Law Commons^™

Playing Well With Others-But Still Winning: Chief Justice Roberts, Precedent, And The Possibilities Of A Multi-Member Court, William D. Araiza

Georgia Law Review

This Essay considers methods by which a Supreme
Court Justice inclined to weaken precedent may do so
without explicitly overruling cases. Adding to the
literature examining "stealth overruling" and the

dynamics of multi-judge courts, it examines instances
from the first five years of the Roberts Court where Chief
Justice Roberts acted in a way consistent with that of a
judge who strategically situates himself among his
colleagues so as to erode precedent while appearing to
uphold it. The Essay does not speculate that the Roberts
Court, or Chief Justice Roberts himself, is any more
inclined than past Courts or Justices …

Supranational Diversity: Why Federal Courts Should Have Diversity Jurisdiction Over Cases Involving Supranational Organizations Like The European Union, John T. Dixon

Georgia Law Review

The federal diversity statute grants alienage jurisdiction
to "foreign citizens" and "foreign statutes," allowing them

to bring state-law claims against U.S. citizens in federal
'court. When the European Community (EC), an
intergovernmental organization of European states, sued
an American corporation for state-law violations, for the
first time a federal court had to determine whether the EC
qualified as a foreign state. The EC argued that it was
essentially a foreign state for the purposes of alienage
jurisdiction. Relying on the definition of foreign state in
the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 (FSIA),
which the diversity statute references, the court …

The Prisoners' Property Dilemma: The Proper Approach To Determine Prisoners' Protected Property Interests After Sandin And Castle Rock, Corbin R. Kennelly

Georgia Law Review

The Proper approach to determine when prisoners have
property interests protected by the Due Process Clause is
currently uncertain. The Supreme Court addressed
prisoners' liberty interests in Sandin v. Conner, but lower
courts have split over whether to apply the Sandin test to
prisoners' property interests. Further complicating
matters, the Supreme Court recently addressed property
interests generally in Town of Castle Rock v. Gonzales.
There, the Court seemed to add additional hurdles to the
finding of protected property interests: A statute must
clearly indicate that it gives rise to an entitlement; the
entitlement must have an ascertainable monetary value;
and, …

Runaway Usance: Limiting The Exercise Of The Fugitive Disentitlement Doctrine In The Context Of Wenqin Sun V. Mukasey And Bright V. Holder, Lawrence S. Winsor

Georgia Law Review

The fugitive disentitlement doctrine prevents an evasive
party from obtaining standing in the court whose
authority is evaded. With its 2011 decision in Bright v.
Holder, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals created a circuit
split regarding whether the fugitive disentitlement
doctrine applies to an alien appealing an adverse
immigration decision that maintained the same address
throughout removal proceedings, this address was known
to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and DHS
made no attempt to locate or arrest the alien for failure to
report for removal. Unlike the Ninth Circuit Court of
Appeals' decision in Wenqin Sun v. Mukasey, …

Spoliation In Child Welfare: Perspectives And Solutions, Dale Margolin

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

This article examines the potential effects of failing to preserve or produce evidence in the child welfare tort context. Section Two provides an overview of the record-keeping policies and practices in child protective systems throughout the country. It also describes the toll that civil litigation has taken on these systems because of negligent care of children. Section Three explains spoliation and its civil and criminal ramifications in other contexts. Section Four analyzes the effects that missing records have on child welfare torts. Section Five discusses best practices for attorneys and courts in addressing spoliation in child welfare tort litigation. Section …

My Daddy's Name Is Donor: Evaluating Sperm Donation Anonymity And Regulation, Mark Ballantyne

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

In Part I, this comment explores the debate on anonymous sperm donation and the current law in the United States. Part II surveys new developments in the regulation of sperm donation internationally and domestically. Part III reviews "My Daddy's Name is Donor" and how its findings relate to the anonymity debate. Part IV concludes with suggestions regarding the national registry and future regulation of sperm donation in the United States.

Virginia's Expanded Nutrient Trading Law: Will It Help Restore The Chesapeake Bay While Allowing For Growth, Margaret L. Sanner

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

On April 18, 2012, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell boosted the Commonwealth's pollution-reduction toolbox with an expanded nutrient trading program when he signed H.B. 176/S.B. 77 into law.' Sparked by the issuance of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (the "Bay TMDL"), which updated pollution limits for the Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, and the Virginia Chesapeake Bay TMDL Phase I Watershed Implementation Plan (the "Phase I WIP"),2 the expanded nutrient trading program allows myriad new market participants to generate and sell certified "nutrient credits"3 to others to meet existing limits or to offset new pollution from expansion.4 If the program …

Giving Voice To The Underserved: A Review Of How Lower-Income Virginians Fared In The 2012 Virginia General Assembly, Christie Marra, H. Timothy Perry

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

In 2011, the Census Bureau, after sixteen years of study, released a new, more comprehensive calculus to better gauge poverty in America. This "Supplemental Poverty Measure" (the "SPM") calculates the poverty threshold by estimating not only the cost of food, but also expenses related to clothing, shelter, utilities, and medical costs." Further, the SPM makes adjustment for cost of living, depending upon where the family resides, and also takes into account governmental support, such as food stamps and tax credits, to determine income. Logically, more accurate data on poverty distribution by region, and a more precise measure of the effects …

Virginia's War On Women: How Forcing Women To Have An Ultrasound Before Abortion Is Unconstitutional, Alison B. Linas

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

This comment will discuss how the ultrasound bill, like similar ones in other states, is unconstitutional for two reasons. First, requiring a woman to undergo a medically unnecessary procedure at her own expense is an undue burden under Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Second, the Supreme Court has held that competent people have the right to refuse medical care. By requiring a woman to have an ultrasound, the State is depriving her of her constitutional right to refuse care. Part 11 of this comment will focus on the Supreme Court's role in shaping abortion policy. Part II(A) concerns the history of …

Dispatch From The Culture War: Virginia's Failed Hpv Vaccination Mandate, Rachel Reynolds

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

coverage seems to have become overshadowed. This paper will inquire into what makes Gardasil different from other vaccines, and how that impacts its administration. Part I will describe the specifics of the HPV vaccine: how it works and how Virginia decided to promote its usage. Part II will examine the ways in which jurisdictions have traditionally understood vaccination policy, and contrast it with the ways in which they have handled the HPV vaccine. Part III will examine the disadvantages of continuing the mandate's ineffective political war of attrition, and suggest a coalition-building strategy to effect policy that honors communal values …