Law Commons^™

Introduction To The Banking Law Symposium: A 200 Year Journey From Anarchy To Oligarchy, James J. White

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Each of the five articles in this symposium deals in one way or another with a single question: In what ways and to what end should banks be regulated? Although banks and bankers are the very symbols of a capitalist economy, banks and bankers are not free. No banker may set up business on his own; he must have a charter. With insignificant exceptions no bank or bank holding company can operate a steel mill, sell grass seed, manufacture snowmobiles, or engage in any other activity that is not related to banking. There are rules that limit the geographic scope …

Commentary On 'Multiemployer Bargaining Rules': The Limitations Of A Strictly Economic Analysis, Theodore J. St. Antoine

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Labor law bulks large on the docket of the United States Supreme Court. Yet never would I have included Charles D. Bonanno Linen Service, Inc. v. NLRB, dealing with the seemingly mundane issue of an employer's right to withdraw from multiemployer bargaining, in the select company of cases addressing such pulse-quickening subjects as affirmative action, picketing as free speech, and union antitrust liability. Professor Douglas Leslie's elegant and provocative article shows just how wrong I was--or at least just how far imaginative analysis can go toward seeing a world in a grain of sand. I lay no claim to expertise …

Patents And The Progress Of Science: Exclusive Rights And Experimental Use, Rebecca S. Eisenberg

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In this article I analyze the proper scope of an experimental use exemption from patent infringement liability by comparing the rationales behind promoting technological progress through granting exclusive patent rights in inventions with competing arguments for promoting scientific progress by allowing all investigators to enjoy free access to the discoveries of other scientists. I begin by reviewing key features of the patent laws and theoretical justifications for granting patent monopolies in order to clarify the implications of existing patent doctrine and theory for an experimental use exemption. I then look to the literature in the sociology, history, and philosophy of …

Opinion Of The Supreme People's Court On Questions Concerning The Implementation Of The General Principles Of Civil Law Of The People's Republic Of China (Translation), Whitmore Gray, Henry R. Zheng

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The General Principles of Civil Law of the People's Republic of China ("General Principles") came into force on January 1, 1987. We now issue the following Opinion concerning issues encountered when implementing the General Principles

The Reasonable Doubt Rule And The Meaning Of Innocence, Scott E. Sundby

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No abstract provided.

The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act And Act Of State, Malvina Halberstam

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Congressional Abrogation Of Indian Treaties: Reevaluation And Reform, Michael Townsend

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The treaties between the United States and the Indians constitute a critical recognition and guarantee of Indian rights. They envision a "measured separatism"' for an important minority that is determined to maintain a distinct cultural and political identity.' Non-treaty rights are fragile: The Supreme Court has held that Indians are not citizens within the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment,' and that Congress has "plenary power" over Indian affairs by virtue of its guardianship over their interests. Moreover, the United States has ended the formal negotiation process with the Indians, and apparently no further treaties will be concluded. Thus, Congress' power …

The Lesson Of The Red Squirrel: Consensus And Betrayal In The Environmental Statutes, William H. Rodgers, Jr.

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The subjects of legislation and legislative change are undergoing a revival of sorts in United States' law schools. The academic community has offered a variety of theoretical visions on the nature of legislation—purposive and rational, irrational and political, the accidental outcome of competing interests, the imperfect product of high philosophy; the legislative process—formal and ritualistic, markets and auctions, plots and cabals, or publicregarding negotiations; and the individual legislators themselves—ritual players, auctioneers, maximizers of political gain, profiteers, and philosopher kings in shiny suits.

This author's personal approach to legal affairs of this sort is to draw on the laws of biology …

"Libelous" Petitions For Redress Of Grievances -- Bad Historiography Makes Worse Law, Eric Schnapper

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Both the majority and concurring opinions in McDonald v. Smith, 472 U.S. 479 (1985), concluded that there was no historical basis for McDonald's contention that the framers understood the right to petition to include an unqualified right to do so without being subject to suit for libel. This Article argues that the historical analysis in McDonaldis incorrect; indeed, this appears to be one instance in which the relevant historical materials are both voluminous and crystal clear.

Part I evaluates the McDonald Court's discussion of the intent of the framers. Subsequent sections discuss the wide variety of materials that …

Judges Against Juries—Appellate Review Of Federal Civil Jury Verdicts, Eric Schnapper

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This Article seeks to assess the treatment of civil jury verdicts by the federal courts of appeals during the two decades in which the Supreme Court has refused to scrutinize the actions of the circuit courts. Part I summarizes the manner in which the Supreme Court, prior to 1968, aggressively enforced the seventh amendment. Part II, focusing on a one-year period between the fall of 1984 and the fall of 1985, describes the actions of the courts of appeals in resolving the 208 reported cases in which a party challenged the sufficiency of the evidence to support a jury verdict. …

Bad Law Makes Hard Cases: Reflections On Teen-Aged Axe-Murderers, Judicial Activism, And Legislative Default, Barry C. Feld

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Waiver legislation in Minnesota, as in most other States, typically requires juvenile court judges to make individualized determinations as to a juvenile's amenability to treatment and danger to society as the basis for deciding whether to transfer the juvenile to adult court for disposition. Disposition in adult court allows for a more severe sanction than that permitted under the maximum sentence that can be dispensed in juvenile court. The difficulty and disparity in applying this waiver law lies in the discretion given to juvenile justice judges and the diverse criteria applied in judicial decisionmaking, both in the juvenile court and …

The Right To Counsel In Juvenile Court: An Empirical Study Of When Lawyers Appear And The Difference They Make, Barry C. Feld

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Major Developments At The 1989 Session Of The Un Commission On Human Rights, Reed Brody, David Weissbrodt

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On 10 March 1989 the United Nations Commission on Human Rights concluded its six week session in Geneva with a number of significant decisions as to country situations in which human rights violations have occurred, including the establishment of a Special Rapporteur on Romania. The Commission also continued monitoring disappearances, torture, executions, religious intolerance, and mercenaries; approved a draft Convention on the Rights of the Child after nine years of discussion; promptly transmitted to the General Assembly a draft Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights for the abolition of the death penalty; reaffirmed the …

Agency And Partnership: A Study Of Breach Of Promise Plaintiffs, Mary I. Coombs

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The Crisis Of Private Law Is Not An Ideal Situation, Kenneth M. Casebeer

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Work On A Labor Theory Of Meaning, Kenneth M. Casebeer

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Is Abandoning State Action Asking Too Much Of The Constitution, Scott E. Sundby

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The Inside Counsel Movement, Professional Judgment And Organizational Representation, Robert Eli Rosen

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Freedom Of Expression In A Pluralistic Society, James W. Nickel

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Corporate Debt Relationships: Legal Theory In A Time Of Restructuring, William Wilson Bratton

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The New Economic Theory Of The Firm: Critical Perspectives From History, William Wilson Bratton

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Racism And Legal Doctrine (Reviewing Derrick Bell, And We Are Not Saved (1987)), Mary E. Becker

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Perspectives On The Deferral Of U.S. Taxation Of The Earnings Of Foreign Corporations, Joseph Isenbergh

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Family Feud: A Response To Robert Weisberg On Law And Literature, Richard H. Weisberg

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The article engages in a critical dialogue with Robert Weisberg's work on the intersection of law and literature, particularly his skepticism toward the field's potential for sentimentality and his resistance to the literary text as a primary source of legal insight. The author argues that literature provides a unique lens for understanding the irrationalities and ethical dimensions of legal discourse, challenging Weisberg's dismissal of its value. The article contends that Law and Literature must embrace its subversive potential to critique legal assumptions and institutional language, while also addressing the broader cultural and epistemological challenges facing interdisciplinary scholarship.

Nollan, Henry George, And Exactions, Stewart E. Sterk

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The article examines the legal and economic implications of exactions, particularly in light of the Supreme Court's decision in Nollan v. California Coastal Commission. While exactions—requirements imposed on developers to provide municipal benefits—can theoretically promote efficiency and fairness, the analysis suggests that their practical implementation by municipalities is fraught with challenges. These challenges include the potential for inefficiency, unfairness, and arbitrary decision-making, which may undermine their effectiveness and raise constitutional concerns. The article argues that the concerns expressed in Nollan and other cases stem from the fear that exaction schemes could lead to inefficient and unfair municipal behavior, as well …

Irregular' Asylum Seekers: What's All The Fuss?, James C. Hathaway

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In 1985, the Executive Committee of UNHCR noted its concern about "the growing phenomenon of refugees and asylum-seekers who, having found protection in one country, move in an irregular manner to another country..." (Conclusion No. 36, para. j). At first glance, one might not view this conclusion as objectionable. With all of the millions of refugees in the world, most of who have no protection, why should we be concerned about the lot of a bunch of ingrates who, having already found protection, now want to move on in search of greener pastures? Don't we really have better things to …

Individual Autonomy And Collective Empowerment In Labor Law: Union Membership Resignations And Strikebreaking In The New Economy, David Abraham

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In this Article, Doctor Abraham studies the tensions between individual rights and theories of collective action in the context of union membership resignations and strikebreaking. He argues that recent judicial and executive tendencies to value individual worker autonomy over collective union action are misguided, lacking a basis in both legal precedent and social reality. In support of his view, Abraham first explores the philosophical and historical-sociological roots of labor and labor-capital relations, focusing on the meaning of employment and the history of collective action. Next, he examines the social and legal origins of the judiciary's recent tendency to increase union …

Nonrefundable Retainers: Impermissible Under Fiduciary, Statutory And Contract Law, Lester Brickman, Lawrence A. Cunningham

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Since the New York Court of Appeals banned nonrefundable retainers, numerous other courts have joined in prohibiting this widespread practice of lawyers charging a fee for services in advance and keeping the fee even if the services are not performed. This may reflect increased judicial recognition of the effect of egregious fee practices on the image of the bar and the role such practices play in the declining esteem in which the legal profession is held. Among the more provocative contributors to this ongoing debate, Professor Steven Lubet recently reviewed our work advocating the ban against nonrefundable retainers and posed …

Appellate Review Of Refusals To Depart, David Yellen

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Coming Of Age Some More: "Law And Literature" Beyond The Cradle, Richard H. Weisberg

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The article explores the historical development and significance of the Law and Literature movement, emphasizing the importance of literature in understanding legal reasoning, judicial writing, and professional ethics. It highlights how literature provides unique insights into the legal profession and advocates for its integration into legal education and practice to enhance ethical understanding and communication skills.