Law Commons^™

Mitigating Citation Errors In The Interlibrary Loan System, Scott Dewey, David Zopfi-Jordan

Articles

Journal articles from most academic disciplines have long shown high rates of citation errors. American law reviews, with their careful cite-checking, are a rare exception to the overall rule. Incorrect citations are especially costly and problematic for interlibrary loan librarians. This article offers practical suggestions to address the problem.

Antidiscrimination Efforts And The Repressive Weight Of Culture, Matthew Bodie

Articles

No abstract provided.

Ai Tools For Lawyers: A Practical Guide, Daniel Schwarcz

Articles

This Article provides practical and specific guidance on how to effectively use AI large language models (LLMs), like GPT-4, Bing Chat, and Bard, in legal research and writing. Focusing on GPT-4—the most advanced LLM that is widely available at the time of this writing—it emphasizes that lawyers can use traditional legal skills to refine and verify LLM legal analysis. In the process, lawyers and law students can effectively turn freely available LLMs into highly productive personal legal assistants.

The Virtuous Executive, Alan Rozenshtein

Articles

As currently conceived, executive power law and scholarship detach the identity of the President from the powers and duties of the presidency. Whether an official was properly dismissed without cause, whether a pardon was validly issued, whether a foreign policy debacle rose to the level of an impeachable offense—the answers to all these questions are not supposed to depend on the President’s personal characteristics.

This Article argues that this veil of ignorance is incompatible with a correct understanding of Article II. To properly empower good Presidents and constrain bad ones, constitutional actors must take into account the President’s personal characteristics. …

Liability Or No Liability? Promoting Safety By Shifting Accident Losses Onto Third Parties, Francesco Parisi

Articles

In a recent article, Guerra et al. considered the problem of liability for accidents caused by the activity of robots, proposing a novel liability regime, which they referred to as ‘manufacturer’s residual liability.’ Under this regime, injurers (robot operators) and victims are liable for accidents due to their negligence (hence, they are incentivised to act diligently), and third-party robot manufacturers bear all remaining accident losses, even when the accident is not caused by a defect or malfunction of the robot. In this article, I explore the possibility of extending this framework of liability to other tort scenarios. I refer to …

The Public Administration Of Justice, Nicholas Bednar

Articles

Adjudicatory agencies decide who receives social-welfare benefits, which inventions deserve patents, and which noncitizens get to remain in the United States. Scholars have argued that agency adjudication lacks sufficient structural and procedural protections to ensure unbiased decision-making. Yet these critiques miss a key problem with agency adjudication: the lack of adjudicatory capacity. This Article argues that low-capacity agencies cannot satisfy the Due Process Clause's demand for accurate decision-making. To produce accurate decisions, adjudicatory agencies need sufficient levels of capacity: (1) material resources, (2) expert adjudicators, and (3) support staff When agencies lack these resources, their adjudicators rely on various coping …

Burdens Of Proof In Establishing Negligence: A Comparative Law And Economics Analysis, Francesco Parisi, Giampaolo Frezza

Articles

Inherent in any judicial system is the need to allocate the burden of proof on one party. Within the realm of negligence torts, that burden is traditionally placed on the plaintiff, meaning that the plaintiff must bring forth sufficient evidence to establish negligence by the defendant. In effect, this is a legal presumption of non-negligence in favor of the defendant. In some jurisdictions for specific torts, defendants are, instead, presumed negligent, therefore requiring defendants to come forth with sufficient evidence to prove their due diligence. In this paper, we discuss the legal origins and effects of these differences in a …

Deepfake 2024: Will Citizens United And Artificial Intelligence Together Destroy Representative Democracy?, Richard Painter

Articles

Deepfakes – computer generated counterfeit videos and audios of people saying and doing things they never said or did – are proliferating on social media and increasingly will be used to target candidates in elections. Citizens United v. FEC, and cases decided in its aftermath, have opened the floodgates of dark money funded electioneering communications, and some of this money will be spent on deepfakes made and disseminated by persons unknown. Some deepfakes may originate outside the United States, as they become a new instrument for foreign interference in U.S. elections.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has been asked by …

Independence Reconceived, Claire A. Hill, Yaron Nili

Articles

What makes a director independent? Scholars, regulators, and investors have grappled for decades with the fleeting notion of director independence. Originally conceived as guardians of shareholder interests that could safeguard a corporate board’s ability to check management’s power, independent directors have become a marquee feature of modern corporate governance. But do the corporate actions of directors that are considered “independent” under current standards comport with what we think independence requires? In many cases, the answer would seem to be “no.” From a lack of observable financial impact to the unabated flow of corporate scandals, independent directors seem to keep failing …

The Court’S Morality Play: The Punishment Lens, Sex, And Abortion, June Carbone, Naomi Cahn

Articles

This Article uncovers the hidden framework for the Supreme Court’s approach to public values, a framework that has shaped—and will continue to shape—the abortion debate. The Court has historically used a “punishment lens” to allow the evolution of moral expression in the public square, without enmeshing the Court itself in the underlying values debate. The punishment lens allows a court to redirect attention by focusing on the penalty rather than the potentially inflammatory subject for which the penalty is being imposed, regardless of whether the subject is contraception, abortion, Medicaid expansion, or pretrial detention.

This Article is unique in discussing …

An Empirical Constitutional Crisis: When Magistrate Judges Exercise De Facto Article Iii Power, Edward Adams

Articles

Magistrate judges within the United States district court system have historically been viewed as a means to alleviate the large caseloads faced by district court judges. Magistrate judges issue Reports and Recommendations (R&Rs), wherein they detail the underlying facts, analyze relevant legal issues, and outline a proposed order for district court judges to follow. While district court judges may reject or modify R&Rs submitted to them, district court judges overwhelmingly adopt R&Rs, even after a purportedly de novo determination. In doing so, this Article posits that constitutionally-appointed district court judges are abrogating their Article III constitutionally required role to magistrate …

The Value Of Understandable Consumer Insurance Contracts, Daniel Schwarcz, Kyle Logue, Brenda J. Cude

Articles

Insurance consumers, the intermediaries who serve them, and the regulators who protect them all would benefit from understandable consumer insurance contracts. This article outlines the benefits of understandable insurance contracts, identifies the regulatory tools that are or can be used to ensure such comprehensibility, and reviews the existing literature about how well consumers comprehend their insurance policies within the context of personal lines insurance in the U.S. The article concludes by proposing an empirical research strategy to study consumers’ understanding of the terms of homeowners insurance policies and, even when they have not read their policies, their expectations about coverage.

Political Liberalism And Liberalism's Politics, Conor Casey

Constitutional Commentary, Vol. 37 and later (2023–present)

No abstract provided.

The Levers Of Sustainability: The Eu Directive On Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence In Comparison To Us Law, Jeff Schwartz

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

In February 2022, the European Commission proposed a far-reaching and comprehensive directive on corporate sustainability due diligence (the “Directive”). This Article describes the Directive, compares it to sustainability efforts in the US, and offers observations and critiques about both the Directive and US law. The comparison reveals several primary takeaways. First, likely owing to their significantly different social and political cultures, the EU Directive goes far beyond any US sustainability efforts. Second, and relatedly, the Directive is part of a rapidly progressing EU sustainability framework, which embraces sustainability as a stand-alone goal. In the US, however, considerations of sustainability are …

Know-How, Jorge L. Contreras

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

While know-how licenses around the world often define know-how as encompassing both secret and non-secret information, the TTBER exemption only covers know-how while it remains secret, irrespective of how it may be defined in the underlying agreement. This seeming discrepancy appears to exist because the term ‘know-how’ functions in the TTBER as a stand-in for the term ‘trade secret’, a form of IP that was not generally recognized under this name in the EU until the adoption in 2016 of the European Trade Secrecy Directive, No. 2016/943. As a result, licenses of non-secret know-how under Article 101 do not appear …

Democracy Dies In Broad Daylight: How The Philippines' Halted Media Speech Despite Its Commitment To The Iccpr, Alexis Mozeleski

American University International Law Review

A primary initiative of the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency was the national campaign against drug users and criminals. During the turbulent period that was Duterte’s presidency, journalists who published dissenting views on the drug war frequently became targets of Duterte’s administration, which came in the form of frivolous charges, arrests, banning media outlets, or in some instances, murder. This Comment argues that the Philippines violated international law protections of freedom of expression as codified in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. As a party to this treaty, the Philippines, under Duterte’s administration, unjustifiably restricted speech …

One Choice Is No Choice At All: Indonesia Is Violating The International Covenant On Civil And Political Rights By Requiring Political Parties To Adhere To Its National Ideology Of Pancasila, Daniel Brezina

American University International Law Review

This Comment argues that Indonesia is violating Articles 1, 18, 22, 25, and 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by requiring that all political parties adhere to its national ideology of Pancasila. This Comment will introduce the ideology of Pancasila and explain how Indonesia came to require political parties to adhere to the ideology. This Comment will also explain what rights the ICCPR guarantees and introduce the UN Human Rights Committee, which is tasked with monitoring signatories’ compliance with the ICCPR. This Comment will explain how Indonesia’s requirement violates several Articles of the ICCPR, including how …

Outer Space Resource Extraction: The Regulation Of Commercial Space Actors, Katie Parnow

American University Law Review

Outer space resource extraction has become more feasible for the near future, with some companies already setting launch dates. The U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 legalized resource extraction, but it did not resolve many challenges that resource extraction poses, such as safety risks while extracting; what, where, and how one can extract resources; and technology one can use. A patchwork of administrative agencies currently governs the regulatory field of outer space, and because it is such a novel procedure, it is unclear which administrative agency should assume regulatory authority over on-orbit resource extraction activities. Under a traditional …

Ransomware Groups On Notice: U.S. Cyber Operation Against Revil Is Permissible Under International Law, Justin Singh

American University International Law Review

The continued increase in the use of ransomware by cyber criminals has had a costly impact on businesses and organizations around the world. Ransomware groups continue to initiate attacks on businesses and organizations, and states have become increasingly concerned over the potential impact it may have on their critical infrastructure and economies. The United States’ recent acknowledgement of cyber operations against ransomware groups highlights the seriousness of the issue and exposes areas of international law that are complicated when applied to cyber operations against these groups. This Comment explores the relevant international law as it applies to the United States …

A Reckoning For Religious Freedom: India's Bjp And The International Implications Of Anti-Muslim Leadership, Heather Holman

American University International Law Review

Currently, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holds the majority in the Indian Parliament, where it exercises its authority by passing legislation that comports with Hindutva. Hindutva is a political ideology that champions policies intended to make India a Hindu state. Toward this end, BJP leaders use harmful rhetoric and pass legislation that harms Muslim citizens of India. However, India is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects the freedom to manifest one’s religion and prevents the advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to hostility, discrimination, or violence.

This Comment argues that India …

Stars, Stripes, And Surveillance: The United States' Failure To Regulate Data Privacy, Sam Begland

American University International Law Review

In the wake of the United States Supreme Court's devastating decision to strip Americans of their constitutional right to abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, data privacy is more salient than ever. Without adequate data regulations, state governments and anti-abortion activists alike can harass and prosecute pregnant people attempting to exercise their bodily autonomy. This comment argues that the United States has violated its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Article 17 by failing to protect against interference with the use and collection of reproductive health data. Further, this comment analyzes interpretations of …

Cuban Immunity Crisis: How Sovereign Immunity Impacts Enforcing The Helms-Burton Act Against Business Ventures In Cuba, Walter Spak

American University Business Law Review

Part II of this Comment discusses the historical relationship between the United States and Cuba leading up to the Helms-Burton legislation, the rationale behind the Helms-Burton Act, and the history and application of the FSIA. Part III analyzes the Helms-Burton legislation to evaluate whether Title III of the Act implicitly waives sovereign immunity for actions against foreign sovereign nations. Additionally, Part III applies this analysis to show how the court should decide Exxon Mobil Corp. Part IV recommends steps to take to clarify the restrictions around litigation under Title III moving forward, as well as how to clarify the use …

United States V. Vaello-Madero: The Impact Of Varying Rights To Citizens Of The United States, Ana Siracusa

Loyola University Chicago Law Journal

Since 1917, residents of Puerto Rico have been citizens of the United States. However, because of Puerto Rico’s status as a United States territory, residents of Puerto Rico are not automatically guaranteed the same constitutional rights as other citizens of the United States. When faced with the question of what constitutional rights residents of Puerto Rico are entitled to, the Supreme Court has continued to perpetuate the otherness of United States territories. This disposition results from the United States’ colonial mindset in the acquisition and government of its territories. The discrimination against United States territories, namely Puerto Rico, has bled …

On Second Thought: An Empirical Analysis Of When The Supreme Court Decides Not To Decide, Adam Feldman, Taylor R. Dalton

Loyola University Chicago Law Journal

Supreme Court Justices have a set of tools that allow them to avoid reaching the merits of a legal dispute even if the Court decides to hear the case by granting a petition for a writ of certiorari. Certain Supreme Court decisions relying on such tools are clear on their face—that is, case dimensions, delimiting the justiciability of a matter, are being evaluated because the Court wants to clarify the viability of the case. This Article looks at other rationales for the Court’s decisions not to rule on the merits after granting a case to the merits docket. In particular, …

San Antonio Independent School District V. Rodriguez At Fifty: Contingencies, Consequences, And Calls To Action, Martha Minow

Loyola University Chicago Law Journal

When the Supreme Court of the United States decided San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, the Court’s five-to-four decision not only closed the door to federal courts to predominantly Mexican American low-income students seeking constitutional protection against unequal public education; it also rejected claims of federal constitutional right to equal educational opportunity, rebuffed calls for heightened judicial scrutiny of classifications drawn on the basis of wealth or poverty, and let stand unaltered school finance arrangements producing different per pupil expenditures depending solely on where students live. Setbacks though can inspire. Faced with the decision in Rodriguez, advocates …

States’ Duty Under The Federal Elections Clause And A Federal Right To Education, Evan H. Caminker

Loyola University Chicago Law Journal

Fifty years ago, in San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, the Supreme Court failed to address one of the preeminent civil rights issues of our generation—substandard and inequitable public education—by holding that the federal Constitution does not protect a general right to education. The Court didn’t completely close the door on a narrower argument that the Constitution guarantees “an opportunity to acquire the basic minimal skills necessary for the enjoyment of the rights of speech and of full participation in the political process.” Both litigants and scholars have been trying ever since to push that door open, pressing …

A Call For Better Abortion Data: Common Ground Amid Dobbs And The Abortion Debate, J. Jackson Hill

Loyola University Chicago Law Journal

There is room for compromise in the U.S. abortion debate. Specifically, improving abortion data is an untapped issue with significant bipartisan appeal. Better data will lead to more-informed abortion policy and promote shared public health priorities, like the reduction of unintended pregnancies. Unfortunately, the current abortion reporting system falls short of providing these benefits. There is no national law governing the collection and reporting of abortion data. Americans must therefore rely on information voluntarily provided to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Guttmacher Institute. The result is data that is inaccurate, non-uniform, and untimely. To remedy the …

Introduction, Kathleen Michel Kivarkis

Loyola University Chicago Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Locating Free-Exercise Most-Favored-Nation-Status (Mfn) Reasoning In Constitutional Context, Alan E. Brownstein, Vikram David Amar

Loyola University Chicago Law Journal

This Article examines the theoretical and doctrinal origins and consequences of a potentially game-changing approach to processing claims brought under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. Since 1990, and the decision in Employment Division v. Smith, the Court has read that Clause not to require accommodation of religious activity via exemptions from religion-neutral and generally applicable laws and regulations. What the Free Exercise Clause does prohibit, according to Smith, is government action targeting or discriminating against religion. But the Court’s decision a year ago in Tandon v. Newsom provides some powerful evidence about how this doctrine …

The New Thoreaus, Mark L. Movsesian

Loyola University Chicago Law Journal

Fifty years ago, in Wisconsin v. Yoder, the Supreme Court famously indicated that “religion” denotes a communal rather than a purely individual phenomenon. An organized group like the Amish would qualify as religious, the Court wrote, but a solitary seeker like the nineteenth century transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau would not. At the time, the question was mostly peripheral; hardly any Americans claimed to have their own, personal religions that would make it difficult for them to comply with civil law. In the intervening decades, though, American religion has changed. One-fifth of us—roughly sixty-six million people—now claim, like Thoreau, to …