Law Commons^™

Evasion As A Legal Tactic: The 1616 Amsterdam Regulations Concerning The Jews, Miriam Bodian

Early Modern Workshop: Resources in Jewish History

Early modern rulers (or ruling bodies) who chose to readmit Jews in places where they had long been banned were faced with theological dilemmas and practical problems. Although it is true that the principle of freedom of conscience was gaining increasing acceptance, its adherents were rarely clear about whether it could be applied to non-Christians. And while the economic interests of rulers favored the settlement of Jews in their lands, the opposition of guilds and clergy could not be ignored. In these circumstances, a rather striking policy of evasion was adopted - in France, in the Netherlands, and in England. …

The Herem As The Source Of Authority Of The Lay Governing Council, Anne Oravetz Albert

Early Modern Workshop: Resources in Jewish History

A treatise on the herem composed by Isaac Aboab da Fonseca, the head rabbi of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish community of Amsterdam. Specifically, this pamphlet defends the authority of the lay leadership council to do so, arguing against unnamed members of the community who are causing scandal by denying that authority.

This presentation is for the following text(s):

• Exhortation to those who fear the Lord, not to fall into sin due to lack of understanding of the precepts of his Holy Law by Isaac Aboab de Fonseca (1679/80)

Challenging Herem In Hamburg, 1732, David Horowitz

Early Modern Workshop: Resources in Jewish History

These documents represent one of the earliest calls for state intervention by the Hamburg authorities into the internal decisions of the bet din. The bed din of the Triple Community of Hamburg-Altona-Wandsbek compelled Joseph Jonas, a resident of Hamburg, to divorce his wife after she was suspected of adultery. When he refused, the chief rabbi and kahal put him and his wife in the ban (herem). Jonas turned to the Hamburg Senate for assistance in reversing the decision and removing himself from the ban. The documents comprise letters from Jonas and the Hamburg kahal in defense of their respective positions …

Takkanot Kahal And The Origin Of Communal Structures In A Franconian Village Community In The 17th Century, Stefan Litt

Early Modern Workshop: Resources in Jewish History

Takkanot Kahal are clearly a phenomenon of early modern Jewry in Europe. Throughout the Ashkenazi world there were four common ways to enact them. By elaborating takkanot, Jewish leaders copied the Gentile custom of creating legal digests in that time, thus adapting the communities to the administrative structures of the early modern state. The short statutes of the community in Ühlfeld, dating fromm 1688, are a rare example for takkanot enacted in an early stage of the local Jewish history. The text clearly shows the efforts of the author, R. Asher Enslen of Schnaittach, to strenghten the ties in the …

The Legal Status Of The Wife In Ashkenazi Jewish Legal Tradition: Continuity And Change In The Sixteenth Century, Elimelekh Westreich

Early Modern Workshop: Resources in Jewish History

The ban of Rabbenu Gershom forbade both polygamy and divorcing a woman against her will. The ban has been seen by historians as a key determinant of the singularity of Ashkenazi Jewish culture. In sixteenth-century Poland there were two main approaches among halakhic scholars towards the ban: one, represented by R. Solomon Luria adhered strictly to the Ashkenazi legal tradition; the second, represented by R. Shalom Shakhna and R. Moses Isserles, was open to other Jewish legal traditions. Is this phenomenon related to the Early Modern Period? And if so, how is it related? My discussion in the workshop shall …

Expanding Legal Horizons?, Edward Fram

Early Modern Workshop: Resources in Jewish History

Legal change was not only a result needs to adapt the law to new situations but could be stimulated by new information. New sources were not always accepted and this presentation will attempt to locate the point in time in which acceptance of a large number of new sources took place in the eastern European community of the early modern age.

This presentation is for the following text(s):

• Shulhan `arukh, Yoreh De'ah 19.1 (1567)
• Siftei Kohen-The Priest's Lips on Yoreh De'ah 19.1 (1647)
• Turei Zahab-The Golden Columns on Yoreh De'ah 19.1 (1646)

August 16, 2008: We Don't Want Justice, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “We Don't Want Justice “ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Cityland – Vol. 5, No. 7, Center For New York City Law

CityLand - 2008

The August 2008 issue of CityLand covers significant land use and preservation developments in New York City. The City Council approved a compromise rezoning for Hudson Square and a rezoning for Mott Haven to allow 600 new housing units. A text amendment was passed to protect Carroll Gardens from out-of-context development. Proposed changes to the Hudson Yards zoning text drew criticism from elected officials and community boards. The Planning Commission approved a 63-story tower at 610 Lexington Avenue using air rights from the landmarked Seagram Building. A controversial redevelopment plan for East Harlem was criticized for proceeding without a selected …

Bringing Baseball To Israel, Kenneth Lasson

All Faculty Scholarship

This brief article discusses little leagues in Israel, as well as individuals interested in baseball in that nation, especially those from the Maryland and Baltimore area. Mentioned is assistance sent to the little leagues by the Baltimore Orioles baseball team, and some of the memories of those involved of baseball in the United States, but who now reside in Israel.

Brief Of Amici Curiae Former Fda Commissioners Dr. Donald Kennedy And Dr. David A. Kessler In Support Of Respondent, Wyeth V. Levine, No. 06-1249 (U.S. Aug. 14, 2008), Kathryn A. Sabbeth, David C. Vladeck

U.S. Supreme Court Briefs

No abstract provided.

Wyeth V. Levine: Brief Of Amicus Curiae Constitutional And Administrative Law Scholars In Support Of Respondent, Nina A. Mendelson

Appellate Briefs

Amici are scholars who teach and write about federal preemption of state law. Mindful of the gap that sometimes exists between the academy and the concerns of the bench and bar, we seek to bring our scholarship to bear on the particular preemption questions at issue in this case. Our scholarly interest in preemption arises from teaching and writing in a variety of related fields, including constitutional law, administrative law, health law, and torts.

This case implicates three critical issues in the law of preemption. First, Petitioner's amici have launched a broad attack on this Court's longstanding "presumption against preemption," …

Beyond Guantánamo, Obstacles And Options (Part Ii), Gregory S. Mcneal

NULR Online

No abstract provided.

August 13, 2008: James C. Edwards—Philosopher Of Hallowed Secularism, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “James C. Edwards—Philosopher of Hallowed Secularism “ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Tzadik V. Haaretz Newspaper Publishing Ltd., Eliezer Rivlin, Menachem Elon, Asher Grunis

Translated Opinions

The applicant is a member of the ultra-Orthodox community. One day in January 2002, the applicant set up a stall to distribute religious books near Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv. It turned out that the stall was situated next to a store in which hung an advertisement that was described by the Magistrates Court as -

… A giant poster, of large proportions, hanging in the window of the shop in front of which the claimant set up his stall, featuring a woman wearing tight little shorts, standing with her legs wide open, with the figure of a man between …

The Role Of Community Values In Wind Energy Development: Exploring The Benefits And Applications Of Community Wind For Reducing Local Opposition To Wind Energy Systems, Amanda Vaccaro

Georgetown Law Student Series

Worldwide, wind energy generation is growing rapidly as a cleaner and less invasive alternative to traditional fossil-fuel energy sources. Yet, in the United States, the advancement of wind energy has been stunted by three factors: (1) the uncertainty of the federal Production Tax Credit; (2) the lack of transmission lines connecting wind projects to electricity grids; and (3) enduring local cultural and aesthetic objections to wind turbines. Frustrated with the imbalanced allocation of costs and benefits imposed by most wind energy projects, some individuals and municipalities have deployed zoning laws, nuisance claims, or environmentalist arguments to discourage wind energy development …

August 11, 2008: The Dark Knight And Hallowed Secularism, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “The Dark Knight and Hallowed Secularism“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Community-Based Long-Term Care In Milwaukee: Wisconsin Still Ahead, Judith D. Moore, Carol O'Shaughnessy, Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

The National Health Policy Forum has made two site visits to Wisconsin in two years. The first, in August 2007, focused on an overview of Family Care, the state's managed long-term care program, and looking at service delivery in a rural setting. The August 2008 site visit focused on the operations of MCOs and Family Care service providers in the urban environment of Milwaukee. Issues examined included the link between housing and social services, care management, capitation and rate-setting, measuring quality, and integrating people with disabilities into a program that initially targeted the elderly.

Beyond Guantánamo, Obstacles And Options, Gregory S. Mcneal

NULR Online

No abstract provided.

August 9, 2008: Susan Neiman's Theological Error, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Susan Neiman's Theological Error“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Strong As The Weakest Link: Medical Response To A Catastrophic Event, Eileen Salinsky

National Health Policy Forum

Natural disasters and acts of terrorism have placed a spotlight on the ability of health care providers to surge in response to catastrophic conditions. This paper reviews the status of efforts to develop the capacity and capabilities of the health care system to respond to disasters and other mass casualty events. Strategies for adapting routine medical practices and protocols to the demands posed by extraordinary circumstances and scarce resources are summarized. Existing federal roles, responsibilities, and assets relative to the contributions of state and local government and the private sector are described, including specific programmatic activities such as the Strategic …

August 7, 2008: New Thinkers In Religion And Secularism, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “New Thinkers in Religion and Secularism“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Michelle Obama: The "Darker Side" Of Presidential Spousal Involvement And Activism, Gregory S. Parks, Quinetta M. Roberson, Phd

Cornell Law Faculty Working Papers

Pundits and commentators have attempted to make sense of the role that race and gender have played in the 2008 presidential campaign. Whereas researchers are drawing on varying bodies of scholarship (legal, cognitive and social psychology, and political science) to illuminate the role that Senator Obama’s race and Senator Clinton’s gender has/had on their campaign, Michelle Obama has been left out of the discussion. As Senator Clinton once noted, elections are like hiring decisions. As such, new frontiers in employment discrimination law place Michelle Obama in context within the current presidential campaign. First, racism and sexism are both alive and …

Child Rape, Moral Outrage, And The Death Penalty, Susan A. Bandes

NULR Online

No abstract provided.

Appeal No. 0793: City Of Munroe Falls, Ohio V. Division Of Mineral Resources Management, Ohio Oil & Gas Commission

Ohio Oil & Gas Commission Decisions

Chief's Decision Granting Permit (D&L Energy, Inc.)

Like A Nation State, Douglas Kysar, Bernadette A. Meyler

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Using California's self-consciously internationalist approach to climate change regulation as a primary example, this Article examines constitutional limitations on state foreign affairs activities. In particular, by focusing on the prospect of California's establishment of a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trading system and its eventual linkage with comparable systems in Europe and elsewhere, this Article demonstrates that certain constitutional objections to extrajurisdictional linkage of state GHG emissions trading systems and the response that these objections necessitate may be more complicated than previously anticipated. First, successfully combatting the Bush Administration's potential claim that state-level climate change activities interfere with a federal executive …

Summary Judgment Rates Over Time, Across Case Categories, And Across Districts: An Empirical Study Of Three Large Federal Districts, Theodore Eisenberg, Charlotte Lanvers

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Prior research on summary judgment hypothesizes a substantial increase in summary judgment rates after a trilogy of Supreme Court cases in 1986 and a disproportionate adverse effect of summary judgment on civil rights cases. This article analyzes summary judgment rates in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (EDPA) and the Northern District of Georgia (NDGA), for two time periods, 1980-81 and 2001-02. It also analyzes summary judgment rates for the Central District of California (CDCA) for 1980-81 and for other civil rights cases in the CDCA in 1975-76. The combined sample consists of over 5,000 cases. The three-district sample for 1980-81 …

August 5, 2008: Cal Thomas Calls Obama “No Christian”, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Cal Thomas Calls Obama “No Christian”“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Will The Tax Man Cometh To Coach Rodriguez?, Jeffrey H. Kahn, Douglas A. Kahn

Scholarly Publications

No abstract provided.

Will The Tax Man Cometh To Coach Rodriguez?, Douglas A. Kahn, Jeffrey H. Kahn

Articles

There has been much in the news recently about coaches of major college sports teams moving to a new school and incurring an obligation to make payment to their old school under a buyout provision in their contract. The most recent example is the highly publicized move of Richard Rodriguez from West Virginia University to the University of Michigan. Coach Rodriguez had a contract with his former employer that required him to pay $4 million dollars to West Virginia if he left for another coaching position. After a suit was filed, it was reported that the parties agreed that the …

Rediscovering The Law's Moral Roots, Morris B. Hoffman

NULR Online

No abstract provided.