Law Commons^™

Meet The New Juvenile And Domestic Relations District Court, Ingrid Michelsen Hillinger

University of Richmond Law Review

Without trumpet or even modest fanfare, the 1981 Virginia General Assembly passed two new subsections to Title 16.1 of the Code of Virginia, amending the jurisdiction of the juvenile and domestic relations district courts (hereinafter cited as J & DR). Despite their uncontroversial passage, they portend significant changes for the J & DR court and the circuit court as well, and have generated surprise and bewilderment among the J & DR court judges. This article explores the meaning of the amendments and their longterm implications.

The Limitation On Recovery In Medical Negligence Cases, Edward W. Taylor, William G. Shields

University of Richmond Law Review

Chapter 611, 1976 Acts of Assembly, provided for sweeping changes in the laws of medical and hospital negligence in Virginia. The Act affects all medical negligence actions arising after July 1, 1976. The legislation was enacted during a time when many perceived a medical malpractice crisis in Virginia. This article will review the historical background which led to this perception and will analyze whether, in fact, this crisis did exist. Finally, the article will demonstrate that the Act is both unnecessary and more importantly, unconstitutional.

Doe V. Doe: Destroying The Presumption That Homosexual Parents Are Unfit- The New Burden Of Proof, Gary L. Caldwell

University of Richmond Law Review

In a recent decision concerning adoption, the Virginia Supreme Court declined "to hold that every lesbian mother or homosexual father is per se an unfit parent." This finding was apparently at odds with Virginia statutes outlawing marriages between members of the same sex and making it a criminal offense to engage in a homosexual relationship. In rejecting the trial court's use of a conclusive legal presumption that homosexuality is tantamount to a parent's unfitness, the justices closely examined the effects of the appellant's lesbianism upon her son to "determine whether the consequences of harm to the child of allowing the …

Double Jeopardy And The Virginia Supreme Court: Three Approaches To Multiple Punishment, Jane S. Glenn

University of Richmond Law Review

The double jeopardy clause of the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution affords three primary protections. First, the clause protects against a second prosecution for the same offense after acquittal. Secondly, it protects against a second prosecution for the same offense after conviction. Thirdly, the clause prohibits the imposition of multiple punishment for a single offense. Although the double jeopardy principle has roots in antiquity, it may be one of our least understood constitutional protections. This comment will focus on the third protection of double jeopardy as it has been developed by the United States Supreme Court and recently …

Legal Malpractice In Virginia: Tort Or Contract?, R. Paul Childress Jr.

University of Richmond Law Review

A client who attempts to recover from an attorney does so because the client feels that the attorney has acted negligently. The concepts of standard of care, negligence, and damages are usually associated with actions in tort. However, while an examination of applicable Virginia law reveals that concepts usually associated with tort apply to legal malpractice, the presence of elements of negligence does not always equal tort.

Federal Regulation Of Consumer-Creditor Relations, Susan B. English

University of Richmond Law Review

As anyone who has taught or practiced in the area of consumer law knows, there have been no texts written until now which attempt to bring together in a concise manner the many statutes and regulations which govern this rapidly developing area of law. Kenneth R. Redden, Professor of Law at the University of Virginia, and James McClellan, Chief Counsel and Staff Director of the Subcommittee on the Separation of Powers of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, have taken the first step to fill this gap by providing us with a text in the area of consumer-creditor relations.

University Of Richmond Law Review Index

University of Richmond Law Review

This is the table of contents for the 1981-1982 issues of the University of Richmond Law Review.

University Of Richmond Law Review Table Of Contents

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Virginia Laws Affecting Churches - Restated, J. Rodney Johnson

University of Richmond Law Review

Twenty-five years ago, the late William T. Muse, then Dean of the University of Richmond School of Law, observed that although there was considerable law in Virginia relating to churches this law was widely scattered throughout the statutes and the cases. To remedy this state of affairs, Dean Muse wrote a concise but complete summary of these laws. In the quarter-century that has elapsed since Dean Muse's article was published, Virginia has adopted a new constitution, many church-related statutes have been enacted and a number of church-related cases have been decided, some of which have refined established principles and others …

Truthfulness In Negotiation, Thomas F. Guernsey

University of Richmond Law Review

A great deal has been written on truthfulness in trial advocacy. In his talks and writing, Monroe Freedman sparked the most current version of the debate, though the debate is much older. Given the age of this debate, it is surprising to find that there has been little discussion of truthfulness in the related area of negotiation. A survey of law review articles, cases and ethical opinions reveals little in the way of discussion or guidance. Indeed, books prepared on negotiation are quite limited in their consideration of the ethical issues involved.

The Marsh Trilogy: The Virginia Supreme Court Examines The Freedom Of Information Act, Steven L. Higgs

University of Richmond Law Review

The Virginia Freedom of Information Act ("the Act" or "the Virginia Act") requires that all meetings of public bodies be open to the public. One of the purposes of the Act is "to ensure to the people ... free entry to meetings of public bodies wherein the business of the people is beifig conducted." In three cases decided March 12, 1982, the Virginia Supreme Court examined some of the exceptions to this general requirement provided by the Act in section 2.1-344 of the Virginia Code. This section provides the specific purposes for which "executive or closed meetings" may be held …

1982 Amendments To Virginia's Driving While Intoxicated Laws, Eddie W. Wilson

University of Richmond Law Review

The problem of fatal automobile crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. While the exact number of alcohol-related crashes is not known, almost one-half of all fatally injured drivers tested in the United States were found to have been too intoxicated to drive. Although statistics show a lower percentage of alcohol-related fatal crashes in Virginia than the prevailing national average, the pervasiveness of the problem and its dire consequences resulted in legislative action to change Virginia's laws governing drinking and driving.

In Re Cheeseman: A Judicial Revision Of Virginia's Homestead Exemption Laws, Henry N. Ware Jr.

University of Richmond Law Review

The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 was the first major revision of federal bankruptcy law in over forty years. An important goal of the Act is to provide the debtor with a "meaningful fresh start." To that end, the Bankruptcy Act provides liberalized allowances in amounts and types of property that a debtor may hold exempt from creditors in an insolvency proceeding. Under section 522 subsection (b) of the Act, however, a state is permitted to "opt out" of the federal exemption scheme and prescribe under its own law the exemptions a debtor may claim. Virginia is among those states …

Panterv. Marshall Field & Co.: The Good Faith Standard For Corporate Directors, Lavinia A. James

University of Richmond Law Review

Corporate directors traditionally have been immunized from liability for corporate actions involving questions of policy or "business judgment," if such actions are taken in the exercise of due care, in good faith, and in compliance with applicable fiduciary duties. Judicial review of decisions made by corporate boards of directors in unsolicited takeovers generally has been barred by this business judgment rule. A recent challenge to this precept was brought in Panter v. Marshall Field & Co., a Seventh Circuit decision which highlighted many of the issues surrounding application of the business judgment rule in the context of a take-over attempt.

Toxic Substances Litigation In The Fourth Circuit, Francis E. Mcgovern

University of Richmond Law Review

Personal injuries caused by toxic substances have generated problems of major concern to our social, political and legal systems. Reports in the news media concerning harm caused by toxic substances and expressions of public awareness of potential dangers associated with exposure to toxic substances are commonplace. Legislatures, administrative agencies and courts at both federal and state levels have begun to devote substantial energy to addressing issues raised by exposure to toxic Substances. Scientific, industrial, financial, and legal communities are seeking to deal with these problems from a number of different perspectives. Just as terms such as "Love Canal" and "asbestosis" …

Surrogate Mother Agreements: Contemporary Legal Aspects Of A Biblical Notion, Margaret D. Townsend

University of Richmond Law Review

After centuries of silence, modern man again harkens the voice of Sa-ah. With the decline in the number of children available for adoption and the apparent rise in infertility in this country over the past three decades, individuals unable to bear children are seeking alternative methods for becoming parents. Surrogate motherhood is one solution to the age old problem of childless families. A surrogate mother is a woman, married or unmarried, who agrees to have a child for a person who is incapable of giving birth. While the more common utilization of a surrogate occurs in situations where the wife …

"Working To The Contract" In Virginia: Legal Consequences Of Teachers Attempts To Limit Their Contractual Duties, Rebecca D. Bray

University of Richmond Law Review

In 1980, there were 233,000 local government employees in Virginia. Of this number, 60,588 were public school teachers employed by local school boards for the 1980-81 school year. Characterized as both professionals and public employees, public school teachers not only "teach the children" but perform many other duties crucial to the efficient operation of the schools. These additional responsibilities are generally assigned by the teacher's immediate supervisor, usually the school principal, under authority granted by the local school board. Like other state and local government employees in Virginia, teachers have no power to collectively negotiate their contracutal duties' which they …

Employer Duties And Defenses To Osha Violations, Janice G. Murphy

University of Richmond Law Review

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (hereinafter the Act) was designed to encourage both employers and employees to reduce the number of occupational safety and health hazards at their places of employment. The Secretary of Labor is authorized by the Act to set mandatory standards applicable to businesses affecting interstate commerce, and the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission was created to handle the adjudication arising from enforcement of the Act. An employer's duties under the Act are to provide employees a work environment "free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or …

University Of Richmond Law Review Table Of Contents

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Due Process Implications Of Prison Transfers, Eugene Murphy

University of Richmond Law Review

One of the several anomalies of prison life is the disparate protection afforded inmates transferred to higher security. Although both punitive and administrative transfers often place the inmate in the same building under almost identical conditions, only disciplinary transfers are generally conceded to give rise to due process protection. The inmate confined in isolation for fifteen days as punishment for misconduct is guaranteed a hearing with advance written notice and the rights to present testimony and receive a written decision. On the other hand, the prisoner confined indefinitely in segregation for supposed administrative reasons has such due process rights only …

Babies Behind Bars: Should Incarcerated Mothers Be Allowed To Keep Their Newborns With Them In Prison?, Donna L. Brodie

University of Richmond Law Review

Society's traditional approach to women offenders has been focused on "women as prisoners and not.., prisoners as women." Harsh implications for female offenders who are mothers can result from the view that incarceration not only curtails the prisoner's freedom of movement but also terminates many of the individual's civil rights as well. In reality, these women are doubly penalized with a prison sentence as well as temporary or permanent loss of their parental rights. Modern courts are beginning to recognize that "[a] prisoner retains all of the rights of an ordinary citizen except those expressly, or by necessary implication, taken …

The Immunity Of Local Governments And Their Officials From Antitrust Claims After City Of Boulder, J. Robert Brame Iii, Howard Feller

University of Richmond Law Review

On January 13, 1982, the United States Supreme Court rendered an opinion against the City of Boulder, Colorado, which expanded the potential liability of local governmental entities and their officials to claims under the federal antitrust laws. The Supreme Court essentially held that a municipality cannot obtain immunity from antitrust claims unless it satisfies a stringent test. Due to the broad language of the opinion, virtually every activity in which a local governmental entity engages, including the traditional activities of zoning, licensing, franchising, purchasing and operating public utilities, has become subject to antitrust challenges that may require a trial on …

University Of Richmond Law Review Table Of Contents

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Constitutional And Statutory Challenges To Local At-Large Elections, Timothy G. O'Rourke

University of Richmond Law Review

On April 22, 1980, in City of Mobile v. Bolden the United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of at-large elections for the three-member city commission in Mobile, Alabama. In so doing, the Court reversed the judgment of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that Mobile's at-large plan impermissibly diluted the electoral influence of black voters in violation of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the Constitution. The Supreme Court's decision in Bolden [I] emerged from a sharply divided court. A six-person majority in the case consisted of four justices-Stewart, Burger, Powell, and Rehnquist-who joined in a plurality opinion; Justice …

Legal Education In Virginia 1779-1979; Land Use Law: Issues For The Eighties, Lewis T. Booker, Susanne L. Shilling

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Wills, Trusts, And Estates, Twenty-Sixth Annual Survey Of Developments In Virginia Law, J. Rodney Johnson

Law Faculty Publications

The Virginia General Assembly continued its increased legislative activity in the area of wills, trusts, and estates during the past year by passing three major acts: Exempt Property and Allowances; Acts Barring Property Rights; and the Virginia Small Estate Act. In addition to these major bills, seven additional acts enacted by the General Assembly and four cases decided by the Supreme Court of Virginia involved issues important to both the general practitioner and the specialist in wills and trusts. This article reviews these legislative and judicial developments, with emphasis on the three most important legislative enactments.

Das Profil Des Juristen In Der Europiiischen Tradition, William Hamilton Bryson

Law Faculty Publications

A book review on, Das Profil des Juristen in der europiiischen Tradition, by Klaus Luig and Detlef Liebs, eds.,

Virginia Law Affecting Churches - Restated, J. Rodney Johnson

Law Faculty Publications

Twenty-five years ago, the late William T. Muse, then Dean of the University of Richmond School of Law, observed that although there was considerable law in Virginia relating to churches this law was widely scattered throughout the statutes and the cases. To remedy this state of affairs, Dean Muse wrote a concise but complete summary of these laws. In the quarter-century that has elapsed since Dean Muse's article was published, Virginia has adopted a new constitution, many church-related statutes have been enacted and a number of church-related cases have been decided, some of which have refined established principles and others …

The Due-On-Sale Clause: A Marriage Gone Sour - A Checklist For The Practitioner, W. Wade Berryhill

Law Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to identify and examine the influencing considerations and the attachment of significance given to them by the courts in the "due-on" cases. After a discussion of recent litigation addressing the enforceability of the "due-on" clauses in Virginia, a summarizing checklist will follow detailing the factors which must be considered by the practitioner preparing to draft or litigate the clause.

The T.C. Williams School Of Law Newsletter: Summer 1981

Richmond Law Magazine

Features:

New Library Wing Completed

Virginia General Assembly Spring 1981 - Candids