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2022

Brooklyn Law School

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Full-Text Articles in Law

Protecting Corporations From Discrimination Under The Convention On The Elimination Of Racial Discrimination, William Thomas Worster Dec 2022

Protecting Corporations From Discrimination Under The Convention On The Elimination Of Racial Discrimination, William Thomas Worster

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

This article argues that legal persons derive rights under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and can enforce those rights by individual or inter-state complaint. It uses the case study of media corporations, following from the recent judgment by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the litigation between Qatar and the UAE over the application of CERD to the treatment of the Al Jazeera media corporation. However, the implications of this study apply to all private corporations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The CERD protects against certain forms of racial, ethnic and national origin …


Where In The World: Protecting Indigenous Textiles In Guatemala Through Geographical Indications, Lucie Couillard Sosa Dec 2022

Where In The World: Protecting Indigenous Textiles In Guatemala Through Geographical Indications, Lucie Couillard Sosa

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

There is a current movement by indigenous weavers in Guatemala to protect their textile designs due to the harm caused by the absence of the weavers’ intellectual property ownership over the designs and patterns. The exploitation and appropriation of their designs by domestic and international companies has hurt weavers’ livelihoods and has led to culturally inappropriate and insensitive uses of religious and traditional patterns. Conventional intellectual property law (copyright, trademark, and patent law) fails to protect indigenous peoples’ intellectual property rights. A key weakness within conventional intellectual property law is the emphasis and focus on individuality of the creation process. …


Different Countries, Same Homophobia And Transphobia: A Cross-Cultural Survey Of So-Called Conversion Therapy Practices And The Move Toward Legislative Protections For The United States Lgbtq+ Community, Samantha J. Past Dec 2022

Different Countries, Same Homophobia And Transphobia: A Cross-Cultural Survey Of So-Called Conversion Therapy Practices And The Move Toward Legislative Protections For The United States Lgbtq+ Community, Samantha J. Past

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

So-called “conversion therapy” consists of dangerous practices that inflict detrimental, long-lasting effects on its victims. As a form of sexual orientation or gender identity or gender expression change efforts, conversion therapy is fostered by global homophobia and transphobia. Despite formal public rejection and scientific discreditation, conversion therapy providers across the world continue to target LGBTQ+ individuals, predominately under the guise of offering health care services or obeying religious practices. The following piece compares conversion therapy in three countries with recently introduced LGBTQ+ legislation––(1) Ghana; (2) Canada; and (3) the United States (U.S.)–––in order to identify factors furthering conversion therapy and …


Breaking Down Digital Walls: The Interface Of International Trade Law And Online Content Regulation Through The Lens Of The Chinese Vpn Measure, Neha Mishra Dec 2022

Breaking Down Digital Walls: The Interface Of International Trade Law And Online Content Regulation Through The Lens Of The Chinese Vpn Measure, Neha Mishra

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

The interface of international trade law and online content regulation is problematic and complex. This Article examines the consistency of the regulation pertaining to Virtual Private Network (VPN) services in China with WTO law. It argues that although WTO law may be effective in disciplining protectionist aspects of online content regulations, they can neither scrutinize domestic values underlying such regulations nor guarantee the free flow of online content. Thus, existing rules contained in international trade agreements play a limited role in balancing domestic socio-cultural and political values vis-à-vis online censorship with an open, globally interconnected internet enabling seamless digital flows. …


Tailspin: Examining The Distortive Effects Of The Airbus-Boeing Duopoly On Trade Dispute Resolution Between The United States And European Union, Sam Bhat Dec 2022

Tailspin: Examining The Distortive Effects Of The Airbus-Boeing Duopoly On Trade Dispute Resolution Between The United States And European Union, Sam Bhat

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

This Note surveys the perverse effects of the Airbus–Boeing dispute on international trade, examining how this unique and unprecedented duopoly challenges WTO agreements regarding state assistance to domestic manufacturers of large civil aircraft. This trade dispute has precipitated significant consequences for industries unrelated to aircraft manufacturing on both sides of the Atlantic. Theoretically, the WTO’s dispute resolution framework is designed to maintain an undistorted status quo between member states. The case of Airbus–Boeing, however, has shown that a duopoly conflict masquerading as a WTO dispute leads to escalating tariffs with substantial repercussions. This is the costliest dispute in the history …


Invaluable: Value Added Tax, Post-Colonialism, & The United States Of America, Travis Henry-Reid Dec 2022

Invaluable: Value Added Tax, Post-Colonialism, & The United States Of America, Travis Henry-Reid

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

Value-added tax is occasionally proffered as an alternative or even an addition to the federal income tax system. Value-added tax, or VAT, is widely accepted throughout Europe and indeed the world, but the United States remains a notable exception. This choice remains an intriguing one to revisit from time to time. This Note, however, will argue that VAT is arguably a by-product of the colonial frameworks that once dominated our global consciousness, and therefore, that VAT is not right for the United States. The Note will, where appropriate, compare and contrast key differences between the system, or systems, of taxation …


Is Investment Arbitration An Effective Alternative To Court Litigation? Towards A Smart Mix Of Litigation And Arbitration In Resolving Investment Disputes, Wanli Ma, Michael Faure Dec 2022

Is Investment Arbitration An Effective Alternative To Court Litigation? Towards A Smart Mix Of Litigation And Arbitration In Resolving Investment Disputes, Wanli Ma, Michael Faure

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

This article analyzes litigation and arbitration as commonly used methods for dispute resolution, more particularly between foreign investors and host states. It compares investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) via investor-state arbitration with dispute resolution via domestic courts in the host state. The article adopts a goal-based approach for assessing the effectiveness of international adjudication and analyzes the extent to which the current ISDS system is aligned with its predetermined goals. The article starts by identifying four goals of ISDS: 1) fair and efficient dispute resolution, 2) norm compliance, 3) facilitating the objectives of the investment law regime, and 4) legitimizing the …


Reforming Copyright Or Toward Another Science? – A Morehuman Rights-Oriented Approach Under The Rebspa Inconstructing A “Right To Research” For Scholarly Publishing, Klaus D. Beiter Dec 2022

Reforming Copyright Or Toward Another Science? – A Morehuman Rights-Oriented Approach Under The Rebspa Inconstructing A “Right To Research” For Scholarly Publishing, Klaus D. Beiter

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

This article identifies copyright impediments existing in the sphere of science, and then tentatively suggests how such impediments may be overcome. It focuses on scholarly publishing only, and here primarily on digital content, and specifically asks whether expensive commercial scholarly publishers continue to “add value” to research in the digital era. The deficits of copyright law and potential solutions thereto are assessed in the light of the right of everyone “to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications” (REBSPA), as laid down in Article 15(1)(b) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) of 1966. …


The Largest Global Producers Of E-Waste And The Need For Change, Jane Chan Dec 2022

The Largest Global Producers Of E-Waste And The Need For Change, Jane Chan

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

E-waste, short for electronic waste, is a term used to describe end-of-life electronic products. In recent years there has been a sharp rise in the demand for electronic products, and production has ramped up to meet the demand. A landslide of e-waste is being generated in tandem, exacerbated by increased global access to electronic devices, quickening innovation rates, and device obsolescence. According to projections by the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor 2020, e-waste is the most rapidly growing domestic waste-stream in the world. Due to the hazardous nature of the components contained in many electronic products, the proper handling of e-waste …


Lost Paradise: Colombia’S Failed Promise To Protect Human Rights Defenders, Yessenia Gonzalez Dec 2022

Lost Paradise: Colombia’S Failed Promise To Protect Human Rights Defenders, Yessenia Gonzalez

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

On November 24, 2016, Colombia ended a half-century civil war with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) with the signing of the Peace Accord. While there was hope that there would be a new era of peace and reconciliation, Colombia is consistently ranked as the most dangerous country in the world for human rights defenders. As a party to core international human rights treaties that protect the rights to life, physical integrity, and the right to defend human rights, Colombia is obligated to protect these rights and take the necessary preventative measures to protect human rights defenders. Accordingly, Colombia …


Domestic Terrorism Classification In The United States V. Canada And The United Kingdom, Michelle Hayek Dec 2022

Domestic Terrorism Classification In The United States V. Canada And The United Kingdom, Michelle Hayek

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

For the past two decades, discourse on terrorism (both global and domestic) has been commonplace throughout the international sphere. Following the attacks on September 11, 2001, many nations have followed suit in launching counterterrorism operations to identify and prevent attacks by both radical groups and lone actors. While the common narrative has focused on “why” terrorist actors commit heinous acts and “how” to best prevent future incidents from emerging, it is important to analyze the legal nuances between prosecuting domestic versus international terrorists. With the rise on “homegrown” domestic lone actors, nations have had to reevaluate and adapt counterterrorism statutes …


Contracting Against Slavery: Corporate Accountability For Human Rights Supply Chain Violations, Alexandra Hyken Dec 2022

Contracting Against Slavery: Corporate Accountability For Human Rights Supply Chain Violations, Alexandra Hyken

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

The United States Supreme Court decision in Nestlé USA, Inc. v. Doe effectively closed the door for forced laborers in the global supply chain to sue corporations headquartered in the United States for aiding and abetting in their human trafficking under the Alien Tort Statute. At the same time, however, the European Union and Canada are passing legislative measures that increase corporate accountability for human rights supply chain violations. This note argues that, in light of the Nestlé decision, contracts can be an effective mechanism for corporate accountability in the United States and that multi-national corporations will be incentivized to …


Embracing The End: A Comparative Analysis Of Medical Aid In Dying In Canada And The United States, Joel Krinsky Dec 2022

Embracing The End: A Comparative Analysis Of Medical Aid In Dying In Canada And The United States, Joel Krinsky

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

Since the late nineteenth century, debate has unfolded over the use of euthanasia and physician-assisted death to alleviate the suffering of individuals with medical illnesses. The controversy surrounding the issue persists and its implications are significant. While most countries prohibit Aid in Dying (AID), legalization of the practice has expanded globally in recent years. Canada and the United States (US) are two such jurisdictions that have expanded access to AID. Canada has federally legalized the practice, which the country refers to as Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), and in 2021, the country expanded the eligibility criteria for individuals seeking access …


Recommended Amendments To The Truth And Reconciliation Act As The Government Of Nepal Considers Prosecuting 65,411 Human Rights Cases From The Armed Conflict (1996- 2006), Sophia Ottoni-Wilhelm Dec 2022

Recommended Amendments To The Truth And Reconciliation Act As The Government Of Nepal Considers Prosecuting 65,411 Human Rights Cases From The Armed Conflict (1996- 2006), Sophia Ottoni-Wilhelm

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

The bloody Armed Conflict in Nepal (1996-2006) left an estimated 16,729 dead, 78,689 displaced, and 2,506 victims of enforced disappearance. In the seventeen years since the resolution of the Conflict, none of the 65,411 complaints brought by Conflict victims and their families have been resolved. This article argues that the Truth and Reconciliation Act (the Act) can be blamed for the stalled justice process. The Act, which created two commissions charged with the investigation and prosecution of Conflict crimes—Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission on the Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP)—must be amended so that victims and …


Who’S The Fairest Of Them All: Circuit Split Over Landlord Liability For Tenant-On-Tenant Discrimination Under The Fair Housing Act, Kelli Conway Dec 2022

Who’S The Fairest Of Them All: Circuit Split Over Landlord Liability For Tenant-On-Tenant Discrimination Under The Fair Housing Act, Kelli Conway

Brooklyn Law Review

This note explores a circuit split between the Second and Seventh Circuits regarding whether landlords and property owners can be held liable for postacquisition, tenant-on-tenant discrimination. This issue is one of first impression in recent years, resulting in divergent holdings. To address conflicting judicial approaches to an increasingly prevalent civil claim, this note argues for the necessity of a Congressional amendment to the Fair Housing Act (FHA), the law which generally governs housing discrimination. Specifically, the proposed amendment would recognize postacquisition discrimination as an actionable claim and append a test to the FHA for postacquisition liability as employed by the …


Voice Shoppers: From Information Gaps To Choice Gaps In Consumer Markets, Noga Blickstein Shchory, Michal S. Gal Dec 2022

Voice Shoppers: From Information Gaps To Choice Gaps In Consumer Markets, Noga Blickstein Shchory, Michal S. Gal

Brooklyn Law Review

Recent years have seen exponential growth in the use of voice shoppers – artificial intelligence–based algorithms installed on digital voice assistants, such as Alexa and Google Assistant, that buy products based on verbal requests received from consumers. This game-changing switch to semi-automated shopping is shaking up markets by reshaping consumer–supplier relationships, as well as the business models of suppliers and search services. Voice shoppers benefit consumers by offering speedier and more sophisticated transactions while reducing search and transaction costs. At the same time, consumers’ voluntary delegation of their search powers and product selection creates what we call a “choice gap,” …


A Civil Shame: The Failure To Protect Due Process In Discretionary Immigration Bond Hearings, Stacy L. Brustin Dec 2022

A Civil Shame: The Failure To Protect Due Process In Discretionary Immigration Bond Hearings, Stacy L. Brustin

Brooklyn Law Review

Over the last four years, the US Supreme Court has granted certiorari in four immigration bond review cases. The sheer number of cases the Court has recently considered underscores the significance of this area of immigration law. Each case centers on whether the Immigration and Nationality Act or the Constitution mandates a bond review hearing after prolonged detention. Yet these cases leave unresolved the issue of whether initial bond hearings themselves meet the due process threshold required of civil confinement proceedings. Federal circuit and district courts have addressed aspects of this question and found procedural due process violations. However, most …


If You Can’T Beat Them, Get Even: A Proposal To Level The Playing Field Between Social Media Platforms And Their Wrongfully Removed Users, Bernie Gabrielle Toledano Dec 2022

If You Can’T Beat Them, Get Even: A Proposal To Level The Playing Field Between Social Media Platforms And Their Wrongfully Removed Users, Bernie Gabrielle Toledano

Brooklyn Law Review

Millions of individuals in the United States maintain both personal and business accounts on social media platforms, a handful of which dominate the market for online content. However, if one of these platforms removes an account without cause, the affected user has little recourse because most platforms’ Terms of Service contain clauses allowing them to terminate user accounts for any reason. Nevertheless, as the power imbalance between platforms and users grows, scholars and judges are starting to believe that there is a need for greater regulation of these platforms. This note explores the ramifications of the social media regulatory gaps …


The Cost Of Cutting Corners: Jurisdictional Implications Flowing From Removal Proceedings Commenced By A Defective Notice To Appear, Juliana M. Lopez Dec 2022

The Cost Of Cutting Corners: Jurisdictional Implications Flowing From Removal Proceedings Commenced By A Defective Notice To Appear, Juliana M. Lopez

Brooklyn Law Review

A Notice to Appear (NTA) in removal proceedings is a written notice served on noncitizens that, among other things, alerts them that they must appear in immigration court for a hearing. In 2018, contrary to statute and common sense, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) admitted to issuing almost all NTAs without the accurate date, time, and place of the initial proceeding. In response, the Supreme Court, in Pereira v. Sessions, clarified that an NTA without the date and place of the hearing is statutorily defective and cannot be used to bar noncitizens from cancellation of removal. However, DHS circumvented …


Cracks In The Clean Air Act: Fixing The Foundation Of Us Climate Policy, Emily Joshi-Powell Dec 2022

Cracks In The Clean Air Act: Fixing The Foundation Of Us Climate Policy, Emily Joshi-Powell

Brooklyn Law Review

The urgent need to cool the atmosphere and slow the effects of climate change is evident all around us. However, half of Congress and large swaths of the American public are still not on board, and the highest Court in the land just knee-capped the EPA’s power to regulate effectively. This note looks at the implementation and amendment of the Clean Air Act and subsequent deviation from the Act’s bipartisan roots to its current highly political polarizing status. It then reviews twenty-first century caselaw affecting climate policy to highlight statutory and judicial barriers to progress. Culminating with the recent Supreme …


Social Media And The Common Law, Leslie Y. Garfield Tenzer Dec 2022

Social Media And The Common Law, Leslie Y. Garfield Tenzer

Brooklyn Law Review

The framers of the United States Constitution and those who developed the early common law were no strangers to printed media. They could not, however, have anticipated the widespread ability of average people to communicate instantaneously with large audiences via platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Despite this new technology, courts have primarily relied on pre-social media precedent, rules of law, and the Constitution for guidance when confronted with civil and criminal social media misconduct. On the one hand, relying on existing law is a good thing; it reaffirms the judiciary's commitment to precedent and stare decisis. On the other …


Boeing, Boeing, Gone: General Jurisdiction Over Corporations, Principal Place Of Business, And A Second Look At The Total Activities Test, Robert Ellis Stengel Dec 2022

Boeing, Boeing, Gone: General Jurisdiction Over Corporations, Principal Place Of Business, And A Second Look At The Total Activities Test, Robert Ellis Stengel

Brooklyn Law Review

In 2011’s Goodyear Dunlop Tires Operations, S.A. v. Brown, the United States Supreme Court redefined the contours of corporate personal jurisdiction, radically curtailing the “doing business” jurisdiction that previously predominated. Since then, corporations are only subject to general jurisdiction where they are “fairly regarded as at home,” a domicile test effectively limited to two locations: (1) the state in which the corporation is incorporated and (2) the state in which the corporation has its “principal place of business.” However, the Supreme Court has never explicitly defined the term “principal place of business” for personal jurisdiction purposes. The Court has addressed …


Regulating The Autonomous Ocean, Annie Brett Dec 2022

Regulating The Autonomous Ocean, Annie Brett

Brooklyn Law Review

The rapid rise in aerial drone use and the future deployment of self-driving cars have both spurred extensive legal and social debate. Autonomous vessels on the ocean, on the other hand, have largely escaped detailed scrutiny, even as they are reshaping the landscape of human interactions with the ocean and creating novel challenges for national and international legal regimes. Autonomous vessels are being captured while spying on other countries, raising concerns about national security and surveillance regimes. The Coast Guard is using enforcement loopholes to justify abandoning many of their autonomous vessels at sea, in flagrant violation of national and …


Last Rights: A Theory Of Individual Impact, Kenneth R. Davis Dec 2022

Last Rights: A Theory Of Individual Impact, Kenneth R. Davis

Brooklyn Law Review

Title VII recognizes both individual and group disparate treatment claims, which allege intentional discrimination. But Title VII recognizes only group claims for disparate impact. Conspicuously absent are claims for individual impact. The reason for the absence of an individual-disparate-impact claim is a problem of proof. To establish a Title VII claim, a plaintiff must prove that he or she lost a job opportunity was “because of” membership in a protected class. Showing that a single individual lost a job opportunity because of a test score, resume evaluation, or interview does not prove that any of these selection criteria unlawfully discriminated …


Unending Reform: Police Resistance To Consent Decrees And Federal Monitors, Finn Mayock Dec 2022

Unending Reform: Police Resistance To Consent Decrees And Federal Monitors, Finn Mayock

Journal of Law and Policy

The murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests that engulfed the United States in 2020 reignited public attention towards the violent and discriminatory practices of police departments across the country. While methods of reforming these institutions were debated with new vigor, the federal courts have been quietly overseeing efforts to obtain constitutionally compliant policing in numerous cities for decades. Using legal tools such as consent decrees and monitors, the Department of Justice has enlisted the assistance of federal courts to ensure that police practices are in congruence with the Constitution. As pervasive police violence against black and brown people …


Weathering The Storm: Establishing Internally Displaced People’S Right To Affordable Housing In The Wake Of Natural Disasters, Raina Hasan Dec 2022

Weathering The Storm: Establishing Internally Displaced People’S Right To Affordable Housing In The Wake Of Natural Disasters, Raina Hasan

Journal of Law and Policy

In 2020, natural disasters caused more internal displacement than war; floods, storms, and wildfires caused thirty million new displacements globally, and 1.7 million in the U.S. alone. The data and history suggest that masses of people will be displaced every year and will face housing insecurity without any formal acknowledgement of their unique plight or a guarantee that internally displaced persons (“IDPs”) will have protected rights. This Note proposes that, considering the worsening climate crisis leading to more frequent and severe natural disasters, the U.S. should codify the rights of internally displaced people as laid out in the United Nations’ …


Commercial Law Harmonization: The Past As Prologue—A “Festschrift” In Honor Of Neil B. Cohen, Edward J. Janger Dec 2022

Commercial Law Harmonization: The Past As Prologue—A “Festschrift” In Honor Of Neil B. Cohen, Edward J. Janger

Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law

No abstract provided.


The Internet Is For Porn…Or Is It? Fair Access To Financial Services And The Need For Onlyporn Legislation, Emily Pollak Dec 2022

The Internet Is For Porn…Or Is It? Fair Access To Financial Services And The Need For Onlyporn Legislation, Emily Pollak

Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law

Historically, the pornography industry has been the target of countless attempts to delegitimize sex work, but it still endures as a legal industry. Nevertheless, financial service providers such as banks and third-party payment processors have circumvented providing the industry fair access to their services, under vague pretexts such as reputational risk. While porn is not the only marginalized industry affected by unfair treatment from financial service providers, it is among the most targeted. This note gives context to this issue and provides that access to the global marketplace should not be limited by financial institutions functioning as de facto legislators, …


Protecting The ‘Unwanted’: How And Why We Should Defend Former Gang Members In Their Pursuit Of Asylum, Anjani P. Shah Dec 2022

Protecting The ‘Unwanted’: How And Why We Should Defend Former Gang Members In Their Pursuit Of Asylum, Anjani P. Shah

Journal of Law and Policy

This Note discusses the flaws in the tripartite analysis to determine whether an asylum seeker satisfies the protected ground of “membership in a ‘particular social group’” (“PSG”). An applicant seeking a PSG determination must prove: (1) “immutability,” (2) “social distinction,” and (3) “particularity.” This Note argues that when PSG asylum claims are denied and appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”), the BIA has incoherently tangled what is actually required in order to compel an affirmative PSG determination. One group of asylum seekers that has been significantly disadvantaged by this tripartite test is former gang members. This Note argues …


What Counts As ‘Racist Enough?’: A Clearer Standard For New Trials When Jurors Demonstrate Racial Bias, Priyadarshini Das Dec 2022

What Counts As ‘Racist Enough?’: A Clearer Standard For New Trials When Jurors Demonstrate Racial Bias, Priyadarshini Das

Journal of Law and Policy

The no-impeachment rule, Federal Rule of Evidence 606(b), necessitates that jurors keep their deliberations secret. However, in the 2017 Supreme Court case Peña-Rodriguez v. Colorado, the Court created a racial bias exception to the no-impeachment rule. This exception allows jurors to notify the court when “one or more jurors made statements exhibiting overt racial bias that cast serious doubt on the fairness and impartiality of the jury’s deliberations and resulting verdict.” This Note argues that this standard is too narrow because it fails to consider several situations of racial bias, like implicit bias. The ineffectiveness of this exception is demonstrated …