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Using Arbitration To Eliminate Consumer Class Actions: Efficient Business Practice Or Unconscionable Abuse?, Jean R. Sternlight, Elizabeth J. Jensen Apr 2004

Using Arbitration To Eliminate Consumer Class Actions: Efficient Business Practice Or Unconscionable Abuse?, Jean R. Sternlight, Elizabeth J. Jensen

Law and Contemporary Problems

Companies are increasingly using arbitral class action prohibitions to insulate themselves from class action liability. These prohibitions are detrimental not only to potential class members but to the public at large in that they are preventing the law from being adequately enforced. In essence, by precluding class actions, companies are engaging in "do-it-yourself tort reform," freeing themselves from liability without having to convince legislatures to change the substantive law.


The High Cost Of Mandatory Consumer Arbitration, Mark E. Budnitz Apr 2004

The High Cost Of Mandatory Consumer Arbitration, Mark E. Budnitz

Law and Contemporary Problems

This article critically examines a sampling of arbitration agreements and the rules of the major arbitration service providers and concludes that the cost of arbitration is often prohibitively high, either because consumers simply cannot afford the fees attendant to filing and prosecuting a claim or because the costs of bringing a claim outweigh the benefits of any potential remedies.


The Revocability Of Contract Provisions Controlling Resolution Of Future Disputes Between The Parties, Paul D. Carrington, Paul Y. Castle Apr 2004

The Revocability Of Contract Provisions Controlling Resolution Of Future Disputes Between The Parties, Paul D. Carrington, Paul Y. Castle

Law and Contemporary Problems

The Supreme Court has vastly expanded the applicability of arbitration legislation, making it applicable to many types of contracts to which the application of the revocability doctrine would make better sense. This article corrects the misunderstanding of the policies served by the common law rule and suggests the rule's revival for application to many of the contracts to which the Supreme Court has expanded the application of the Federal Arbitration Act.


Contracting With Tortfeasors: Mandatory Arbitration Clauses And Personal Injury Claims, Elizabeth G. Thornburg Apr 2004

Contracting With Tortfeasors: Mandatory Arbitration Clauses And Personal Injury Claims, Elizabeth G. Thornburg

Law and Contemporary Problems

This article examines some of the cases in which courts have enforced arbitration clauses in personal injury litigation and considers why courts have reached the outcomes they have. It evaluates the ways that arbitration can disturb the traditional values of procedural justice, contractual fairness and the enforcement of tort-based duties. It suggests changes in the law regarding mandatory arbitration of personal injury claims and explores the extent to which change is possible.


Democracy And Dispute Resolution: The Problem Of Arbitration, Richard C. Reuben Apr 2004

Democracy And Dispute Resolution: The Problem Of Arbitration, Richard C. Reuben

Law and Contemporary Problems

This article seeks to bring the submerged issue of arbitration's relationship to democracy to the surface of the mandatory arbitration debate. Its goal is relatively modest: To recognize and articulate the relationship between democracy and arbitration as an issue worth considering, to analyze the democratic character of arbitration and to suggest some implications of this assessment.


The Uncertain Future Of Mandatory Arbitration Of Statutory Claims In The Unionized Workplace, Erica F. Schohn Apr 2004

The Uncertain Future Of Mandatory Arbitration Of Statutory Claims In The Unionized Workplace, Erica F. Schohn

Law and Contemporary Problems

As arbitration processes have improved over the last ten years, the negative perception of mandatory arbitration provisions that apply to statutory claims has decreased. The case law reflects this change in perception, as courts how allow mandatory arbitration of statutory claims brought by nonunion employees. This article argues that the continued distinction between claims by union and nonunion employees lacks any meaningful justification--that is, that mandatory arbitration of statutory claims is as appropriate, if not more so, in the collective bargaining context as it is in the nonunionized workplace.


Journal Staff Jan 2004

Journal Staff

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.


Journal Staff Jan 2004

Journal Staff

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.


“Regulatory Daubert”: A Proposal To Enhance Judicial Review Of Agency Science By Incorporating Daubert Principles Into Administrative Law, Alan Charles Raul, Julie Zampa Dwyer Oct 2003

“Regulatory Daubert”: A Proposal To Enhance Judicial Review Of Agency Science By Incorporating Daubert Principles Into Administrative Law, Alan Charles Raul, Julie Zampa Dwyer

Law and Contemporary Problems

In Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc, the US Supreme Court empowered federal judges to reject irrelevant or unreliable scientific evidence. Daubert provides a suitable framework for reviewing the quality of agency science and the soundness of agency decisions consistent with the standards established for review of agency rulemakings under the Administrative Procedure Act.


Implications Of The Precautionary Principle For Environmental Regulation In The United States: Examples From The Control Of Hazardous Air Pollutants In The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, Bernard D. Goldstein, Russellyn S. Carruth Oct 2003

Implications Of The Precautionary Principle For Environmental Regulation In The United States: Examples From The Control Of Hazardous Air Pollutants In The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, Bernard D. Goldstein, Russellyn S. Carruth

Law and Contemporary Problems

Goldstein and Carruth argue that the hazardous air pollutant provisions of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments provide an example of the Precautionary Principle incorporated into US environmental legislation. Evaluating the outcome thus far leads them to the conclusion that utilizing the Precautionary Principle as a basis for legislation can be problematic to public-health goals.


Foreword, Richard A. Merrill Oct 2003

Foreword, Richard A. Merrill

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.


Strengthening Science’S Voice At Epa, E. Donald Elliott Oct 2003

Strengthening Science’S Voice At Epa, E. Donald Elliott

Law and Contemporary Problems

Elliott considers the problem of institutional reforms to enhance the role of science in EPA decisionmaking. He asserts that science is underrepresented in policymaking at the EPA and that the quality of decisions at the margins would be improved by giving science somewhat greater influence.


Law And Engineering: In Search Of The Law-Science Problem, Jerry L. Mashaw Oct 2003

Law And Engineering: In Search Of The Law-Science Problem, Jerry L. Mashaw

Law and Contemporary Problems

Lawyers and scientists both have the intellectual conceit that a well-defined problem is not only a necessary, but almost a sufficient, condition for a successful solution. Mashaw examines the applied science of engineering in the context of health and safety regulation, focusing on the law-science interface at the NHTSA.


The “Bad Science” Fiction: Reclaiming The Debate Over The Role Of Science In Public Health And Environmental Regulation, Wendy E. Wagner Oct 2003

The “Bad Science” Fiction: Reclaiming The Debate Over The Role Of Science In Public Health And Environmental Regulation, Wendy E. Wagner

Law and Contemporary Problems

Wagner argues that the good-science reforms miss the mark and have the potential to cause significant damage to already crippled administrative processes. Background information is presented relating to the sources of dissatisfaction with regulatory science and how the three most popular reforms purport to address these concerns.


On The Prospect Of “Daubertizing” Judicial Review Of Risk Assessment, Thomas O. Mcgarity Oct 2003

On The Prospect Of “Daubertizing” Judicial Review Of Risk Assessment, Thomas O. Mcgarity

Law and Contemporary Problems

Lawyers for companies subject to federal health, safety and environmental regulation hope that stringent substantive judicial review will relieve their clients of the burdens of much regulation without the need for troublesome legislative battles they seem unable to win. McGarity argues that assigning a Daubert-like (Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc) gatekeeper role to courts engaged in judicial review of agency risk assessments is a profoundly bad idea.


Accounting For Science: The Independence Of Public Research In The New, Subterranean Administrative Law, Donald T. Hornstein Oct 2003

Accounting For Science: The Independence Of Public Research In The New, Subterranean Administrative Law, Donald T. Hornstein

Law and Contemporary Problems

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is putting the final touches on a system designed to account for the science used by federal agencies in their administrative missions. There are reasons for concern that OMB's new programs could be used to skew the system by which regulatory science is generated in the first place.


Journal Staff Oct 2003

Journal Staff

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.


Enforcing Bias-Crime Laws Without Bias: Evaluating The Disproportionate-Enforcement Critique, Frederick M. Lawrence Jul 2003

Enforcing Bias-Crime Laws Without Bias: Evaluating The Disproportionate-Enforcement Critique, Frederick M. Lawrence

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.


Journal Staff Jul 2003

Journal Staff

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.


Foreword: The Political Geography Of Race Data In The Criminal Justice System, Andrew E. Taslitz Jul 2003

Foreword: The Political Geography Of Race Data In The Criminal Justice System, Andrew E. Taslitz

Law and Contemporary Problems

Several months ago, there was a heated discussion on CrimProf, the listserv for criminal law professors, about the disproportionate representation of minorities in the criminal justice system. Few participants in this online discussion contested the reality that racial and ethnic minorities, especially African Americans, make up a far larger percentage of those arrested and incarcerated than should be expected from their percentage of the country's total population.


Study Habits: Probing Modern Attempts To Assess Minority Offender Disproportionality, Sharon L. Davies Jul 2003

Study Habits: Probing Modern Attempts To Assess Minority Offender Disproportionality, Sharon L. Davies

Law and Contemporary Problems

Oregon, Washington and Utah have recently taken empirical steps to assess the extent to which minorities are overrepresented in their respective criminal justice systems and to seek out the root causes of any overrepresentation observed. Davies contrasts and critiques the disparate analytical approaches utilized by these states and offers some thoughts about how people might improve the chances of success of future similar efforts.


The Reality Of Racial Disparity In Criminal Justice: The Significance Of Data Collection, David A. Harris Jul 2003

The Reality Of Racial Disparity In Criminal Justice: The Significance Of Data Collection, David A. Harris

Law and Contemporary Problems

Criminologists have long debated the presence of racial disparity at various places in the criminal justice system, from initial on-the-street encounters between citizens and police officers to the sentencing behavior of judges. What is new is the use of statistics designed to persuade the public, and not just other academics and researchers, that grave racial disparities exist in the system, and that these disparities necessitate significant policy changes.


From The Ne’Er-Do-Well To The Criminal History Category: The Refinement Of The Actuarial Model In Criminal Law, Bernard E. Harcourt Jul 2003

From The Ne’Er-Do-Well To The Criminal History Category: The Refinement Of The Actuarial Model In Criminal Law, Bernard E. Harcourt

Law and Contemporary Problems

Harcourt discusses three developments in 20th century criminal law: the evolution of parole board decision-making in the early 20th century, the development of fixed sentencing guidelines in the late 20th century, and the growth of criminal profiling as a formal law enforcement tool since the 1960s. In each of these case studies, he focuses on the criminal law decision-making.


Drug Wars In Black And White, Joseph E. Kennedy Jul 2003

Drug Wars In Black And White, Joseph E. Kennedy

Law and Contemporary Problems

The debate over the racial complexion of the war against drugs often devolves into a clash of fundamental assumptions that are difficult to either validate or refute. Ultimately, however, the criminal justice system is destined to find crime only where it looks for crime.


Race, Crime, And Institutional Design, Erik Luna Jul 2003

Race, Crime, And Institutional Design, Erik Luna

Law and Contemporary Problems

Minorities are gravely overrepresented in every stage of the criminal process--from pedestrian and automobile stops, to searches and seizures, to arrests and convictions, to incarceration and capital punishment. While racial data can provide a snapshot of the current state of affairs, such information rarely satisfies questions of causation, and usually only sets the scene for normative theory.


Racial Auditors And The Fourth Amendment: Data With The Power To Inspire Political Action, Andrew E. Taslitz Jul 2003

Racial Auditors And The Fourth Amendment: Data With The Power To Inspire Political Action, Andrew E. Taslitz

Law and Contemporary Problems

Taslitz discusses the current practice of racial auditing as a method of police regulation. Racial auditing relies on the strategy of using independent investigators to disseminate data about an organization to broader publics. Racial auditors, however, are not accountants but rather human rights organizations.


The Second Enclosure Movement And The Construction Of The Public Domain, James Boyle Apr 2003

The Second Enclosure Movement And The Construction Of The Public Domain, James Boyle

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.


A Contractually Reconstructed Research Commons For Scientific Data In A Highly Protectionist Intellectual Property Environment, J. H. Reichman, Paul F. Uhlir Apr 2003

A Contractually Reconstructed Research Commons For Scientific Data In A Highly Protectionist Intellectual Property Environment, J. H. Reichman, Paul F. Uhlir

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.


Mapping The Digital Public Domain: Threats And Opportunities, Pamela Samuelson Apr 2003

Mapping The Digital Public Domain: Threats And Opportunities, Pamela Samuelson

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.


Through The Looking Glass: Alice And The Constitutional Foundations Of The Public Domain , Yochai Benkler Apr 2003

Through The Looking Glass: Alice And The Constitutional Foundations Of The Public Domain , Yochai Benkler

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.