Contracts Commons^™

Doctrinal Synergies And Liberal Dilemmas: The Case Of The Yellow-Dog Contract, Barry Cushman

Barry Cushman

The three decades spanning the years 1908 to 1937 saw a remarkable transformation of the Supreme Court's jurisprudence concerning the rights of workers to organize. In 1908, the Court held that a federal law prohibiting employers from discharging an employee because of his membership in a labor union violated the liberty of contract secured to the employer by the Fifth Amendment. In 1915, the Court similarly declared a state statute prohibiting the use of "yellow-dog" contracts unconstitutional. In 1937, by contrast, the Court upheld provisions of the Wagner Act prohibiting both discharges for union membership and the use of yellow-dog …

The Supreme Court’S Application Of 'Ordinary Contract Principles' To The Issue Of The Duration Of Retiree Healthcare Benefits: Perpetuating The Interpretation/Gap-Filling Quagmire, Robert A. Hillman

Robert Hillman

The United States Supreme Court purported to apply "ordinary contract principles" in its decision reversing the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in M&G Polymers USA v. Tackett . The Sixth Circuit had held that plaintiffs, retired employees of M&G, were entitled to lifetime healthcare benefits under their union's agreement with M&G. According to the Supreme Court, the Sixth Circuit wrongly relied on a false set of "inferences" established in International Union v. Yard-Man, Inc. to find that "in the absence of extrinsic evidence to the contrary, the provisions of [the collective bargaining agreement] indicated an intent to vest …

“An Ingenious Man Enabled By Contract”: Entrepreneurship And The Rise Of Contract, Catherine Fisk

Catherine Fisk

A legal ideology emerged in the 1870s that celebrated contract as the body of law with the particular purpose of facilitating the formation of productive exchanges that would enrich the parties to the contract and, therefore, society as a whole. Across the spectrum of intellectual property, courts used the legal fiction of implied contract, and a version of it particularly emphasizing liberty of contract, to shift control of workplace knowledge from skilled employees to firms while suggesting that the emergence of hierarchical control and loss of entrepreneurial opportunity for creative workers was consistent with the free labor ideology that dominated …

Justice, Employment, And The Psychological Contract, Larry A. Dimatteo, Robert C. Bird, Jason A. Colquitt

Larry A DiMatteo

The paper is a multidisciplinary collaboration between contract law, employment law and management scholars and draws from the fields of law, management, and psychology. After reviewing and noting the gaps in the employment and justice literatures, this paper presents the findings of a survey of 763 participants to measure whether certain variables—procedural and substantive fairness, as well as educating employees on the principle of employment at will—impact the propensities of employees to retaliate and litigate at the time of discharge. The survey results are significant and striking. We find statistically significant reductions in retaliation and litigation rates when survey respondents …

A Battlefield Map For Nfl V. Insurance Industry Re: Concussion Liabilities, Christopher French

Christopher C. French

When Trade Secrets Become Shackles: Fairness And The Inevitable Disclosure Doctrine, Elizabeth Rowe

Elizabeth A Rowe

Critics of the inevitable disclosure doctrine decry the inconsistency with which courts rule on these cases, and the difficulty in predicting case outcomes. They contend that courts are left to "grapple with a decidedly ... nebulous standard of 'inevitability."' Further, they claim the doctrine undermines the employee's fundamental right to move freely and pursue his or her livelihood. Ultimately, both the problem and solution here are about fairness: fairness in the employer-employee relationship, fairness in the application of the law, and fairness in providing protection from unfair competition between competing employers. The crux of the opposition to the doctrine, in …

The Nba's 2011 Collectively Bargained Amnesty Clause-Exploring The Fundamentals, Adam Epstein, Kathryn Kisska-Schulze

Adam Epstein

The purpose of this article is to fundamentally introduce the amnesty clause, a relatively new provision in the labor and employment law discussions involving sport. The expression amnesty clause or amnesty provision is found in the 2011 NBA CBA. To date, academic references to the amnesty clause within the sport genre are virtually non-existent. The amnesty clause provides NBA teams a tool to release players from their contracts if they feel that the player turned out to be a bad investment, regardless of the reason. Additionally, by releasing a player under an amnesty clause provision, the team exercising the clause …

Lessons From The Nba Lockout: Union Democracy, Public Support, And The Folly Of The National Basketball Players Association, Matthew J. Parlow

Matthew Parlow

Taxing Missy: Operation Gold And The 2012 Proposed Olympic Tax Elimination Act, Kathryn Kisska-Schulze, Adam Epstein

Adam Epstein

The purpose of this article is to explore the legal and tax environment surrounding the August 1, 2012 bill referred to as the Olympic Tax Elimination Act (OTEA) which was introduced in the U.S. Senate to exempt from gross income the prize money earned by U.S. Olympians from the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) for earning a gold, silver or bronze medal. The OTEA came at a time when American economic growth has been stagnant, and income tax issues became a hotly contested political debate for the 2012 Presidential election. The article explores how tax issues have weaved their way …

Missouri Sports Law, Adam Epstein

Adam Epstein

The purpose of this paper is to present a brief perspective and overview on how individuals and teams associated with the state of Missouri have had an impact on sports law in general. This article synthesizes Missouri-related cases and decisions, demonstrating that the legal issues are quite broad and varied in this area of the law. Some represent significant state and federal sports law cases including those that have been initiated in or traveled through Missouri via the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Surveying Colorado Sports Law, Adam Epstein

Adam Epstein

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview and explore some of the major sports law cases that have emanated from within the four corners of the state of Colorado or maneuvered through Denver’s Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Colorado is a prime location for a wide range of cutting edge cases, decisions, discussions and events which have an impact on the relationship between sports and the law among the professional, amateur and recreational environments. Legal issues at Colorado-based educational institutions appear to have an affinity for and history of exposing and challenging the authority of NCAA policies.

Implementación De Políticas Corporativas Sobre Internet Y Redes Sociales En México, Rodolfo C. Rivas Rea Esq.

Rodolfo C. Rivas

The author analyzes and describes the necessary elements of a successful social media and Internet corporate policy; through citing common pitfalls and learning lessons from different jurisdictions across the world. The author then offers general guidelines on policies for Mexican enterprises under Mexican legislation.///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////El autor analiza y describe los elementos necesarios de una política corporativa sobre internet y redes sociales exitosa, citando los errores más comunes y aprendiendo lecciones de las legislaciones de distintos países.

Developing A Student's "Thought Monitor", Suzanne Darrow Kleinhaus

Suzanne Darrow Kleinhaus

No abstract provided.

An Alternative Universe To §1113 Of The Bankruptcy Code: The Mediation Of American Airlines And Its Pension Obligations, Max Schatzow

Max Schatzow

This paper explores mandatory mediation as an alternative method to the current §1113 framework, where judges determine the fate of collective bargaining agreements. Through dialogue, this paper will explore one potential outcome to the ongoing dispute between the various labor unions with collective bargaining agreements with American Airlines.

An Alternative Universe To §1113 Of The Bankruptcy Code: The Mediation Of American Airlines And Its Pension Obligations, Max L. Schatzow

Max Schatzow

This paper explores mandatory mediation as an alternative method to the current §1113 framework, where judges determine the fate of collective bargaining agreements. Through dialogue, this paper will explore one potential outcome to the ongoing dispute between the various labor unions with collective bargaining agreements with American Airlines.

Go For The Gold By Utilizing The Olympics, Adam Epstein

Adam Epstein

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate ways to incorporate legal issues related to the Olympic Games in the business law or legal environment course. This article provides a brief history of the legislation which has established the legal authority of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), prominent cases, relevant laws and other legal issues that encompass the Olympic Games and their administration in the United States. Legal issues related to constitutional law, arbitration, jurisdiction, gender and disability discrimination, intellectual property, are also presented in a way in which the professor can use the Olympics as part of the …

Migrating Lawyers And The Ethics Of Conflict Checking, Paul R. Tremblay

Paul R. Tremblay

Lawyers often leave a practice setting and move to a new practice as their career paths advance or change. The incidence of lawyer migration has increased dramatically in the past decade, as law firms recruit more lateral hires and offer fewer partnership opportunities to their associates. As a lawyer prepares to change employment settings, her prospective new law firm asks her about the clients she has represented in the past. The new law firm must insist on this information, for without it the firm could not screen for possible conflicts of interest. Were the firm to hire a lawyer without …

A Bridle, A Prod And A Big Stick: An Evaluation Of Class Actions, Shareholder Proposals And The Ultra Vires Doctrine As Methods For Controlling Corporate Behavior, Adam Sulkowski, Kent Greenfield

Kent Greenfield

Written for the recent conference at St. John’s University Law School on “People of Color, Women, and the Public Corporation,” this paper evaluates recently applied methods of influencing corporate behavior on employment practices and recommends that a dormant legal doctrine be revitalized and added to the “tool box” of activists and concerned shareholders. The methods of influencing corporate behavior that are evaluated include class action lawsuits and shareholder proposals to amend corporate policy. In both contexts, there are procedural hurdles to achieving success. Even when success is achieved, there are limits to the actual changes in organizational behavior that result. …

The Misuse Of Tax Incentives To Align Management-Shareholder Interests, James R. Repetti

James R. Repetti

The U.S. tax system contains many provisions which are intended to align management of large publicly traded companies more closely to stockholders. This article shows that many of the tax provisions that have been adopted are of questionable effectiveness because they fail to address the complexities of stockholder-management relations in attempting to motivate management to act in the best interests of stockholders. The article proposes that rather than Congress attempting to identify the best way that it can use the tax system to motivate management, Congress should eliminate tax provisions which subsidize management's inefficiencies in order to encourage stockholders, themselves, …

International Law And Transnational Corporations: Towards A Final Summation, Varun Vaish

Varun Vaish

The regulation of transnational corporations (TNCs) by an international legal order fundamentally centred on states proves to be difficult when they exercise political influence and have the ability to generate revenue which can eclipse the economies of many countries in comparison. According to the World Investment Report 2007, as of 2006 there were 78,411 parent corporations and 777,647 affiliates worldwide.4 The scale of the concentration of economic power is illustrated by the statistics: of the world’s hundred largest economic entities, 51 are multinational companies and 49 are nation states. The Texaco Corporation functioned for years in Ecuador with annual global …

Why I Teach, Suzanne Darrow Kleinhaus

Suzanne Darrow Kleinhaus

No abstract provided.

Using "Forensic Irac" To Teach Students To Write, Suzanne Darrow Kleinhaus

Suzanne Darrow Kleinhaus

No abstract provided.

Teaching Torts With Sports, Adam Epstein

Adam Epstein

The purpose of this paper is to offer a pedagogical road map for an alternative way to engage students when arriving at the torts portion of the business law or legal environment course. It is designed to encourage utilizing sports cases and sport-related videos when teaching torts which can be effective and energizing. My research demonstrates that the prominence of sports related tort cases and examples are much more apparent in the negligence and intentional tort categories than in products liability or strict liability. More specifically, an effective way to relate the concept of negligence in sports is in the …

An Exploration Of Interesting Clauses In Sports, Adam Epstein

Adam Epstein

The purpose of this article is to explore a broad spectrum of some of the more prominent and interesting contract clauses that have worked their way into the practice of law in the business of sport. Many of the examples utilized in this article reflect the fundamental principles of contract law generally. The article explores contract clauses (and in some cases terminations) related to prominent coaches including Jim O'Brien, Kelvin Sampson, Tom Crean and Bruce Pearl. Other clauses explored include baseball's now outdated reserve clause, termination for cause clauses, morals, force majeure, liquidated damages, hazardous activity, best efforts, best interests …

Exploring Ethical Issues And Examples By Using Sport, Adam Epstein, Bridget Niland

Adam Epstein

The purpose of the paper is to offer suggestions to engage your students when arriving at the ethics portion of your business law, legal environment, or sports law course. With due respect given to the classic theory of ethics, the paper offers ethical issues in the context of sport at all levels, including youth sport, interscholastic, intercollegiate, professional and the Olympic Games. Unique topics include sport-related fraud, the use of performance-enhancing drugs and technology, raging parents, running up the score, and whether the myriad of NCAA bylaws genuinely reflect and promote fundamental principles of amateurism, sportsmanship, and education.

Religion And Sports In The Undergraduate Classroom: A Surefire Way To Spark Student Interest, Adam Epstein

Adam Epstein

The purpose of this pedagogical piece is to present an opportunity to discuss religion in the context of sports as a means of generating classroom discussion and prompting extra-curricular reading on topics pertaining to business law primarily at the undergraduate level. A discussion of religion and sports provides one avenue to pursue exploration of the free exercise and establishment clauses. Examples are provided in the intercollegiate, interscholastic and professional sport contexts. The article also provides a brief primer on the First Amendment generally, outlining some of the classic Supreme Court cases. The article then discusses a series of cases involving …

Third Party Access And Refusal To Deal In European Energy Networks: How Sector Regulation And Competition Law Meet Each Other, Michael Diathesopoulos

Michael Diathesopoulos

In this paper, we will analyse the issue of concurrence between competition and sector rules and the relation between parallel concepts within the two different legal frameworks. We will firstly examine Third Party Access in relation to essential facilities doctrine and refusal of access and we will identify the common points and objectives of these concepts and the extent to which they provide a context to each other’s implementation. Second, we will focus on how Commission uses sector regulation and objectives as a context within the process of implementation of competition law in the energy sector and third, we will …

Multi-Level Marketing And Its Brethren: The Legal And Regulatory Environment In The Down Economy, Adam Epstein

Adam Epstein

This article explores the legal and regulatory environment of multi-level marketing companies also known as MLM. Legal research is lacking in this area of business law though the regulatory environment involves a combination of federal and state laws including administrative agencies such as the FTC and SEC. In the current down economy, criminal enterprises such as Ponzi schemes have been exposed. MLMs are often compared to Ponzi and pyramid schemes and do share similarities. The article offers that personal responsibility is vital when determining whether to join any MLM in light of the volume of resources available on the internet.

The Bar Exam In A Nutshell, Suzanne Darrow-Kleinhaus

Suzanne Darrow Kleinhaus

This edition walks you through the entire bar preparation process from getting a head start during your last year of law school to taking the exam. It provides guidelines for selecting a bar review course, bar planner checklists, advice on how to manage the material you cover in bar review courses, and advice on how to learn the law so you can remember it and use it to answer exam questions. It identifies the basic skills the exam tests and the precise manner in which these skills are tested, showing you how to target your study efforts to maximize results.

Gambling And Collegiate Athletics, Adam Epstein, Bridget Niland

Adam Epstein

The article discusses concerns involving intercollegiate sports gambling. It explores the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules known as Bylaws. The article also outlines and explores a history of notable college sports gambling incidents involving individuals and NCAA schools. The article also reviews relevant federal and state laws.