Law Commons^™

The Uses Of Human Rights Norms To Inform Constitutional Interpretation, Gordon A. Christenson

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

Recent federal court of appeals decisions have relied on fundamental human rights norms to inform constitutional interpretation. This comment reviews the reasoning in those cases to identify possible constitutional uses of fundamental human rights norms and to suggest some conceptual framework for their use. The need for such a framework is illustrated by the cases themselves, which seem disparate and disjointed, with no discernible coherent philosophy, though each makes good sense when considered alone.

Executive Agreements And The Bypassing Of Congress, Joseph P. Tomain

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

The Transmittal Act has revealed a thorny issue for United States constitutional law. Specifically, the Act seeks to obviate those instances in which the Executive Branch attempts to abrogate fully the Legislature's role in foreign policy. The Constitution requires that all treaties be ratified by the Senate. Nevertheless, the Executive, simply by calling an international agreement a different name, may effectively bypass Congress. The Transmittal Act was not intended to resolve fundamental questions relating to the treaty making power of the Senate or Executive authority to enter into binding agreements with foreign countries without the consent of Congress. It was …

On Choosing Clients And Careers: A Speculative Essay On The Problems Of Initial Choice, Joseph P. Tomain

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

This paper deals with the moral dimensions of initial choices of careers and clients. Although the foregoing tale is addressed to the initial choice of career, similar considerations enter into the initial choice of clients. The problems of initial career choice were highlighted because they are more immediate to law students.' In addition, one's choice of career may have a significant effect on future choices of clients.

In order for a lawyer to make an initial choice of either career or client, moral questions of the first rank must be answered. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these …

Elimination Of The Highest And Best Use Principle: Another Path Through The Middle Way, Joseph P. Tomain

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

Traditional land use law categorizes governmental activities that affect the value of private property as exercises of either the state's police power or eminent domain power. This dichotomy has created what Professor John J. Costonis describes as the "disparity issue": if in a legitimate exercise of its police power a state reduces the value of land, no compensation is required; if the governmental action devalues land too much, however, it is deemed a taking within the eminent domain power and full compensation according to the land's "highest and best use" is required. Often, this compensation exceeds the land's present value. …

Land Use Controls In Iowa, Joseph P. Tomain

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

Land use controls in Iowa, as in other states, exist in a variety of forms. Both the substance and structure of these controls continually change to meet the needs of a developing society. Recent and rapid technological growth, together with the spread of population, indicate that there is a growing interdependence between land use and land users. As a result of this interdependence and the complex nature of our technological and economic environment, the number of governmental regulations is increasing rapidly. This Article will focus on the two predominant governmental controls utilized in Iowa-zoning and planning. Next, the Article will …

Irvin C. Rutter, Gordon A. Christenson

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

Tribute to legal scholar, Irvin Rutter.

The Legal Imagination And Language: A Philosophical Criticism, Thomas D. Eisele

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

James B. White's The Lega/lmagination: Studies in the Nature of Legal Thought and Expression takes upon itself an immense task, namely, investigating and characterizing the position of lawyers and the legal mind in today's world. Not surprisingly, the characterization and criticism of such a book is no less difficult a task or responsibility than that undertaken by the book. In fact, the characterization and criticism of the book and the characterization and criticism in the book-both being acts of criticism-require the same attitude: constant fidelity to the data with which one has to work. In
describing and assessing the book, …

In Memoriam Of Professor George D. Horning Jr., Gordon A. Christenson

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

Tribute to legal scholar, George D. Horning Jr.

Studying Law As The Possibility Of Principled Action, Gordon A. Christenson

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

The study of law may be viewed as the critical analysis of a system of logically coherent rules governing action. In the United States, the responsibility for legal education has traditionally fallen upon the law schools. Within the legal profession and law schools a restive spirit now prevails, seeking to further clarify the meaning of that responsibility.' Two responses appear in the law schools, for good or ill.

In Pursuit Of The Art Of Law, Gordon A. Christenson

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

The following is the address given by the author upon his installation as Dean of The American University Law School, on October 31, 1971.

The United States-Rumanian Claims Settlement Agreement Of March 30, 1960, Gordon A. Christenson

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

On March 30, 1960, the United States and Rumania settled by agreement certain claims of American nationals against Rumania. The agreement provides for the payment by Rumania of a lump sum in discharge of those claims. In recent years the device of the en-bloc or lump-sum settlement of international claims has to some extent replaced the use of the mixed claims commission.

International Claims Procedure Before The Department Of State, Gordon A. Christenson

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

The problem of method in the presentation of international claims to the Department of State has received inadequate analysis.' Remedial or procedural aspects of international law have been viewed largely as international arbitration, adjudication of disputes before the International Court of Justice or the determination of claims by national claims commissions. 2 This article will consider some procedural aspects of presenting international claims to the Department of State for espousal to foreign governments or for other assistance. Since much international litigation between states originates in this fashion, it is appropriate that an inquiry into procedures should begin with the first …

International Judicial Assistance And Utah Practice, Gordon A. Christenson

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

This article will undertake to consider the present framework of Utah procedural law in relation to international judicial assistance. It will endeavor to suggest methods of handling problems of personal service, evidence, and proof of foreign law and will seek to point out some dangers along the way.