Law Commons^™

Reviving The Rhetoric Of The Public Interest: Choir Directors, Copy Machines, And New Arrangements Of Public Domain Music, Paul J. Heald

Scholarly Works

The decision to photocopy or not to photocopy has significant consequences for the music consumer's pocketbook. Photocopies cost around three cents per page, while an original printed version of a choral work costs about thirty cents per page. The expense of buying rather than copying public domain sheet music is directly absorbed by the taxpayers who fund music education in public schools, the church congregations who must raise money for the church music budget, and the patrons of the fine arts who finance music ensembles with their admission fees or donations.

To recognize the high cost of sheet music is …

Roman Slave Law: An Anglo-American Perspective, Alan Watson

Scholarly Works

When one looks at Roman slave law from an Anglo-American perspective, what is striking is the apparent disinterest or lack of concern in the subject on the part of the state and the corresponding freedom of action allowed to slave owners. My claim is not that there was little law--indeed there was a great deal--but that the state did not get overly involved in laying down what owners could do with their slaves. For instance, though law decreed the methods by which slaves could be freed, the state imposed very few restrictions on manumission. This is all the more striking …

Should Students Have Constitutional Rights? Keeping Order In The Public Schools, Anne Proffitt Dupre

Scholarly Works

This Article focuses on how the Supreme Court's conception of the public school as either an institution of social reproduction or reconstruction, a conflict Professor Dupre maintains is deeply rooted in intellectual history, has affected the power that public schools have been afforded in matters of discipline and order. Professor Dupre argues that the Court -- by allowing the reconstruction model to influence its opinion for almost thirty years -- paved the way for the decline in school order and educational quality. Although Professor Dupre contends that the Court's recent repudiation of the reconstruction model in Vernonia School District 47J …

Equitable Recoupment: Revisiting An Old And Inconsistent Remedy, Camilla E. Watson

Scholarly Works

This Article examines the development of recoupment by first comparing and contrasting other equitable remedies. Because discussions of related equitable remedies have filled tomes in themselves, this Article concentrates only on the more salient aspects of these remedies as they pertain to the development of recoupment in the federal tax context. Next, the established elements of recoupment will be discussed in depth, with particular emphasis on the views of Professor Andrews. The Article questions whether Professor Andrews's views represent the most effective analysis of the recoupment criteria in light of the judicial inconsistencies.

In discussing the ineffectiveness of recoupment as …

The Proposed Corporate Sponsorship Regulations: Is The Treasury Department "Sleeping With The Enemy"?, David A. Brennen

Scholarly Works

Part II of this article will outline the historical development of this so-called unrelated business income tax on charities. Part III will show, in detail, how the Treasury's position in the proposed regulation represents a sharp departure from its pre-1993 interpretations regarding the status of sponsorship payments and posit possible reasons for the change. Part IV shows that the Treasury's “new” position on sponsorship payments, while an example of poor policy-making in light of the historical development of the unrelated business income tax, is legally defensible. Finally, part V suggests that the Treasury, in light of the policy concerns, should …

Copyright And Free Speech Rights, L. Ray Patterson, Stanley F. Birch, Jr.

Scholarly Works

By letter of 1 March 1993, the Copyright Compliance Office of the Association of American Publishers (AAP) informed a copyshop that it had “without prior permission, made multiple copies of excerpts of copyrighted works for distribution to students in course anthologies.” Stating that this copying was an infringement of copyright, the letter requested the copyshop to sign an enclosed agreement stating it would not commit such acts again and to pay a penalty of “$2,500 to help defray the costs of the AAP's copyright enforcement program in this matter and to impress on your business the need to operate in …

The Role Of The United Nations In The Maintenance Of Peace Before And After The Year Two Thousand, Gabriel M. Wilner

Scholarly Works

This short description of some of the important ideas set forth in the various contributions to the Colloquium is meant to give the reader an idea of the broad spectrum of issues and problems with which the international community is confronted both in continuing to use the present structure and competence of the Security Council and in making reforms. While the General Assembly and other organs of the United Nations and of regional and national institutions are mentioned as useful in the struggle to maintain world peace, it is clear that the Security Council will continue to dominate the work …

The New Dimensions Of United Nations Peacemaking, Louis B. Sohn

Scholarly Works

Since its beginning, mankind has alternated between periods of peace and war. The Twentieth Century was the first one in which attempts were made to outlaw war and to establish institutions which would protect the peoples of the world against war. After the carnage of the Second World War, the United Nations was established "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war," and the Security Council was given the "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security." The founders of the United Nations tried to ensure that the Council would have necessary means for discharging this responsibility, …

Introduction To Law For Second-Year Students?, Alan Watson

Scholarly Works

The casebook method of teaching is, in fact, an exercise in futility. It is the students themselves who are expected to build up a picture of law from the few generally disconnected scraps available to them and with virtually no tools. Students are left to guess what the editors' view of the law is rather than getting to what the law is all about. Instead of looking at the reasoning of a case in the light of the developed conceptual thought that preceded it, and of its place in a structured web of reasoned principle, they are provided in the …

The Ongoing Role Of Alternative Dispute Resolution In Federal Government Litigation, Peter R. Steenland, Jr., Peter A. Appel

Scholarly Works

This essay demonstrates that within appropriate guidelines, ADR has an important and growing role in the conduct of government litigation. To the extent that ADR can help the government save resources, this alone is of considerable public interest. More importantly ADR can help the government settle entire disputes rather than those pieces of disputes that become litigation events. ADR also involves the parties more directly in shaping the resolution of a dispute, and can often provide a result that is beyond the capacity of a court to provide. Because of the direct participation by the parties in mediation processes, ADR …

The Standard Of Review For The Voluntariness Of A Confession On Direct Appeal In Federal Court, Peter B. Rutledge

Scholarly Works

Section I of this Comment reviews the Supreme Court's jurisprudence on confessions, provides a close reading of Miller v. Finton, 474 U.S. 104 (1985), and reviews the division among the federal circuits over the standard of review for voluntariness determinations on direct appeal. Section II analyzes the literature on standards of review and focuses on two vexing problems in this field-the application of law to fact (hereinafter "mixed questions") and the constitutional fact doctrine. These two issues frame the analysis of voluntariness determinations. Section III analyzes these determinations and defends the application of de novo review in cases on …

Commerce Clause Restraints On State Business Development Incentives, Walter Hellerstein, Dan T. Coenen

Scholarly Works

In this Article, we explore the ill-defined distinction between the constitutional carrot and the unconstitutional stick in state tax, subsidy, and related cases. Part I examines the restraints that the Commerce Clause imposes on state tax incentives. It canvasses the general principles limiting discriminatory state taxation, explores the Court's decisions addressing state tax incentives, and proposes a framework of analysis for adjudicating the validity of such incentives. Part I concludes by considering the constitutionality of a variety of state tax incentives within our suggested framework and also under alternative approaches that courts might utilize. Part II examines the restraints that …

A Profile Of Tort Litigation In Georgia And Reflections On Tort Reform, Thomas A. Eaton, Susette M. Talarico

Scholarly Works

Fact-based studies of tort litigation in Georgia are almost nonexistent. Georgia is one of many states that does not provide the NCSC with any information regarding tort litigation patterns. Georgia does not provide such information because it is not compiled. It is not compiled because these data are not systematically maintained by local courts and reported to the Administrative Office of the Courts. Because the data are not routinely collected and reported, it is impossible to answer such elementary questions as: How many tort cases are filed in Georgia courts? What types of claims are brought? How many go to …

Markets And Law Reform: The Tension Between Uniformity And Idealism, James C. Smith

Scholarly Works

The most ambitious effort at uniform property legislation ever launched was the Uniform Land Transactions Act (“ULTA”) and its companion, the Uniform Simplification of Land Transfers Act (“USLTA”). Both Acts, however, met with singular failure in the sense of uniform legislative shunning and have not substantially influenced judges in their lawmaking roles. In published opinions, very few courts have relied upon the ULTA or USLTA positions for analogous support.

Why did a single state legislature, somewhere in America, not pass at least one of the Acts? We cannot tell for sure why the legislatures eschewed the USLTA and the ULTA. …

Aspects Of Reception Of Law, Alan Watson

Scholarly Works

In most places at most times borrowing is the most fruitful source of legal change. The borrowing may be from within the system, by analogy - from negligence in torts to negligence in contract, for instance - or from another legal system. The act of borrowing is usually simple. To build up a theory of borrowing on the other hand, seems to be an extremely complex matter. Receptions come in all shapes and sizes: from taking over single rules to (theoretically) almost a whole system. They present an array of social phenomena that are not easily explained: from whom can …

Estate Creditors, The Constitution, And The Uniform Probate Code, Sarajane Love

Scholarly Works

The United States Supreme Court's decision in Tulsa Professional Collection Services, Inc. v. Pope caused the usually staid legal enclave of estate administration to sit alert. The Court declared unconstitutional an Oklahoma statute that barred creditors of decedents from filing claims against the decedents' estates two months after published notice of the commencement of probate proceedings. The statute violated the due process rights of known and reasonably ascertainable creditors because it did not require a better form of notice to them. In failing to require actual notice to known creditors, the statute was not drastically atypical of other statutes regulating …

Fiduciary Duties Of Bidder Directors In The Context Of Tender Offers - Fair Play In A War, Henning Bernd C. Lowe

LLM Theses and Essays

When discussing mergers and acquisitions, most of the focus is given to whether the board of directors of the target company has a right of “self-defense” to stay independent. However, this thesis focuses on the other side of the transaction and seeks to determine whether the bidder in making a tender offer is acting unlawfully. Since a director has unlimited personal liability for a breach of his or her fiduciary duties, the question of whether a takeover-bid can be a breach of a director’s fiduciary duty is of great importance, yet little literature and no case law are devoted to …

An Analysis Of The Nature And Impact Of Legal Complexities Facing United States Corporations Considering Investment Into The New South Africa, Philip R. Mcdougall

LLM Theses and Essays

Due to sanctions imposed against South Africa’s Apartheid government, the South African economy suffered as little international investment was made in the country. With these sanctions lifted following the democratic elections of 1994, South Africa is now an alluring country for international investment. Despite this attractiveness, U.S. corporations face many legal concerns before entering the South African economy. An analysis of these issues is made in the context of American and South African law with solutions proposed in an effort to avoid deterring foreign investment. These concerns include political and non-economic risks that often hinder investment in the African continent, …

Agent’S Knowledge In An Era Of Corporate Restructuring: Imputation, Liability And Protection, Beate Buescher

LLM Theses and Essays

Agents of partnerships and corporations often acquire important and secret incoming and outgoing information. Protecting this information becomes especially critical during corporate restructuring. In this paper, the author reviews current agency law, fiduciary duties, liability, and mechanisms utilized by companies to prevent the disclosure of confidential information and discusses the inadequacies of these traditional protections in current business realities. Specific examples of disclosing confidential information and trade secrets are provided. Also, the author critiques both long-term measures, such as improvement of the structural reorganization process and the development of a new business ethic, as well as short-term methods, like the …

An Analysis Of The Disallowance Of Advertising Expenses For Tobacco Products, Ravi Mannam

LLM Theses and Essays

Generally, reasonable expenses incurred in the ordinary and necessary course of a legitimate trade or business are deductible from gross income under the U.S. Tax Code; however in an effort to curb tobacco use, recent legislation has disallowed this benefit to tobacco companies for advertising expenses. The judiciary has upheld this disallowance under the doctrine of legislative grace. This thesis critiques the doctrine of legislative grace along with a review Congress’s power to tax income and the role of deductions. Also, the possibility of disallowing business expenses under public policy grounds is examined, and the relationship between lobbying expenses and …

The Prenegotiation Phase On International Trade In Services Negotiations: A Case Study On North/South Issues Negotiations, Jaime A. Granados

LLM Theses and Essays

Only after four years of prenegotiations did the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations take place in 1986. This paper analyzes the prenegotiation phase on international trade in services by focusing on a North-South perspective of the underlying economics of international trade in services and the diplomatic exercise this prenegotiation phase set off. The factors during the prenegotiation phase which led to the launch of the Uruguay Round of negotiations are dissected as well as how the prenegotiation phase weakened the GATT’s long standing positive reputation. An overview of the important economic issues which will influence the General Agreement on …

The Duties And The Powers Of The Chapter 7 Trustee In Bankruptcy In The United States And In Belgium, Chantal J. De Nauw

LLM Theses and Essays

U.S. bankruptcy law offers a wide range of protections to a variety of debtors. The possibility of liquidation, reorganization, or rehabilitation is available to corporations, partnerships, individuals, and even some government institutions in the U.S. Conversely, the accessibility to bankruptcy in Belgium is restricted. In Belgium, only a salesman, as defined in the Belgian Code of Commerce, has access to bankruptcy protection, and this access is restricted in nature only to liquidation. This thesis analyzes the differences in the bankruptcy systems of the U.S. and Belgium, paying special attention to the role of the bankruptcy trustee in Chapter 7 bankruptcy …

The United States Implementing Legislation Of The Uruguay Round Agreement On Antidumping: Its Problems And Effects On The Bilateral Trade Relation Between The United States And Korea, Changdong Shin

LLM Theses and Essays

Antidumping laws were designed to protect domestic industries from unfair predatory price discrimination from foreign companies, yet these laws are often alleged to be used to protect domestic industries from competition. The U.S. has not been a stranger to these accusations since the 1980s as the U.S.’s trade deficit grew. The Uruguay Round negotiations were aimed at ending this protectionist use of antidumping laws, but many issues were left unsettled by the Uruguay Round antidumping agreement. In particular, interpretation of the agreement is deferred to each country primarily. Thus, the Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO can only determine a …

Legal Aspects Of The New International Economic Order - Moving Towards A Viable Framework For Development In Sub-Saharan Africa, Idara Ekaete Bassey

LLM Theses and Essays

While the primary objective of the United Nations is to maintain peace and security, Article 55 of the Charter also tasks the U.N. with facilitating higher standards of living, full employment, and social and economic development. To achieve this goal, the U.N. adopted three instruments which make up the New International Economic Order (NIEO). This thesis assesses the goals for development in the Third World, focusing on sub-Saharan Africa, and the NIEO’s capacity to serve in that regard. Sub-Saharan Africa is larger in land area than the U.S. and has abundant natural resources and agricultural land, so the basis for …

The Effect Of Bankruptcy On Executory Contracts In General And On Licensing Agreements Of Intellectual Property In Particular, Alexandra Baumgartner

LLM Theses and Essays

11 U.S.C. § 365(a) provides that a bankruptcy trustee, subject to the court’s approval, may assume or reject any executory contract. What section § 365 does not provide is a clear definition for the term “executory contract.” This thesis covers the different definitions of executory contracts proposed by courts and scholars and common grounds for assumption and rejection by the trustee. The author in particular analyzes how § 365 interacts with licensing agreements. If a licensor files for bankruptcy and the license agreement is rejected, the licensee’s rights to use the licensed intellectual property are in jeopardy. This situation is …

The Continental Moral Rights Doctrine And Its Applicability In The United States Copyright System, Oswaldo Jose Quintana

LLM Theses and Essays

In the last half of the twentieth century, international copyright protection has become of much greater concern as the copyright industry has become supranational. Treaties enacted in the last ten years such as the Berne Convention Implementation Act, the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, provide the highest copyright protection available at the international level. Global piracy has declined in the last several years because of these provisions. However, the adherence by the United States to these treaties has caused controversy; some maintain that it represents a major overhaul of federal law …

Major Changes In Council Regulation 3283/94: Its Compatibility With The Uruguay Round Anti-Dumping Code, Sangsoo Son

LLM Theses and Essays

Dumping can be defined as exporting goods at prices below those charged on the domestic market or at prices insufficient to recover the cost of the goods sold. Dumping is considered an unfair trading practice because it interferes with free market economy principles. During the 1980s, anti-dumping measures were an important issue for a few developed countries that had attractive markets for foreign producers; these countries were the United States, the European Community, Canada, and Australia. The European Community (EC) has developed its own anti-dumping laws over the years; Article 113 of the EEC Treaty gives power to Community institutions …

Punitive Damages In Ancient Roman And Contemporary American Tort Law, Esther Julia Sonntag

LLM Theses and Essays

Both ancient Roman and contemporary American tort law recognize a type of damages that, instead of compensating the plaintiff for harm suffered, punishes the wrongdoer. In American law, courts can award two distinct amounts of money: compensatory damages for the plaintiff’s loss, and punitive damages as punishment and deterrence. Ancient Roman law had more extreme forms of remedies. In both legal systems there has been a trend to restrict punitive damages over time. The United States made efforts in the 1980s to place caps on punitive damages, which were referred to as “relics of the past,” and enhance requirements for …

The Recognition And Enforcement Of Foreign Equitable Remedies And Other Types Of Non-Money Judgments In United States And French Courts: A Comparative Analysis, Noele Sophie Rigot

LLM Theses and Essays

Courts of industrialized nations are often faced with adjudication of cases which involve foreign components. It is common for those courts to be asked by individuals or legal entities from a transnational environment to adjudicate with regard to some elements already adjudged in a different legal system as if it were a local judgment. The question that arises is how effects should be given when dealing with prior adjudications. Most countries agree to recognize some effects determined by foreign jurisdictions, as long as those determinations meet standards that guarantee proper integration of the foreign decision into the domestic setting. These …

Analysis Of The U.S. Regulations Of Derivatives: Does The Use Of Such Complicated Instruments Pose A Serious Threat To The Safety And Soundness Of The U.S. Banking System?, Erwin De Deyn

LLM Theses and Essays

In the last fifteen years, the globalization of financial markets and institutions along with innovative investment strategies have caused an irreversible revolution in the world’s financial markets. Investors and managers can now use new instruments, such as derivatives, for guarding against financial risks. Derivatives are financial instruments whose returns are derived from other assets or variables, like futures and options. The growth of derivative markets has accelerated rapidly in the last ten years, which has caused financial markets in the United States and throughout the world to be more efficient, which contributes to economic welfare. However, the dramatic growth in …