Law Commons^™

Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Resolving The Ri Grande (Rio Bravo) Water Dispute., Ruben R. Barrera, Dan A. Naranjo

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

The Dilemma Of Interpreting Rules Of Civil Procedure: A Proposal For Elastic Formalism., L. Wayne Scott

St. Mary's Law Journal

When lawyers are well prepared, know the law, present the law, and have it ignored by judges who interpret the law in their own way, it can be frustrating. When courts publish opinions embodying this attitude, students, too, become frustrated or conclude that the law is whatever judges decide it should be. This Article does not focus on unethical judges who decide cases with wrong motives but, rather, it focuses on ethical judges who are faced with “hard” cases and have the dilemma of deciding the case, either by the rule or by the judge’s concept of fairness. In both …

Suppressing The Truth: States' Purposeful Violation Of The Right Of No Cruel Or Unreal Punishment In Lethal Injection Executions., Nadine G. Rodriguez

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

A Law And Economics Analysis Of The Duty Of Utmost Good Faith (Uberrimae Fidei) In Marine Insurance Law For Protection And Indemnity Clubs., Elizabeth Germano

St. Mary's Law Journal

Writing for the Supreme Court in The Lottawanna in 1875, Justice Joseph P. Bradley envisioned federal and state regulation of maritime affairs as “a system of law coextensive with, and operating uniformly in, the whole country.” He thought state involvement in maritime law defeated the consistency and uniformity the Constitution sought to achieve for interstate and international commerce. Over 100 years later, Justice Antonin Scalia, describing the current relationship between state and federal regulation in the admiralty arena, stated: “It would be idle to pretend that the line separating permissible from impermissible state regulation is readily discernible in our admiralty …

The Admissibility Of Aerial Photographs - Evidentiary Foundations., Kristopher R. Hufstetler

St. Mary's Law Journal

Services such as Google Maps and MapQuest significantly impact how consumers use the Internet. For as much as they contribute to Internet use, issues arise concerning the use of satellite images and aerial photographs in the context of litigation. Historical concerns about satellite and aerial imagery typically involved expectations of privacy and the application of the Fourth Amendment. Courts and citizens alike express concern with when and where privacy ends with respect to aerial views. Concerns as to the admissibility of aerial photographs have also been prominent. Specifically, interest in admissibility of these photographs focuses on sufficiency, relevance, and accuracy. …

In Memory Of Thomas Bowman Black (1928–2016), Professor Of Law, St. Mary's University School Of Law (1974–1988), David Dittfurth

St. Mary's Law Journal

Tribute to Thomas Bowman Black (1928–2016), Professor of Law, St. Mary's University School of Law (1974–1988).

Time To Repair The Chain: Void Deeds, Subsequent Purchasers, And The Texas Recording Statutes, Richard E. Flint

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract forthcoming.

Interlocutory Appeals In Texas: A History, Elizabeth Lee Thompson

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article delves into the evolution of Texas's interlocutory appeals statute with the related goals of tracing the expanding subject matter of interlocutory appeals and identifying what these changes reflect about legal priorities and developments in Texas since the late nineteenth century.

In Memory Of Joe E. Anderson (1928–2016), Professor Of Law, St. Mary's University School Of Law, Michael S. Ariens

St. Mary's Law Journal

Tribute to Joe E. Anderson (1928–2016), Professor of Law, St. Mary's University School of Law.

The Development Of Chinese Constitutionalism, Chenglin Liu

St. Mary's Law Journal

Since the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, the country has enacted four constitutions. This Article provides a historical analysis of how the Communist Party of China (the Party) and its paramount leaders shaped each constitution, influenced the public perception of the law, and determined the method individual constitutional rights should be permitted. Through examining leading incidents that defined the PRC's history, this Article provides a detailed examination of how the Party used a constitutional framework to achieve its specific agenda of the time.

Kcon Xi Essay Introduction: Compulsory Arbitration And Adhesion Contracts In The Age Of Donald Trump, Peter Linzer

St. Mary's Law Journal

Remarks of Peter Linzer on receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the 11th International Contracts Conference (K-CON XI). Revised after Election Day, 2016.

The Cfpb Anti-Arbitration Proposal: Let's Just Give Arbitration A Chance., Ramona L. Lampley

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract forthcoming.

Gay Rights Versus Religious Freedom, And The Influence Of Obergefell V. Hodges On Distinguishing The Dividing Line, Kathleen Rainey Mcstravick

St. Mary's Law Journal

Obergefell v. Hodges, a United States Supreme Court case, added more fuel to the fire, leaving many to wonder how to voice religious opposition to same-sex marriages, and what are the second order effects for religious opposition in light of the new rule. The Court held the Equal Protection Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Obergefell, brings the conflict between freedom of religion and LGBT rights to a new level by questioning how far freedom of religion can be used to refuse anti-discrimination statutes regarding sexual …

Public Participation In Risk Regulation: The Flaws Of Formality, Emily Hammond

Utah Law Review

Dread risks draw significant public attention in both the administrative process and the courts. Yet there are a number of dysfunctions at the intersection of procedures, participation, and agency decision-making regarding such risks. This Article elaborates the participatory dysfunctions for dread risk regulation, considering formal APA procedures as well as casting complexity as a variety of formality. Inspired by recent executive actions for improving participation and incorporating social science insights into the regulatory process, this Article sets a research agenda that spans the fields of risk perception, procedural justice, and administrative law.

Rluipa And The Limits Of Religious Institutionalism, Zachary Bray

Utah Law Review

What special protections, if any, should religious organizations receive from local land use controls? The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”)—a deeply flawed statute—has been a magnet for controversy since its passage in 2000. Yet until recently, RLUIPA has played little role in debates about “religious institutionalism,” a set of ideas that suggest religious institutions play a distinctive role in developing the framework for religious liberty and that they deserve comparably distinctive deference and protection. This is starting to change: RLUIPA’s magnetic affinity for controversy has begun to connect conflicts over religious land use with larger debates about …

Counting Casualties In Communities Hit Hardest By The Foreclosure Crisis, Matthew J. Rossman

Utah Law Review

The Foreclosure Crisis wreaked havoc on the finances of American households in a manner and to a degree not seen in almost a century. While most areas of the country are well on the road to recovery, the Crisis caused fundamental damage to the housing markets of some communities resulting in home-value declines that bear little hope of a meaningful recovery in the near future. Homeowners in these Hardest Hit Communities have suffered a serious economic loss on what is likely their principal asset, due in most cases to circumstances completely beyond their own control.

The best long-term approach to …

Restructuring Municipal Bankruptcy, Laura Napoli Coordes

Utah Law Review

What sorts of legal relief should be available to a municipality in financial distress? Chapter 9 of the Bankruptcy Code has served as an option of last resort for many municipalities over the years. But as this Article illustrates, Chapter 9 arguably falls short of an effective solution and at times seems to contravene the foundational principles underlying bankruptcy law. By examining recent Chapter 9 filings, this Article presents a comprehensive analysis of how and why Chapter 9 has failed to address the problems that characterize municipal insolvencies. It argues that Chapter 9, in both practice and principle, has proved …

Mediation As Regulation: Expanding State Governance Over Private Disputes, Lydia Nussbaum

Utah Law Review

Across the United States, state legislatures are issuing new mediation mandates that govern how private parties resolve their disputes. Legislatures embed these mediation mandates into specific statutory regimes ranging from foreclosure to health care to insurance coverage. Rather than leave decisions about ADR design to other state institutions, like courts or administrative agencies, legislatures increasingly retain that authority and formalize the mediation process with legal requirements that regulate parties’ behavior and influence mediation outcomes. This Article explains how legislatures wield mediation as a regulatory tool in this latest phase of mediation’s institutionalization. It argues that statutory mediation mandates should be …

Startups And Unmet Legal Needs, Alice Armitage, Evan Frondorf, Christopher Williams, Robin Feldman

Utah Law Review

Our survey results demonstrate that startup companies are exposed to a wide variety of legal needs from an early stage: when attorneys associated with the Startup Legal Garage were asked to handle a company’s most pressing legal needs, the average startup received assistance with over three distinct legal matters over the course of a thirteen-week academic semester. These issues often spanned multiple categories. Although matters frequently touched on a variety of topics within companies, strong similarities emerged in the types of issues faced by all startups in our sample. Almost 90% of the legal matters addressed by Startup Legal Garage …

Altering Rules, Cumulative Voting, And Venture Capital, John F. Coyle

Utah Law Review

Legal scholars have long debated the proper balance betweenmandatory and default rules in corporate law. One group — the contractarians — maintain that corporatelaw should function as an off-the-rack set of default rules that approximate, as much as possible,the rules that the transacting parties would have agreed to if bargaining were costless. The contractarians are generally skeptical of mandatory rules because they interfere with the ability of the parties to decide for themselves how to organize their economic relationships. Another group of scholars—the anti - contractarians — have argued that corporate law should seek to achieve certain regulatory objectives separate …

Decriminalizing Polygamy, Casey E. Faucon

Utah Law Review

Polygamous families are our national outlaws. Despite the expansion of sexual rights and marriage equality in the U.S., polygamy remains a crime. Challenging that stigma is the Brown family, who star in the reality TV show “Sister Wives” and who practice polygamous marriageas a tenet of their religion. The Browns filed suit against multiple Utah state actors in federal district court, challenging Utah’s polygamy statute as unconstitutional in violation of their Free Exercise of Religion, substantive Due Process, and Equal Protection rights. The district court agreed and decriminalized informal polygamy in Utah. On appeal, the Tenth Circuit reversed the district …

Maine Law Magazine - Issue No. 91, University Of Maine School Of Law

Maine Law Magazine

FEATURES

• Justice for Women
  Momentum is growing for the lecture series
• Meet the Dean
  Dean Danielle Conway on her vision for Maine Law
• Bankruptcy law
  Graduates are making their mark
• Hands-on Learning
  Students volunteer to aid detained immigrants
• Student Spotlight
  Chris Poulos makes the most of a second chance
• Celebrating Legacy
  A look at honoring six retiring professors

Remarks On Executive Action And Immigration Reform, Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia

Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law

This essay places the President's executive actions on immigration last November into a larger context by providing a brief history of prosecutorial discretion in immigration cases. This essay also describes how law students at Penn State Law School used the President's announcement of executive actions as a platform for local change in the State College community.

Criminally Disproportionate Warfare: Aggression As A Contextual War Crime, Rachel E. Vanlandingham

Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law

International law has long recognized the general principle that an illegal act cannot produce legal rights. Yet, this principle of ex injuria jus non oritur is seemingly ignored in the uneasy relationship between the two international legal regimes most associated with war. A head of State can, for example, violate international law regulating the resort to armed force by ordering his military forces to illegally invade another country, yet he, through his military forces, simultaneously and subsequently benefits on the battlefield from the application of the separate body of international law regulating the actual conduct of war. The paradoxical benefit …

The Fission And Fusion In International Use Of Force: Relating Unlawful Use Of Force And The War Crime Of Disproportionate Force Not Justified By Miitary Necessity, Mbori Otieno, Emmah Wabuke, Smith Otieno

Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law

Jus ad bellum and jus in bello are not disparate in operation. There are several points of intersection in the two concepts, commencing with the context in which they apply, and further, in their interpretation of the general principles of proportionality and necessity. Although proportionality connotes divergent theoretical notions depending on the backdrop against which it is set, in practice, these notions are often fused together. However, points of fission (divergence) still persist. The best example of which is in the context of 'The Crime of Disproportionate Use of Force' where the difference between the two notions of 'proportionality' can …

Volume 48 Issue 1, Cwru Journal Of International Law

Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

How The International Criminal Court Threatens Treaty Norms, Michael A. Newton

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article demonstrates the disadvantages of permitting a supranational institution like the International Criminal Court (ICC) to aggrandize its authority by overriding agreements between sovereign states. The Court's constitutive power derives from a multilateral treaty designed to augment sovereign enforcement efforts rather than annul them. Treaty negotiators expressly rejected efforts to confer jurisdiction to the ICC based on its aspiration to advance universal values or a self-justifying teleological impulse to bring perpetrators to justice. Rather, its jurisdiction derives solely from the delegation by States Parties of their own sovereign prerogatives. In accordance with the ancient maxim "nemo plus iuris transfer …

Lobbyists Are People Too, And They Should Be Free To Contribute To Their Local Legislative Races, Brian D. Russ

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.

Justice Should Not Be A Lottery: An Examination Of Disparate Outcomes In Hearing Loss Cases At The Veterans Court, Michael J. Elizondo

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.

Income Equality In Utopia, Daniel J. Morrissey

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.