Law Commons^™

Reflections On Responsibilities In The Public Square, Through A Perspective Of Jewish Tradition: A Brief Biblical Survey, Samuel J. Levine

Scholarly Works

In recent years, there has developed in the United States a substantial and growing interest in the role of religion in the public square. Within religious communities, the conversation has, at times, focused on the approach of specific religious traditions toward their own responsibilities to contribute to and influence the moral, ethical, and legal standards of American society. For Jewish communities living in the United States, these questions comprise yet another application of issues the Jewish people has confronted throughout its history. To the extent that the nature of American political and social structures differ significantly from those experienced by …

Innocents Abroad: Reflections On Summer Abroad Law Programs, Eileen Kaufman, Louise Harmon

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Five Myths About Sprawl, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

In Sprawl: A Compact History, Robert Bruegmann, an art historian, has painted a superficially convincing case for the status quo, asserting that sprawl is "a natural result of affluence that occurs in all urbanized societies." Bruegmann's book has generated glowing media publicity. This article suggests that Bruegmann overestimates the universality of sprawl, by overlooking the differences between pedestrian-friendly cities with some sprawling development and cities in which automobile-dependent sprawl is the only choice available to most consumers. In addition, Bruegmann understates the harmful social effects of sprawl, especially the effect of automobile-dependent development upon non-drivers. Bruegmann also consistently underestimates the …

How Government Regulation Forces Americans Into Their Cars: A Case Study, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Planners Gone Wild: The Overregulation Of Parking, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

You Can Have It All: Less Sprawl And Property Rights Too, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

Some commentators believe that smart growth and property rights are at loggerheads - and to be sure, these theories do lead to differing positions on a few issues (most notably urban growth boundaries and similar anti-sprawl regulations). But as to a wide variety of issues, smart growth advocates and property rights theorists can find common ground. Both groups can support eliminating zoning regulations that mandate automobile-dependent, sprawling development, such as single-use zoning, minimum parking requirements and minimum lot size requirements.

Squaring The Circle On Sprawl: What More Can We Do?: Progress Towards Sustainable Land Use In The States, Patricia E. Salkin

Scholarly Works

With almost ten years of nationwide dialogue and experimentation with the legal implementation of smart growth concepts at the state and local levels, this paper pauses to consider whether and to what extent success has been realized. The one certainty in this dynamic intersection of land development and conservation is that there is no one best model adaptable to all fifty states. Rather, to accommodate national diversity in local government structure, cultural relationships of people to the land, and differences in geography and a sense of place, the best lesson learned is that advocates and lawmakers alike must shape and …

Ensuring Continuing Community Amenities Through Golf Course Redevelopment, Patricia E. Salkin

Scholarly Works

This article examines some of the issues faced by municipalities hoping to preserve their golf courses or to ensure their strategic redevelopment and focuses on how local governments can most effectively employ planning and zoning techniques to ensure that community amenities, including affordable housing and recreational areas, are an important part of golf course redevelopment projects.

Table Of Contents - Issue 1

Journal of Dispute Resolution

No abstract provided.

When Lawyers Move Their Lips: Attorney Truthfulness In Mediation And A Modest Proposal, Don Peters

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This article examines whether the punch line that you can tell when lawyers are lying by confirming that their lips are moving applies to their conduct when negotiating in mediations. General surveys of lawyer honesty suggest that this perception probably does apply to the way lawyers negotiate in mediations. Only 20% of people surveyed in a 1993 American Bar Association poll described the legal profession as honest, and that number fell to 14% in a 1998 Gallup poll.' A more recent poll revealed that one-third of the American public believes that lawyers are less truthful than most people.

Court-Connected Arbitration In The Superior Court Of Arizona: A Study Of Its Performance And Proposed Rule Changes, Roselle L. Wissler, Bob Dauber

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Compulsory, non-binding arbitration has been a component of the civil court system in a number of jurisdictions for several decades. These arbitration programs generally have the same basic structure: cases in which the amount in controversy is under the prescribed jurisdictional limit must be submitted to a neutral attorney for adjudication under relaxed rules of evidence and procedure. Any party may appeal the arbitrator's award for a trial de novo; absent an appeal, the arbitrator's decision is entered as the judgment of record in the case. The goals of most court-connected arbitration programs include resolving cases faster, reducing the costs …

Following The Script: An Empirical Analysis Of Court-Ordered Mediation Of Medical Malpractice Cases, Ralph Peeples, Catherine Harris, Thomas Metzloff

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Court-ordered mediation of civil cases has become an accepted part of the litigation process in a number of states and in some federal courts.' The widespread growth of court-ordered mediation is not difficult to explain. First of all, the process appears to produce settlements, although because most cases settle anyway, it is difficult to say that court-ordered mediation reduces trial rates. It does, however, at least provide a structured opportunity for settlement discussions, if the parties are so inclined. Second, court-ordered mediation is a process usually paid for by the parties themselves. From the courts' perspective, it is not a …

Eleven Bid Ideas About Conflict: A Superficial Guide For The Thoughtful Journalist, Leonard L. Riskin

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In case you are wondering how something like this could possibly be reported in a local newspaper, I can tell you two reasons: First, the story takes place in Columbia, Missouri, a small town with a big journalism school and two daily newspapers; these factors combine to produce hordes of desperate reporters and reporting students.' Second, as I show below, if the reporter has sophisticated vision, this case has the potential to provide a good deal of valuable material.

Social Conflict: Some Basic Principles, Dean G. Pruitt

Journal of Dispute Resolution

The term "conflict" has two generally accepted meanings.' The first refers to overt conflict-an argument, fight, or struggle. The second refers to subjective conflict-Party's perception that Party and Other have opposing beliefs or interests, or that Other has deprived or annoyed Party in some way. The latter concept is richer for theory building than the former, in that there are several strategies Party can employ in reaction to subjective conflict. Party can take a contentious approach and retaliate, or Party can try to impose its will on Other by means of an argument, demand, or threat. This strategy is very …

Press Coverage Of Interethnic Conflict: Examples From The Los Angeles Riots Of 1992, Shah Shah

Journal of Dispute Resolution

News media are an important source of cultural production and information. Their representation of the social world provides explanations, descriptions, and frames for understanding how and why the world works as it does. In media studies, "frames" refer to the perspectives on, or interpretation of, current events provided by news coverage. Frames are complex and overlapping, existing in a single news article or within an entire body of news coverage. Multiple and opposing frames may exist simultaneously. Frames are built up from the choices reporters make in terms of language use, source selection, and story organization. In their coverage of …

Public Relations Perspective To Manage Conflict In A Public Health Crisis, A, Qi Qiu, Glen T. Cameron

Journal of Dispute Resolution

The present study particularly focuses on the SARS outbreak in China because it was a major battlefield against the disease that largely affected the fate of the worldwide SARS crisis. Framing analysis of media coverage of the SARS epidemic and organization information from the WHO is used to dissect specific conflicts and strategies involved in China's SARS crisis. The discussion finishes with a checklist for planning strategic communication and conflict management during public health crises.

News Coverage And Social Protest: How The Media's Protect Paradigm Exacerbates Social Conflict, Douglas M. Mcleod

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Past research on media coverage of social protests has yielded evidence of a protest paradigm: a set of news coverage patterns that typifies mainstream media coverage. This coverage generally disparages protesters and hinders their role as vital actors on the political stage. The lack of respect for the value of social protest inherent in such coverage has created frustration among the protesters, which has in turn contributed to dysfunctional confrontations. However, under certain conditions, journalists will deviate from the protest paradigm. Such aberrations were found in the Los Angeles Times' coverage of the May 1, 2006, "Day without Immigrants" demonstrations. …

News Coverage, The Expansion Of Discourse, And Conflict, Philip Seib

Journal of Dispute Resolution

The universe of news cultures--comprising providers and consumers-has never been static. It perpetually evolves, sometimes in small increments, sometimes with dazzling leaps. We are now in one of the latter phases, with new technologies driving change at high speed. This alteration of the news universe is a mix of reshaping and expansion, and it has a profound effect on social and political life throughout much of the world. It has particular impact on how policy makers and the public evaluate and respond to conflict.

Wanted: Leaders, Journalists, Scholars, And Citizens With The Right Stuff: A Reflection On Conflict, Journalism, And Democracy, Edmund B. Lambeth

Journal of Dispute Resolution

The purpose of this article is to describe, frame, and place the new initiative in the larger context of what can be done when professions and the institutions they inhabit and serve encounter internal stress and/or external conflict.

Media And International Conflict: A Multidisciplinary Approach, Eytan Gilboa

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This study suggests a new framework for analysis of media coverage and its role in international conflict. The framework is based on integration of theories and models from both international studies and communication. The work begins with a brief analysis of major changes that have occurred in last two decades in the nature and evolution of international conflicts. The analysis offers significant distinctions among types, levels, and phases of conflict. Next, the study presents major changes that have occurred in the media and offers significant distinctions among levels, types, and functions of media. Based on all these concepts and ideas, …

Too Many Motions For Vacatur Of Commercial Arbitration Awards - The Eleventh Circuit Sanctions Unwary Litigants, Christopher Mckinney

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In B.L. Harbert Int'l. v. Hercules Steel Co., the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals seemed angered by what they deemed to be another frivolous appeal of a commercial arbitration award. Upon this provocation, the court warned litigants that future baseless appeals would be met with sanctions. By making sanctions a real threat, the court has attempted to promote some goals of arbitration, including finality, but any benefits derived may be offset by the increased confusion the holding has created. Further, the court's mandate represents a divergence from Eleventh Circuit precedent, as past decisions indicated a willingness to hear new arguments …

Little Fish In A Big Sea: Should Consumer Protection Statutes Override Class Arbitration Waivers, A, Thomas Wilmowski

Journal of Dispute Resolution

As arbitration agreements have become increasingly commonplace in dealings between large companies and their subscribers, courts have taken a strong interest in protecting consumer rights. As part of this protection, courts have to apply federal statutes, protecting the right to treble damages and recovery of attorney's fees in the context of mass arbitration agreements. The difficulty comes in attempting to allow companies to exercise their freedom of contract while protecting consumers with little bargaining power. Although other courts have largely favored arbitration, and upheld its applicability, a clash remains between consumer protection statutes and the waiver of those statutory rights …

Resisting Equal Footing: Did The Wisconsin Supreme Court Disguise An Assault On Arbitration, Peter Wilder

Journal of Dispute Resolution

It is well settled that state courts may apply state contract principles when determining if an arbitration clause is enforceable; however, states are prohibited from enforcing laws that treat arbitration agreements differently than other contracts. Placing arbitration agreements on an equal footing with other contracts results from judicial preference for arbitration. When a court overreaches to find an arbitration agreement to be procedurally and substantively unconscionable, the overreaching may stem from the court's erroneous preference for adjudication over arbitration. The issue becomes more apparent when the court had the option to enforce the agreement without the unconscionable provision, yet chose …

A Theory Of Expressive International Law, Alex Geisinger, Michael A. Stein

Vanderbilt Law Review

What is the "pull of international society" and how does it influence the willingness of States to enter into or comply with international law? Since Grotius first identified the concept that States seek esteem from the broader global community, its parameters have proven illusive. Nonetheless, the notion remains central to discussions of why States comply with international agreements.

Understanding the reputational mechanism that impels State compliance is especially important to human rights treaties. Unlike other regimes, States that ratify and abide by the terms of these instruments receive neither reciprocal nor immediate benefits.

Consequently, the desire for international esteem is …

Special Project+ Privacy, Melody R. Barron

Vanderbilt Law Review

Privacy has long been a matter of particular concern in the minds of Americans. Indeed, privacy concerns were at the crux of the American Revolution. The earliest days of colonial life saw creation of laws protecting the individual against eavesdropping, and the sanctity of one's home. The Bill of Rights also reflects privacy interests. As America grew, technological advances in the dissemination of information caused public demands for protection of privacy rights; I Each year, the Vanderbilt Law Review publishes one issue with notes devoted solely to a topic of current interest. These notes collectively constitute the Special Project.

Toothless Hipaa: Searching For A Private Right Of Action To Remedy Privacy Rule Violations, Joshua D.W. Collins

Vanderbilt Law Review

A Midwestern banker, who also served as a member of his county's health board, cross-referenced a health board's list of patients suffering from various diseases with a list of the bank's customers. He then called due the mortgages of anyone suffering from cancer. In Oregon, computer disks containing the medical records of 365,000 patients were stolen from a car. Along with personal medical information, the records also contained the patients' names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. A Maryland school board member's medical records, revealing that he had been treated for depression, were sent to school officials along with an anonymous …

Rethinking The Substantive Due Process Right To Privacy: Grounding Privacy In The Fourth Amendment, Mary H. Wimberly

Vanderbilt Law Review

Little in the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court has spurred as much controversy as the Court's recognition of a constitutional right to privacy. While implicitly acknowledging that such a right is not listed in the text of the Constitution, in Griswold v. Connecticut the Court found that the right existed in the "penumbras" of the amendments to the Constitution.' According to the Court, the right to privacy was present in "emanations" from the guarantees of the Bill of Rights. This reasoning was notoriously extended to abortion in Roe v. Wade. In order to invalidate state regulation of abortion, the Roe …

Human Rights Outlaws: Nuremberg, Geneva, And The Global War On Terror, George J. Annas

Faculty Scholarship

International human rights law was born from the ashes of World War II. The most important post-World War II products are the United Nations, the Nuremberg Trials, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Geneva Conventions of 1949. But that was not the end of the story. International human rights law continued to develop and expand right up to September 11,2001, most notably through the adoption of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights2 and the Convention Against Torture, 3 and the establishment of the International Criminal Court.4 With the exception of the criminal court, the United States …

From Free Riders To Fairness: A Cooperative System For Organ Transplantation, Christopher Robertson

Faculty Scholarship

In America alone almost 100,000 people are suffering while waiting for organ transplants, and more than 7,300 of these patients will die waiting. Given that tens of thousands of useable cadaveric organs are buried or incinerated every year, the organ shortage is a social, political and legal problem, one that is inherent in the conceptual design of the current organ system. While the system is supposed to turn on individuals’ autonomous choices, it instead depends on default outcomes and the decisions of next of kin. While we tend to think about the organ choice as one of altruism (viz. -- …

The Supreme Court And Abortion Rights, George J. Annas

Faculty Scholarship

Since the Supreme Court's landmark 1973 abortion-rights decision in Roe v. Wade, the law has taken the lead in defining the contours of the continuing public debate over reproductive liberty. Ever since then, abortion opponents have tried to make abortion more burdensome by limiting Roe, and these continuing challenges are the reason there have been so many Supreme Court decisions about abortion, including the Court's 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, which unexpectedly reaffirmed the core of Roe.