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1996

Series

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

Articles 1 - 22 of 22

Full-Text Articles in Law

Making The Move From Law Practitioner To Law Professor, Or How Not To Simplify Your Life, Susan J. Becker Oct 1996

Making The Move From Law Practitioner To Law Professor, Or How Not To Simplify Your Life, Susan J. Becker

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

The author discusses her transition from litigation practice to teaching law. She concludes that there are three discrete yet connected components of a law professor's job which closely parallel that of a litigator: teaching, administrative service, and scholarship.

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Eve Without Adam: What Genesis Can Teach America About The Natural Law, David F. Forte Aug 1996

Eve Without Adam: What Genesis Can Teach America About The Natural Law, David F. Forte

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

I wish to make but three points. First, I want to discuss something of the history of the alliance between faith and reason in Western intellectual history and their estrangement. Second, by referring to some of the elements of the Book of Genesis, I would like to affirm the basic compatibility between the principles of natural law and the values of our religious heritage. Finally, I raise a caution regarding religious doctrine and liberty that any effective and principled alliance between faith and reason must deal with.

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The Illiberal Court, David F. Forte Jul 1996

The Illiberal Court, David F. Forte

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

Justice Scalia casts up a dire warning that not only has the Supreme Court in many ways removed the Constitution from the Framers, it is also removing the democratic process from the people and their representatives.

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One Way To Be Born? Legislative Inaction And The Posthumous Child, Karin M. Mika Jul 1996

One Way To Be Born? Legislative Inaction And The Posthumous Child, Karin M. Mika

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This article argues that the posthumous child and the rights and responsibilities relating to such a child are directly related to the fundamental right to procreate. It argues that legislation must necessarily incorporate that right in sorting out issues related to the posthumous child and deviate from the standard principles of contract laws which have been applied in the past. This article examines the history, case law, federal decisions, and current legislation pertaining to artificial insemination. It argues that such legislation is inadequate and that legislatures must act promptly to address the realities of the posthumous child.

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Cognitive Theory And The Selling Of The Flat Tax, Deborah A. Geier Apr 1996

Cognitive Theory And The Selling Of The Flat Tax, Deborah A. Geier

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

In this article, Professor Deborah A. Geier brings to bear the insights of Professor Edward J. McCaffery, regarding the interaction of cognitive theory and the tax world, to the flat tax proposal. The article explores how the perceptual biases described by Professor McCaffery might affect both taxpayers' impressions of the contours of the proposed tax base and their behavioral reponses to the same incentive. The author warns that any errors in her application of Professor McCaffery's work to the flat tax are entirely her own.

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Commercial Exploitation Or Protected Use? Stern V. Delphi Internet Services Corporation And The Erosion Of The Right Of Publicity, Karin M. Mika, Aaron J. Reber Jan 1996

Commercial Exploitation Or Protected Use? Stern V. Delphi Internet Services Corporation And The Erosion Of The Right Of Publicity, Karin M. Mika, Aaron J. Reber

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This article addresses the repercussions of Stern v. Delphi Internet Services Corporation and argues that the decision in Stern opens the door to a broader interpretation of “newsworthiness” and “public interest” that will enable advertisers broader First Amendment protections when using “unauthorized” likenesses. This article posits that artful advertisers could very well use the theory of Stern as a basis for virtually ensuring that every “unauthorized likeness” will enjoy First Amendment protection and not be considered as violative of the right of publicity.

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Challenges In Judging: Some Insights From The Writings Of Moses, Gordon J. Beggs Jan 1996

Challenges In Judging: Some Insights From The Writings Of Moses, Gordon J. Beggs

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

I would like to use the writings of Moses as a lens to examine some challenges in judging. Moses authored the first five books of the Old Testament known as the Pentateuch or books of the law--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. He is probably best known for leading the Hebrew people out of bondage in Egypt and for receiving the Ten Commandments. As our discussion today will reveal, he may also be credited with authoring some significant principles with respect to the judicial function.

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Therapists' Liability To The Falsely Accused For Inducing Illusory Memories Of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Current Remedies And A Proposed Statute, Joel J. Finer Jan 1996

Therapists' Liability To The Falsely Accused For Inducing Illusory Memories Of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Current Remedies And A Proposed Statute, Joel J. Finer

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

No issue in law and psychiatry has engendered such controversy as the current debate over whether experiences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are subject to repression for decades and eventually "recoverable" in therapy long after the event. One principal legal issue has been whether such "recovery" justifies the application of the "recent discovery" basis for tolling the statute of limitations, an issue which becomes significant when an adult psychotherapy patient sues her ostensible molester (often her father or other family member).

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Social Contract Theory, Welfare Reform, Race, And The Male Sex-Right, April L. Cherry Jan 1996

Social Contract Theory, Welfare Reform, Race, And The Male Sex-Right, April L. Cherry

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

In this article, Cherry argues that the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) is ultimately a politically undesirable and thinly veiled attack on the reproductive and sexual activities of poor women. In Part I, Cherry examines the development of social contract theory and analyzes social contract theory as a justification for material inequality. Part II examines social contract theory as a justification for the subordination of women. With this theoretical background established, in Part III, Cherry evaluates the current welfare reform proposals as social contract. This section examines the social contractarian language found in the current …

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Joining A "Cult": Religious Choice Or Psychological Aberration?, Dena S. Davis Jan 1996

Joining A "Cult": Religious Choice Or Psychological Aberration?, Dena S. Davis

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

In this article, I will analyze the different theories about "cult" membership and conversion, specifically focusing upon whether or not conversions to cults ought to be respected by the law in the same way that the law respects conversion to and membership in, mainstream religions. In section II, I attempt (unsuccessfully) to define a "cult." In section III, I discuss the civil liberties issues surrounding "cults" and the public furor they have engendered. In secion IV, I discuss the different and competing theories about why young people join "cults," and the implications of those theories for public polic responses. Finally, …

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Revisiting The National Flood Insurance Program, Alan C. Weinstein Jan 1996

Revisiting The National Flood Insurance Program, Alan C. Weinstein

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This article discusses the hazards proposed by floods, the options for their control, the operation of the National Flood Insurance Program, and the changes made by the 1994 amendments.

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Reap What You Sow, Gordon J. Beggs Jan 1996

Reap What You Sow, Gordon J. Beggs

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

Unfortunately, with the adoption and revision of formal ethics codes, moral teaching has virtually disappeared from American legal ethics. Law professors, generally, do not consider it their responsibility to teach morality, and our profession today lacks a common moral standard. The Judeo-Christian principles expressed in Proverbs, however, provide a timely challenge to lawyers by advocating values that include justice, purity, mercy, honesty and civility.

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Give Them A Sword: Representing Parents In Child Custody Cases, William Tabac Jan 1996

Give Them A Sword: Representing Parents In Child Custody Cases, William Tabac

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

First, this Essay demonstrates that, because the "best interests" standard that states use in awarding custody between parents is so arbitrary, lawyers cannot effectively protect the parental rights of their clients. Next, this Essay contends that, because fit parents will do anything to preserve their bond with their children, the state not only expects them to commit perjury to protect their parental rights, but encourages them to do so. Finally, this Essay argues that lawyers should lay out all possible strategies to their clients even if doing so invites parents to perjure themselves.

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Ohio Tort Reform Versus The Ohio Constitution, Stephen J. Werber Jan 1996

Ohio Tort Reform Versus The Ohio Constitution, Stephen J. Werber

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

Ohio tort law is about to be changed in a dramatic and comprehensive manner. House Bill 350 will be enacted as a major piece of tort reform legislation with provisions substantially like those discussed herein. The vast majority of this legislative change is directed to areas of the law in need of change and the restoration of balance. Most of the proposed changes either raise no constitutional concerns or should be deemed in compliance with the Ohio Constitution. In a few areas, most notably statutes of repose and limitations on damages, the governmental need is weak, the effect drastic, and …

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Commentary: Noam Chomsky And Judicial Review, James G. Wilson Jan 1996

Commentary: Noam Chomsky And Judicial Review, James G. Wilson

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

Although Chomsky has never discussed judicial review in any detail, he recently made several interesting observations. He believes America's governmental structure remains acceptable, even desirable, even though all three federal branches have not just failed to protect us from private power's excesses but instead have devoted far too much of their energy and power to enhancing private power. The constitutional text creates a unique relationship between the Supreme Court and private power. Because the Court is staffed by unelected Justices who need not pander for money to be reelected, it is more independent of the rich and powerful than either …

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Novel Theories Of Criminal Defense Based Upon The Toxicity Of The Social Environment: Urban Psychosis, Television Intoxication, And Black Rage, Patricia J. Falk Jan 1996

Novel Theories Of Criminal Defense Based Upon The Toxicity Of The Social Environment: Urban Psychosis, Television Intoxication, And Black Rage, Patricia J. Falk

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

In recent years, defendants have proffered a multitude of novel theories of criminal defense in seeking to explain their criminal behavior in terms of internal and external influences beyond their control, including biological processes, chemical reactions, intra-psychic dynamics, social conditions, and cross cultural stresses. This Article focuses on one subset of this burgeoning class of defenses: those based upon the central premise that the defendant's criminal conduct was caused, or significantly influenced, by his exposure to social environmental factors or, if you will, toxins affecting his mental functioning. While a wide panoply of toxins exist within the fabric of our …

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Marbury's Travail: Federalist Politics And William Marbury's Appointment As Justice Of The Peace, David F. Forte Jan 1996

Marbury's Travail: Federalist Politics And William Marbury's Appointment As Justice Of The Peace, David F. Forte

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This Article describes how Marbury, the youngest son of an impoverished remnant of a well-known family, elbowed his way to wealth and influence among the Maryland gentry. Further, this Article illuminates Marbury's choice between the two wings of the Federalist party in Maryland - the Hamiltonian elite and the Adams' loyalists - and how Marbury's partisan service brought him to a position earning Thomas Jefferson's disdain and rebuff. In the end, Marbury's appointment and rejection derived from the very different characters of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

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Being Out And Fitting In, Susan J. Becker Jan 1996

Being Out And Fitting In, Susan J. Becker

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

The author discusses her experience as a law professor and a member of the gay and lesbian community.

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Attempted Cap On Punitive Damages Continues To Spark Debate, Susan J. Becker Jan 1996

Attempted Cap On Punitive Damages Continues To Spark Debate, Susan J. Becker

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

The debate surrounding federal product liability law has not been silenced by recent compromises reached by the House and Senate regarding appropriate boundaries for such laws. To the contrary, President Clinton's threatened veto of Congress's Common Sense Product Liability Reform Act of 1996 and continued opposition by the ABA Section of Litigation and other groups to parts of the Act guarantee that the 20-year-old debate will continue to rage.

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"Loser Pays" Loses Again, Susan J. Becker Jan 1996

"Loser Pays" Loses Again, Susan J. Becker

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

The most recent congressional attempts to mandate "loser pays" rules for attorneys' fees in many federal civil cases have lost out--at least for the time being--but the push for such legislation has prompted the ABA to adopt a "loser pays" proposal of its own.

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Pro's And Con's Of Proposed Rule 23 Amendments , Susan J. Becker Jan 1996

Pro's And Con's Of Proposed Rule 23 Amendments , Susan J. Becker

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This article investigates whether the proposed amendments to Rule 23 (recently approved for publication and comment by the U.S. Judicial Conference's Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure) are a modest first step toward necessary class action reforms, or "a presciption for class action abuse."

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Natural Law And The Limits To Judicial Review, David F. Forte Jan 1996

Natural Law And The Limits To Judicial Review, David F. Forte

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

The very premise of judicial review in America is rooted in the structure of natural law. Judges have no authority to make any kind of law. They can only enforce and apply authoritatively passed positive law. But if the positive law has not been enacted, either in form or substance, without proper authority, then if the judge should enforce such a law, he would in fact be making new positive law, and would be acting outside of his authority.

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