Law Commons^™

“All We Have To Decide Is What To Do With The Time Given To Us”: Using Concepts Of Narrative Time To Draft More Persuasive Legal Arguments, Jennifer Sheppard

Marquette Law Review

When taught to draft a statement of facts or a statement of the case, law students and new lawyers are often told to “tell a story” and that chronological order is usually the best organizational strategy to use when telling that story. While much has been written in recent years on how to draft a story in the legal context, little scholarship is devoted to how to draft a story using chronology or how a lawyer can shape and manipulate time within a story to better advocate for a client. Legal scholars seem to think that the use of chronology …

Partisan Gerrymandering: The Promise And Limits Of State Court Judicial Review, Norman R. Williams

Marquette Law Review

In 2021, the Oregon Legislature succeeded in redrawing the state’s legislative and congressional districts, but the new redistricting plans were immediately challenged in state court as partisan gerrymanders. The Oregon Supreme Court rejected the challenge to the state legislative map, but its analysis, which accorded significant deference to the legislature’s choices, raised more questions than answers about the appropriate level of scrutiny for state redistricting plans. A special, five-judge court likewise rejected the gerrymandering challenge to the congressional map, and, while its analysis was less deferential, its decision also left unanswered the fundamental question regarding at what point a redistricting …

Game On—Copyrighted Tattoos In Video Games As Fair Use, Emilie Smith

Marquette Law Review

With its fact-intensive inquiries and limited bright-line rules, copyright law is known for its ambiguity, and courts often differ in their interpretations of various doctrines. The fair use doctrine is no different, and was in fact designed to grant courts discretion in making their determinations, all with the aim of maintaining the true purpose of the copyright law. Recent technologies and popularized forms of art only complicate things, adding rougher terrain to an already confusing landscape.

A Pandemics Treaty: A Boon For Africa, Kafumu Kalyalya

Southern African Journal of Policy and Development

This article illustrates the weaknesses of the current global health framework. It highlights two pillars a new treaty regime ought to be built upon. The analysis seeks to establish how these pillars could have helped Africa during the pandemic and can indeed help Africa in future pandemics. The analysis suggests the need for a unified global health regime or pandemics’ treaty that promotes a level legal and political playing field regarding future pandemics. The treaty could focus on coordination of research and development; build a stronger global framework that reinforces legal obligations and norms; provide for universal access to medicines, …

Corporate Democracy And The Intermediary Voting Dilemma, Jill E. Fisch, Jeff Schwartz

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

Corporate governance is changing. For the past two decades, the focus of shareholder voting and engagement was deconstructing impediments to shareholder power and increasing managerial accountability. The goal of these interventions was to increase firm value by reducing agency costs. Increasingly, however, environmental and social issues have risen to the fore. This new focus is arguably more about values than value. This Article is the first to argue that, because of this shift, institutional intermediaries—namely, pension and mutual fund managers—can no longer vote and engage on the affairs of their portfolio companies without seeking the input of the pension-plan participants …

Covenant Control: The Case For Treating Uptier Transactions As A Form Of Corporate Control, Ryan Schloessmann

University of Chicago Law Review

In recent years, uptier transactions have emerged as a novel way for distressed companies to restructure their debt obligations, resulting in unforeseen and inequitable outcomes for investors in corporate debt. Uptier transactions depend on provisions in credit agreements that permit debtholders with a majority stake in a class of debt to make decisions on behalf of all debtholders. Distressed companies take advantage of these provisions by colluding with a majority of debtholders to shift economic value from the remaining debtholders to themselves. As this Comment demonstrates, these transactions are likely to be value destructive and present an issue for capital …

(Some) Land Back...Sort Of: The Transfer Of Federal Public Lands To Indian Tribes Since 1970, Audrey Glendenning, Martin Nie, Monte Mills

Articles

Federal public lands in the United States were carved from the territories of Native Nations and, in nearly every instance, required that the United States extinguish pre-existing aboriginal title. Following acquisition of these lands, the federal government pursued various strategies for them, including disposal to states and private parties, managing lands to allow for multiple uses, and conservation or protection. After over a century of such varied approaches, the modern public landscape is a complex milieu of public and private interests, laws and policies, and patchwork ownership patterns. This complexity depends on—and begins with—the history of Indigenous dispossession but subsequent …

Considering A Right To Repair Software, Robert W. Gomulkiewicz

Articles

The right to repair movement aims to extend the usability of products by allowing a consumer (or a repair professional acting on the consumer’s behalf) to fix broken products. Implicitly, the movement’s focus has been on hardware—on the right to repair cars, tractors, and phones. But as more and more of the functionality of goods comes from software, it is important to consider whether we need a right to repair software. There are practical challenges to software repair. For example, fixing software is more difficult and treacherous than fixing hardware. Complicating matters further, more and more software is embedded in …

Per Curiam Signals In The Supreme Court's Shadow Docket, Zina Makar

Washington Law Review

Lower courts and litigants depend a great deal on the Supreme Court to articulate and communicate signals regarding how to interpret existing doctrine. Signals are at their strongest and most reliable when they originate from the Court’s merits docket. More recently, the Court has been increasingly relying on its orders docket—colloquially referred to as its “shadow docket”—to communicate with lower courts by summarily reversing and correcting errors in interpretation without briefing or oral argument.

Over the past decade the Roberts Court has granted certiorari to summarily reverse a growing number of qualified immunity cases, issuing over a dozen unsigned per …

Fast-Tracks And Prizes: A Multi-Pronged Approach To Incentivizing Green Technology Innovation, Benjamin Desch

Washington Law Review

Faced with the ever-worsening climate crisis, many nations—including the United States—have increasingly recognized the urgent need for rapid advancements in green, clean, and sustainable technologies. Patents play a fundamental role in incentivizing technological innovation, but the traditional patent process is too slow to match the urgency of the climate crisis. At the same time, the marketplace significantly undervalues green technology patents because they confer benefits to third parties not involved in the transaction (referred to as “positive externalities”). To address the urgency issue, patent “fast-track” programs have been implemented to speed up the patent application review process. To mitigate the …

Mindfulness For Lawyers Cannot Begin Too Early, Heather Simmons

Articles, Chapters and Online Publications

Mindfulness can help law students handle the stress of Socratic method and cold calling. But the standard mindfulness panic practice, which is to stop and take three deep breaths, doesn’t work because the professor is waiting for an answer. In my ABA Student Lawyer article, I describe the following alternative: Step 1. Plant your feet firmly on the floor; Step 2. Sit up straight; Step 3. Take one deep breath; Step 4. Now restate the question. These steps could easily be modified to work in court when the judge asks a challenging question.

Aclp - Updated Estimates Of State Bead Allocations - As Of June 2023, New York Law School

Reports and Resources

No abstract provided.

Aclp - Further Updated Estimates Of State Bead Allocations - As Of June 16, 2023, New York Law School

Reports and Resources

No abstract provided.

Parens Patriae After The Pandemic, Meredith Johnson Harbach

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Free-Market Family Policy And The New Parental Rights Laws, Maxine Eichner

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Who Needs The State? We Do (Maybe), Deborah M. Weissman

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Climate Migration And Displacement: A Case Study Of Puerto Rican Women In Connecticut, Camila Bustos, Bruni Pizarro, Tabitha Sookdeo

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

The climate crisis is increasingly forcing people to flee their homes, whether internally or across state borders. However, existing international and domestic law does not provide sufficient protection for those forcibly displaced by extreme weather events. In 2021, the Biden administration issued an executive order and subsequently a report on the impact of climate change on migration, which marked a first step in federal policy toward recognition of the nexus between climate change and displacement. At the local level, Connecticut has already become a destination for climate-displaced people. For instance, after Hurricane Maria landed in Puerto Rico in 2017, approximately …

When Sparks Fly Because Of Your Neighbour’S Independent Contractor: The Stricter-Liability Test Of Private Nuisance In Singapore – Pex International Pte Ltd V Lim Seng Chye And Another And Another Appeal [2020] 1 Slr 373, Samuel Hzi Xun Tay

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

When your land has been damaged by your neighbour’s independent contractor, who should be held responsible—the contractor or your neighbour? Previously, it was considered by some to be difficult to pin liability on one’s neighbour. 1 This position was criticised for being unfair and unjust, especially in situations where one was unable to obtain recourse from the contractor.

The Advisory Jurisdiction Of The Constitutional Tribunal Under Article 100 Of The Constitution, Don Jia Hao Ho

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

Singapore has a Constitutional Tribunal as provided for under Article 100 of the Constitution. The Tribunal is vested with advisory jurisdiction which ordinary courts do not have. This article explores the constitutional basis for the Tribunal’s existence, jurisdictional issues surrounding the Tribunal, as well as the legal effect of the Tribunal’s opinion. Moreover, this article evaluates the continued relevance of the Tribunal. In doing so, a comparative approach is adopted where appropriate.

What Cases Are To Be Heard By The Appellate Division And Why: Noor Azlin Bte Abdul Rahman And Another V Changi General Hospital Pte Ltd [2021] 2 Slr 440, Grace Jin Yi Nai

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

On 2 January 2021, certain statutory amendments came into effect: specifically, the Supreme Court of Judicature (Amendment) Act 2019 (Act 40 of 2019) (“SCJ(A)A”) which amended the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Cap 322, 2007 Rev Ed) (“SCJA”), and the Rules of Court (Amendment No. 5) Rules 2020 (“ROC(A)”) which amended the Rules of Court (Cap 322, R 5, 2014 Rev Ed) (“ROC”). These amendments had a significant impact on the court appellate system. For clarity, the pre-2 January versions of the legislation will be referred to as the “former SCJA” and “former ROC”, while the post-2 January versions will …

Single Crime, Dual Crime And Another? Expansion Of The Concept Of Joint Liability Under Section 34 Of The Penal Code – Public Prosecutor V Azlin Bte Arujunah And Other Appeals [2022] 2 Slr 825, Ting Xuan Jordan Chia, Natalia Mai Do Ngoc

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

It is well-understood that for most crimes to be established, the requirements of actus reus (the physical element) and mens rea (the mental element) need to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. However, in situations involving joint offenders, if one of the offenders dealt the fatal blow, while the other offender acted as a lookout, can the other offender really be said to have the actus reus of the particular offence?

The Lack Of A Time Bar: An Injustice Within Unjust Enrichment Claims – Esben Finance Ltd And Others V Wong Hou-Lianq Neil [2022] 1 Slr 136, Jie Loong Tan

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

Limitation periods refer to the period within which a claimant who has a right to claim against another person, i.e., the defendant, must begin court proceedings to establish that right. Once that period has passed, the defendant can no longer be sued on that particular action. This is to prevent the threat of an action from continually hanging over the defendant such that once the limitation period has passed, the defendant can be sure that the claimant is no longer able to sue.

Stephen’S Prudent Person And The Standard Of Proof In Indian Evidence Act Jurisdictions, Siyuan Chen

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

Sir James Fitzjames Stephen’s Indian Evidence Act of 1872 remains on the statute books of many Commonwealth jurisdictions. The contents of the statute have also remained largely intact. Unsurprisingly, then, there has been a growing chasm between what the statute provides for and how the common law rules on evidence have developed. However, the statute’s treatment of the concept of standard of proof has arguably been more sophisticated than what the courts have given credit for. In this article, it is argued that a return to the statute’s original conception of standard of proof will go some way in alleviating …

Taming Reflective Loss – Miao Weiguo V Tendcare Medical Group Holdings Pte Ltd [2022] 1 Slr 884, Pey Woan Lee

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

At common law, the “no reflective loss” (“NRL”) principle bars a shareholder from bringing a personal action to recover any diminution in share value resulting from a wrong inflicted by a thirdparty wrongdoer on the company. Such reduction in value is not treated as the shareholder’s personal loss as it is a “mere reflection” of the company’s loss. And this is so even if the company does not seek to recover from the wrongdoer or settles with the wrongdoer for a sum well below its actual loss. Though endorsed by the highest courts, the NRL principle remains controversial by reason …

Valedictory Reference In Honour Of Justice Andrew Phang: Compilation Of Valedictory Addresses For Justice Andrew Phang, Hon. Sundaresh Menon, Indranee Rajah, Lucien Wong, Hon. Yihan Goh, Adrian Tan, Davinder Singh, Scott Tan, Hon. Andrew Phang

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

On 15 December 2022, Justice Andrew Phang retired from the Supreme Court Bench. To pay tribute to Justice Phang’s 18 years of service, a Valedictory Reference was convened on 28 November 2022. The following is a collection of speeches delivered at the event by distinguished members of the Bar – a fitting tribute to celebrate Justice Phang’s outstanding contributions to local jurisprudence and legal scholarship, and the indelible mark he left on the lives of those around him.

Foreword, Pey Woan Lee

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

As I pen this foreword, I cannot help but reflect on the radical transformation that the launch of ChatGPT has brought about in the way we communicate. The emergence of this generative language model has shattered the notion that only humans can engage in written discourse. While I am excited about the immense potential that this development holds for enhancing the quality and efficiency of our work, I am also deeply troubled by the existential questions it raises. The rise of powerful machines undoubtedly heightens the risk of human redundancy. As AI continues to surpass human capabilities, the question of …

Slj Editorial Notice, Singapore Management University

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

The editors of the Singapore Law Journal wish to notify readers that the article “Saving Argos: The need to adopt a pet trust statute in Singapore” by Lin Shuang Ju, which previously appeared under the citation (2023) 3 SLJ 130, has been retracted.

Reforming World Bank Dispute Resolution: Icsid In Context, Susan Franck

Michigan Journal of International Law

During a tumultuous moment in history with shifts in power and politics, international dispute settlement stands at a crossroads. In theory, international dispute settlement should not institutionalize abuses of power, rely upon a monolithic one-size-fits-all model, or be a waste of resources, which will inevitably generate stakeholder dissatisfaction. Rather, dispute resolution should reflect both a commitment to the rule of law and equal treatment that sustains nuanced, fair, and just procedures most likely to provide results of substantive quality. Against this backdrop and with the major reforms concluded in July 2022, this article explores the reality of dispute resolution at …

Trade-Based Solutions For Revitalizing Post-Conflict Economies, Ryan R. Migeed

Michigan Journal of International Law

International trade improves efficiency in home markets, creates new sources of demand for domestic industries, and boosts worker productivity. However, some types of trade are better than others for reviving the economies of countries emerging from internal or international armed conflicts. This note evaluates existing trade mechanisms that ostensibly help developing countries but fail to actually do so. It ultimately recommends the use of investor-state partnerships over trade-based mechanisms as the appropriate tool for improving the economies of post-conflict states. Part I evaluates a number of these existing trade mechanisms, including preferential trade agreements and the General System of Preferences. …

The Slow Race: Achieving Equity Through Legislative And Agency Minority Impact Statements, Jancy Nielson

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

No abstract provided.