Environmental Law Commons^™

Resolving The Mult-Fractional Deed Dilemma - Conc.Ord Oil Co. V. Pennzoil Exploration & (And) Production Co. Recent Development, Noelle C. Letteri

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

From Little Acorns Great Oaks Grow: The Constitutionality Of Protecting Minors From Harmful Internet Material In Public Libraries Comment., Kimberly S. Keller

St. Mary's Law Journal

Congress should focus on the receiver's end of Internet transmissions to overcome the anonymity and transmogrification elements of the Internet to protect minors from harmful material. Throughout the years, librarians have struggled with monitoring minors’ access to the accumulating number of controversial texts in the library. The Internet’s unique infrastructure affords librarians virtually no opportunity for the pre-shelf review available with books and videos. Congress enacted the Communications Decency Act (CDA) in 1996 in an attempt to protect minors from the underbelly of the internet. The United States Supreme Court, in Reno v. ACLU, struck down the CDA ruling that …

Keeping The Promise: Establishing Nontransferable Election Systems In Jurisdictions Covered By Section Four Of The Voting Rights Act., Adam J. Cohen

St. Mary's Law Journal

Jurisdictions covered by the Voting Rights Act (VRA or the Act) need to impose multimember districting and non-transferable election systems. The VRA was enacted in 1965 to enforce the promise of the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution: the right to vote shall not be abridged on the basis of race. The Act requires any change in election procedures to be approved in advance so that states are not able to continuously disenfranchise voters based on race by simply changing election procedures. Either the District Court for the District of Columbia or the Attorney General of the United States …

Dec. 1998, Ifc, Procedure On Envt & Social Review, Ifc

IFC E&S Performance Standards

No abstract provided.

Nov. 1998, Ifc, Pest Management, Op 4.09, Ifc

IFC E&S Performance Standards

No abstract provided.

Nov. 1998, Ifc, Projects On International Waterways, Op 7.50, Ifc

IFC E&S Performance Standards

No abstract provided.

Nov. 1998, Ifc, Projects On International Waterways, Op 7.50, Ifc

IFC E&S Performance Standards

No abstract provided.

Nov. 1998, Ifc, Forestry, Op. Proc. 4.36, Ifc

IFC E&S Performance Standards

No abstract provided.

Nov. 1998, Ifc, Natural Habitats, Op 4.04, Ifc

IFC E&S Performance Standards

No abstract provided.

Oct. 1998, Ifc, Environmental Assessment, Op. Proc. 4.01 And Annexes, Ifc

IFC E&S Performance Standards

No abstract provided.

Oct. 1998 (Undated), Final Terms Of Reference Sent To Applicants Reflecting A Change Strengthening The Transparency Of Cao Reports, Cao

CAO Creation Pre-1999

At the Fall meeting in 1998, Mr. James Wolfensohn provided a draft proposed Terms of Reference for the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman. The Board of Directors and the NGOs decided that if the proposed CAO could be made more independent and include compliance, they would not pursue the Panel concept. The Archive includes the Initial CAO ToR (Sept. 24, 1998), the Final ToR sent to applicants (Oct. 1998), the Cover Letter to the Search Committee (Dec. 1, 1998), and Talking Points about the CAO position (Sept. 1998).

Acts Of God Or Toxic Torts? Applying Tort Principles To The Problem Of Climate Change, Eduardo M. Peñalver

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

The problem of climate change continues to be an intractable one for policymakers. Uncertainties over the likely costs of climate change as well as over the costs of proposed remedies have hampered the formation of a consensus regarding the best course of action. The principles of tort law provide a useful means of analyzing the problem of climate change, particularly the issue of who should bear the costs associated with its effects. The two major goals of tort law (reducing the costs of accidents and corrective justice) both point towards the appropriateness of placing the costs of climate change on …

Protecting Endangered Species Without Regulating Private Landowners: The Case Of Endangered Plants, Jeffrey J. Rachlinski

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Sept. 24, 1998, Initial Cao Terms Of Reference As Proposed By J. Wolfensohn W Margin Notes From D. Hunter, Cao

CAO Creation Pre-1999

At the Fall meeting in 1998, Mr. James Wolfensohn provided a draft proposed Terms of Reference for the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman. The Board of Directors and the NGOs decided that if the proposed CAO could be made more independent and include compliance, they would not pursue the Panel concept. The Archive includes the Initial CAO ToR (Sept. 24, 1998), the Final ToR sent to applicants (Oct. 1998), the Cover Letter to the Search Committee (Dec. 1, 1998), and Talking Points about the CAO position (Sept. 1998).

Sept. 1998, Talking Points, Ifc Miga E&S Compliance Officer-Ombudsman, Sent To Candidates, Cao

CAO Creation Pre-1999

At the Fall meeting in 1998, Mr. James Wolfensohn provided a draft proposed Terms of Reference for the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman. The Board of Directors and the NGOs decided that if the proposed CAO could be made more independent and include compliance, they would not pursue the Panel concept. The Archive includes the Initial CAO ToR (Sept. 24, 1998), the Final ToR sent to applicants (Oct. 1998), the Cover Letter to the Search Committee (Dec. 1, 1998), and Talking Points about the CAO position (Sept. 1998).

Mar. 1998, Ifc, Policy Statement On Forced Child Labor, Ifc

IFC E&S Performance Standards

No abstract provided.

Feb. 23, 1998, Email From A. Wilkes And A. Durbin To Ngos, Re Ifc 10 Year Strategy Review, Alex Wilks, Andrea Durbin

IFC E&S Performance Standards

No abstract provided.

Voluntary Intoxication As A Mitigating Circumstance During The Death Penalty Sentencing Phase: A Proposal For Reform Comment., Jeffrey A. Walsh

St. Mary's Law Journal

When the State of Texas seeks the death penalty against a defendant, the trial court conducts a sentencing proceeding under Article 37.071 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. This proceeding determines whether the defendant will receive the death penalty. During deliberation, the jury must consider all mitigating evidence. The defendant may claim his voluntary intoxication as a mitigating factor. Under Tex. Pen. Code § 8.04(b), the court instructs the jury to consider evidence of voluntary intoxication only if it rendered the defendant temporarily insane. Although Article 37.071 calls upon juries to consider “all” mitigating evidence, a Section 8.04 instruction …

The Impending Wave Of Legal Malpractice Litigation - Predictions, Analysis, And Proposals For Change., Gary N. Schumann, Scott B. Herlihy

St. Mary's Law Journal

Attorneys tend to be viewed antithetically, at once both greedy and manipulative, but also respected and admired. Given this odd mixture of respect and disdain, attorneys are fortunate to have generally avoided being targets as potential defendants. Nevertheless, circumstances in Texas have changed, creating a new legal climate wherein attorneys may soon become defendants of choice. Attorneys in Texas are at a significantly greater risk of becoming the subject of a malpractice suit than they were in the past. Yet, simply because statistics indicate an increase in the number of malpractice claims, this does not mean more malpractice is being …

The React Security Belt: Stunning Prisoners And Human Rights Groups Into Questioning Whether Its Use Is Permissible Under The United States And Texas Constitutions Comment., Shelley A. Nieto Dahlberg

St. Mary's Law Journal

The Remote Electronically Activated Control Technology (REACT) belt infringes upon criminal defendants’ and prisoners’ fundamental rights; therefore, it cannot withstand judicial scrutiny under the United States and Texas Constitutions. This Comment attempts to address and answer issues regarding the REACT belt. The belt constitutes cruel and unusual punishment with the potential to deprive prisoners of their due process rights. The belt disrupts attorney-client communication and destroys a criminal defendant’s presumption of innocence. Furthermore, other alternatives provide effective means to prevent unruly prisoners from destroying the integrity of the courts. Part II of this Comment discusses how the belt works, and …

Demystifying The Extraordinary Writ: Substantive And Procedural Requirements For The Issuance Of Mandamus., Charles W. Rocky Rhodes

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Walker v. Packer, the Texas Supreme Court attempted to harmonize Texas jurisprudence regarding the standards for issuing a writ of mandamus. The Walker court initially reiterated the maxim that mandamus will issue “only to correct a clear abuse of discretion or the violation of a duty imposed by law when there is no other adequate remedy by law.” The Court defined “clear abuse of discretion” as “a decision so arbitrary and unreasonable as to amount to a clear and prejudicial error of law.” The Court subsequently reaffirmed the “fundamental tenant” of mandamus practice stating the extraordinary writ is not …

Capital Punishment In Jewish Law And Its Application To The American Legal System: A Conceptual Overview Symposium: Thoughts On Death Penalty Issues 25 Years After Furman V. Georgia., Samuel J. Levine

St. Mary's Law Journal

In recent years, a growing body of scholarship has developed in the United States which applies concepts in Jewish law to unsettled, controversial and challenging areas of American legal thought. One area of Jewish legal thought that has found prominence in both American court opinions and American legal scholarship concerns the approach taken by Jewish law to capital punishment. In this Essay, Levine discusses the issue of the death penalty in Jewish law as it relates to the question of the death penalty in American law, a discussion that requires the rejection of simplistic conclusions and the confrontation of the …

Victims' Rights And The Constitution: Moving From Guaranteeing Participatory Rights To Benefiting The Prosecution Symposium: Thoughts On Death Penalty Issues 25 Years After Furman V. Georgia., Robert P. Mosteller

St. Mary's Law Journal

Supporters of victims’ rights can be broadly grouped into three categories according to their basic goals. One category seeks to guarantee participatory rights in a governmental process (“Participatory Rights”). A second category of support for the victims’ rights amendment comes from those who are animated by a pro-prosecution, anti-defendant perspective on criminal law and procedure (“Prosecutorial Benefit”). The third group supporting victims’ rights is comprised of those who demand greater protection and support for victims by the government (“Victim Protection and Aid”). The first serious attempt to amend the United States Constitution on behalf of crime victims happened in 1982. …

Clouded Judgment: The Implications Of Smith V. Merritt In The Realm Of Social Host Liability And Underage Drinking In Texas Perspective., Sabrina A. Hall

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Perspective evaluates the contradiction created by the Texas Supreme Court in Smith v. Merritt as well as its implications on social host liability in Texas. Smith creates serious ramifications regarding alcohol consumption and liability. In Smith, the Court held a social host is not liable for providing alcohol to a guest over the age of eighteen, regardless of whether the guest is under the minimum drinking age. Specifically, this Perspective critically analyzes the court’s holding, focusing on the inequities produced by permitting a social host to provide alcohol to individuals between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one without being …

Texas Groundwater: Reconciling The Rule Of Capture With Environmental And Community Demands Comment., Stephanie E. Hayes Lusk

St. Mary's Law Journal

In order to avert the depletion of water resources, many states have attempted to enact legislation aimed at promoting water conservation. Such legislation has been known to conflict with outdated principles of property ownership, namely the rule of capture. The rule of capture vests landowners with property rights in water located directly beneath their land. Texas categorizes water based on whether the water flows above or below the surface. Surface water is typically the property of the state, with property owners having no possessory interest in the surface water. Yet, the opposite is true for groundwater, where all rights to …

Standards Of Review In Texas., W. Wendell Hall

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article presents a substantial and comprehensive update of the standards of review applied by Texas appellate courts. It focuses on appellate standards for reviewing trial court rulings on pretrial, trial, and posttrial proceedings. Standards of review distribute power within the judicial branch by defining the relationship between trial and appellate courts. These standards “frame the issues, define the depth of review, assign power among judicial actors, and declare the proper materials to review.” Sometimes a trial court’s errors are so egregious and harmful that reversing the trial court is relatively simple. When the trial court’s error is only marginal …

Texas Rule Of Civil Procedure 166a(I): A New Weapon For Texas Defendants Comment., Robert W. Clore

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Comment analyzes the Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 166a(i) for a “no evidence” motion and discusses its likely application in Texas courts. Part II reviews summary judgment practice in federal and Texas state courts in order to determine the likely construction of the new rule. Part III discusses Rule 166a(i) and explores the role of litigation reform in shaping the no-evidence motion. This part also addresses the procedural shortcomings of the new rule and compares Rule 166a(i) with federal summary judgment practice. Part IV assesses whether Rule 166a(i) violates the Texas Constitution by denying citizens the right to a …

Feminism And Defending Men On Death Row Symposium: Thoughts On Death Penalty Issues 25 Years After Furman V. Georgia., Phyllis L. Crocker

St. Mary's Law Journal

In this Essay I explore the relationship between being a feminist and representing men on death row. It is appropriate to engage in this inquiry in considering how the law has developed in the twenty-five years since Furman v. Georgia. During that time both Furman and the advent of feminist legal theory have required a restructuring in the way we think about two fundamental legal questions: for death penalty jurisprudence, how and why we sentence individuals to death; and for feminist jurisprudence, how the law views crimes of violence against women. The relationship between these two developments becomes apparent when …

The Constitutional Regulation Of Capital Punishment Since Furman V. Georgia Symposium: Thoughts On Death Penalty Issues 25 Years After Furman V. Georgia., Carol S. Steiker, Jordan M. Steiker

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Killing Kids Who Kill: Desecrating The Sanctuary Of Childhood Symposium: Thoughts On Death Penalty Issues 25 Years After Furman V. Georgia., Richard Burr, Mandy Welch

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.