Law Commons^™

Responders’ Responsibility: Liability And Immunity In Public Health Emergencies, Sharona Hoffman

Faculty Publications

Many experts predict the advent of a public health emergency resulting from a flu pandemic or bioterrorism attack in the foreseeable future. At the same time, many health care providers express significant concern about liability arising from emergency response activities, because it is unlikely that they would be able to provide optimal care in crisis conditions. They also state that this concern will likely influence their willingness to be involved in response activities. This article addresses issues that have received little attention in the legal literature: liability and immunity in public health emergencies. The article provides a first-of-its-kind comprehensive analysis …

Do Ask And Do Tell: Rethinking The Lawyer’S Duty To Warn In Domestic Violence Cases, Margaret B. Drew, Sarah Buel

Faculty Publications

Empirical data document that while domestic violence victims face high risk of recurring abuse, batterers’ lawyers may be privy to information that could avert further harm. Attorneys owe a duty of confidentiality to their clients that can be breached only in extraordinary circumstances, such as when counsel learns her client plans to commit a crime. To resolve the tension between client confidentiality and victim safety, this Article argues that, in the context of domestic violence cases, lawyers have an affirmative duty to (1) screen battering clients who have indicated a likelihood of harming others, (2) attempt to dissuade them from …

Lawyers, Guns, & Money: The Rise And Fall Of Tort Litigation Against The Firearms Industry, Allen K. Rostron

Faculty Works

As the twentieth century came to a close, the gun industry was under siege. The murders of twelve students and a teacher at Columbine High School in April 1999 brought a chorus of calls for legislation limiting access to guns. A year later, demonstrators gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol building for the Million Mom March, the largest rally ever held in support of gun control measures.

The industry's greatest concern, however, arose in another arena. Gun manufacturers found themselves in courts on an array of tort lawsuits across the country. Many of those asserting claims were individuals injured …