader the importance of correctly analyzing arguments and factors involved in the particular situation under consideration, in light of all relevant communal as well as individual factors. The author also wishes to emphasize the importance of formulating all such analysis free from all forms of compulsion and coercion, whether conscious or subconscious, individual or organized, including that of targeted advertising campaigns. …

The Tribunal In Albania, John Paul Jones

Law Faculty Publications

Professor Jones explains and critiques "The Organization of Justice and the Constitutional Court," the1992 amendments to Albania's provisional constitution that established the nation's post-revolution judicial system.