Legislation Commons^™

A Uniform Comparative Fault Act--What Should It Prove?, John W. Wade

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The Committee has determined to treat the resultant delay as serendipitous and to use it for the purpose of improving the Act and presenting it in the best shape possible. To this end, as the Chairman of the Special Committee, I have prepared this presentation for publication. The presentation is intended to serve two purposes: (1) to provide for the legal profession information as to the present status of the Act, and the provisions it now carries, and (2) to solicit criticisms and suggestions for improvement from interested persons.

I am therefore presenting here the Uniform Comparative Fault Act in …

National League Of Cities V. Usery: Its Implications For The Equal Pay Act And The Age Discrimination In Employment Act, Ellen B. Spellman

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

In National League of Cities v. Usery, the Supreme Court invalidated the application of the FLSA minimum wage and maximum hours provisions to certain essential state government activities as an unconstitutional intrusion on state sovereignty. This article will explore the implications of that decision with respect to the application of the EPA and the ADEA to state and local governments.

Part I contains a brief discussion of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Amendments. Part II discusses National League with reference to traditional commerce clause interpretation. Part III analyzes the difficulties of applying the decision, particularly the problem of …

Proprietary Duties Of The Federal Government Under The Public Land Trust, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

This Note examines one mechanism by which the courts might supervise public land administration: the common-law public land trust. It contends that by implementing this trust, which is a means of enforcing the government's responsibility for property held in a proprietary capacity, the courts can rectify their neglect of the public lands without overstepping the boundaries of permissible judicial involvement. The trust doctrine is particularly valuable in this context because it is a source of substantive standards in situations where statutes provide little guidance. Vitalization of the public land trust, which is distinct from the more commonly known public trust, …

Standing Under Rule 10b-5 After Blue Chip Stamps, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

The purpose of this Note is to analyze the opinion in Blue Chip and to ascertain the content of the Birnbaum rule as it exists today. It will first discuss the opinion of the Court in Blue Chip itself and delineate the primary policy considerations upon which the majority focused. It will then apply these policy considerations to the major categories of case law that have arisen subsequent to Birnbaum and analyze the validity of this case law in light of Blue Chip.

Implication Of Civil Remedies Under The Indian Civil Rights Act, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

This Note will discuss neither -the wisdom of the express provisions of ICRA nor the desirability of express creation by Congress of a federal civil remedy. The purpose of this Note is, instead, to analyze the bases upon which remedies have been implied by federal courts and to question whether implication is consistent with standards of statutory interpretation appropriate for Indian law. It is contended that the implication of federal civil remedies against Indian governments is improper and that if such remedies are to be created, precedent and policy mandate that they be the product of Congress. The Note will …

Program Environmental Impact Statements: Review And Remedies, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

This Note discusses the application of NEPA to federal programs. It first analyzes when the courts have required a program impact statement and draws upon that analysis to explain the relative functions of site-specific and program statements. It then examines the appropriate scope of judicial inquiry and the proper standards for reviewing federal program compliance with NEPA. Finally, the Note scrutinizes the types of remedies that may be imposed if a program does not comply with NEPA and proposes a procedure for determining the proper scope of judicial remedies.

Bank Securities Activities And The Need To Separate Trust Departments From Large Commercial Banks, Thomas J. Schoenbaum

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article (1) analyzes the traditional Glass-Steagall Act restrictions on banks and the leading case of Investment Company Institute v. Camp, where the Supreme Court held that the offering by commercial banks of commingled agency accounts violated the Glass-Steagall Act prohibition against underwriting securities, (2) considers the. developments since that decision, and (3) offers suggestions on an approach to devising solutions to the policy questions involved.

Objectivity And Habeas Corpus: Should Federal District Court Judges Be Permitted To Rule Upon The Validity Of Their Own Criminal Trial Conduct?, Marilyn L. Kelley

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

It has already been suggested that one of the main purposes of section 2255 was to provide a convenient forum in which the trial judge might testify, if necessary. That purpose is, obviously, contrary to the interpretation rendered in Carvell.

Beyond this inconsistency, Carvell suggests two significant issues: first, that it is highly desirable that the motions be passed upon by the judge who is familiar with the facts; and second, that the criminal trial judge is not likely to be misled by allegations in the 2255 petition as to what had occurred. The first issue raises the question …

Municipal Bankruptcy: The Need For An Expanded Chapter Ix, Daniel J. Goldberg

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

New York City's default crisis in 1975 presented to Congress and the nation the possibility of a major municipality's entering the federal bankruptcy court. Chapter IX of the Bankruptcy Act, as recently amended by Congress, provides the exclusive remedy by which local governmental units may obtain relief from burdensome indebtedness. Unlike certain other chapters of the Bankruptcy Act, Chapter IX is limited to a voluntary composition or extension of indebtedness. In recent years municipalities have developed complex systems of financing, while experiencing unprecedented expansion in the services which they must provide. Accordingly, a mere composition of municipal indebtedness is no …

Legislative Notes: The Education Of All Handicapped Children Act Of 1975, Donald W. Keim

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Part I reviews the landmark judicial decisions which have established the right of handicapped children to participate in free, public education. The basic provisions of the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 are then presented in Part II. The funding provisions are discussed in Part III with particular emphasis upon the tension between the promise of federal largesse and the expense of compliance with statutory and judicial requirements. Part IV reviews prior efforts to obtain judicial recognition of a substantive right to an appropriate education and suggests some ways in which the 1975 Act may alter the framework …

Proposal For A Model Name Act, Ellen Jean Dannin

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This note will discuss the common law of names relating to such issues as identity, contract, civil procedure, and criminal procedure, as well as discussing common law and statutory change of name methods. The failure of some courts to apply the existing law of names in a manner consistent with the state interest in record keeping and the personal interest in freedom of expression will be reviewed. Finally, a model act will be proposed attempting to reconcile and promote these interests.

Foreign Bribes And The Securities Acts' Disclosure Requirements, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

The Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 require most major corporations to disclose to investors all material information concerning company operations. Although they were not intended to regulate the conduct of business, these disclosure obligations can have a deterrent effect upon improper corporate activities. The recent revelation that a significant number of corporations have been making bribes and similar payments abroad has created interest in the feasibility of employing the disclosure requirements to curtail this practice. This Note will show that, despite recent pressures for change, the Securities and Exchange Commission has continued to view …

Standing To Sue Under The Model Land Development Code, Richard L. Epling

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The Model Land Development Code was promulgated by the American Law Institute as the paradigm for state legislatures to follow when enacting land use laws for the future. The Code is not intended to create uniformity among state laws. Instead, states may use the articles of the Code as models in drafting legislation that is more specifically suited to their needs. Article Nine, which states rules of standing to participate in land use disputes, poses a potential obstacle to would-be public interest litigants. This note will explore the effect of Article Nine on citizen plaintiffs and demonstrate how its ambiguous …

The Patentee's Gains From Royalty Differentiation Under Exclusive Territorial Licensing, William G. Snead

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Royalty differentiation under exclusive territorial grants is a device which a patent owner, given proper conditions, can use to maximize his profits from licensing the patent rights to an invention. The patentee creates exclusive territories by granting only one license per territory, and then sets different royalties for each territory in accordance with the differing price elasticities of demand for the patented end product. Commentators have taken various stands on how the interests of the patentee and the public should be balanced in determining the desirability of permitting such exclusive territorial grants. One analysis purports to show that permitting a …

Subsequent Use Of Electronic Surveillance Interceptions And The Plain View Doctrine: Fourth Amendment Limitations On The Omnibus Crime Control Act, Raymond R. Kepner

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Despite the critical examination to which many sections of Title III have been subjected, section 2517(5) has received little serious scrutiny from either the courts or the commentators. This note will analyze the constitutionality of the section in terms of the standards which the Supreme Court has articulated, both with respect to the law of search and seizure generally and with respect to electronic surveillance. This examination will reveal that section 2517(5) cannot be sustained under the existing contours of fourth amendment interpretation.

Juvenile Obscenity Statutes: A Proposal And Analysis, Jerold H. Israel, Rita Ann Burns

Articles

The article that follows is based largely upon a Study Report on juvenile obscenity statutes prepared for the Michigan Law Revision Commission. The objectives of the Report were (1) to analyze the various issues presented in drafting a juvenile obscenity provision, (2) to survey the treatment of those issues in statutes adopted by various states and statutes proposed by several distinguished commissions, and (3) to propose a comprehensive model statute that offers a choice of alternative provisions on key areas of controversy. Certain limitations placed upon the scope of the Report (and this article) should be noted. First, we were …

Michigan's Revised Mental Health Code, William David Serwer

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This note will evaluate the three chapters of the Michigan Code which present the most significant legislative attempts to safeguard the rights of the mentally ill. Chapter Four of the Code extends several traditional due process guarantees to the civil commitment process. By guaranteeing the right to adequate notice, the right to be present at the hearing, the right to be represented by counsel, and the right to notice of trial by jury, the Code offers better protection from unwarranted commitment. However, due to the difficulty of defining mental illness and accurately identifying those in need of treatment, the possibility …

Logic And Laws: Relief From Statutory Obfuscation, Rudy Engholm

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Ever-expanding use of the legislative process in recent years has resulted in a vast proliferation of statutes and regulations. The Public Acts of the First United States Congress (1789-91) filled only 203 pages. The Public Acts of the Thirty-first Congress (1850-51) filled 227 pages, those of the Sixty-first Congress (1909-11) filled 1459 pages, and those of the Ninety-first Congress (1969-71) filled 2938 pages. In addition, publication of new and recently amended federal regulations contributed to a Federal Register exceeding 45,000 pages in length in 1974. The growth of state statutory materials parallels this trend. Unfortunately, the technology of statutory expression …

New York's Revised Nursing Home Legislation, Michael G. Mcgee

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This note undertakes an analysis of the extensive package of nursing home legislation recently enacted in New York. First, specific regulations will be examined in relation to problems they are designed to remedy. Next, the note critically appraises three key, innovative provisions, making recommendations for implementation or revision of each. Finally, the broad changes needed to bring about lasting improvement of nursing care are discussed and a summary of pending legislation is provided.

Improving Michigan's Generic Drug Law, Phyllis Greenwood Rozof

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This note will describe the conditions which existed prior to enactment of the Michigan drug substitution law, will discuss the history and provisions of that legislation, and will identify certain problems which the law fails to correct.

Emerging Standards For Implied Actions Under Federal Statutes, Gary W. Klotz

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article will examine the theoretical basis for finding implied causes of action in legislation and the development of the implication doctrine in the federal courts. In particular, the Cort v. Ash case will be discussed, both in terms of the standards articulated by the Supreme Court in dicta and the potential impact of Cort on the law of implied remedies.

Connell: Antitrust Law At The Expense Of Labor Law, Theodore J. St. Antoine

Articles

From the outset, the difficulty in applying the antitrust concept to organized labor has been that the two are intrinsically incompatible. The antitrust laws are designed to promote competition, and unions, avowedly and unabashedly, are designed to limit it. According to classical trade union theory, the objective is the elimination of wage competition among all employees doing the same job in the same industry. Logically extended, the policy against restraint of trade must condemn the very existence of labor organizations, since their minimum aim has always been the suppression of any inclination on the part of working people to offer …

Affirmative Action: Hypocritical Euphemism Or Noble Mandate?, Theodore J. St. Antoine

Articles

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was adopted in an atmosphere of monumental naivete. Congress apparently believed that equal employment opportunity could be achieved simply by forbidding employers or unions to "discriminate" on the basis of "race, color, religion, sex, or national origin," and expressly disavowed any intention to require "preferential treatment." Perhaps animated by the Supreme Court's stirring desegregation decisions of the 1950's, the proponents of civil rights legislation made "color-blindness" the rallying cry of the hour. Today we know better. The dreary statistics, so familiar to anyone who works in this field, tell the story. …

Private Causes Of Action Under Section 206 Of The Investment Advisers Act, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

This Note examines the propriety of implying a cause of action for damages under section 206. Upon concluding that such an implication is appropriate, it then suggests a scope for section 206 actions that implements the Act's underlying purposes.

The Extraterritorial Scope Of Nepa's Environmental Impact Statement Requirement, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

This Note analyzes the extent to which NEPA's section 102(2) procedural requirements, specifically the impact statement requirement of section 102(2) (C), apply to federal agencies in their activities abroad. After determining that Congress does possess the authority to extend the requirements of NEPA to all federal agency actions, and that legislative intent will thus control the territorial scope of these requirements, consideration will be given to the presumption against the extraterritorial application of congressional enactments. It will be concluded that a "clear statement" of congressional intent is not required in the case of NEPA and that the scope of the …

The Judicial Public Policy Doctrine In Tax Litigation, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

This Note evaluates the merits of Revenue Ruling 74-323. First, it asserts that, while not arbitrary, the Service's resolution of the preemption issue was not mandated by the language of amended section 162 or by the relevant legislative history. Second, it maintains that it is both appropriate and procedurally feasible to apply the judicial public policy doctrine to violations of federal civil rights laws that impose no fine, imprisonment, loss of license, or other criminal penalty. The denial of a deduction in this situation would extend the public policy doctrine beyond both section 162(c)(2) and the judicial doctrine as it …

Ex Post Facto Limitations On Legislative Power, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

This Note explores the rationale underlying the prohibition of ex post facto laws and formulates an analytic framework for a more principled application .of the prohibition. This analytic framework is then used, first, to critique the present strict application of the prohibition to changes in criminal "punishments" and determine whether the prohibition should be applied to sanctions imposed outside the criminal context, and, second, to determine the degree to which the prohibition should be applied to procedural changes.

The Role Of The Commodity Futures Trading Commission Under The Commodity Futures, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

After a brief look at the functions of futures markets, the conditions that led to the enactment of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Act, and the major provisions of the Act, this note will critically examine the information now available on the major issues left to the Commission to decide, point to additional information that would be useful in making judgments on these issues, and recommend solutions. It will then discuss two problems not considered in the 1974 legislation--export controls and margin oversight--suggesting areas for action by the Commission.

Fighting Conflicts Of Interest In Officialdom: Constitutional And Practical Guidelines For State Financial Disclosure Laws, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

This note will examine the individual interests in running for office and in personal financial privacy in order to determine what level of scrutiny should be applied to disclosure statutes. After concluding that only minimal scrutiny should apply--a standard certainly met by the state's strong interests--it will be argued that nonconstitutional considerations bearing on the practicality of disclosure statutes nevertheless require a careful balancing of the state interest in disclosure against the individual interests of each class of persons affected by the statutes. The discussion of the strength of the state's interest in disclosure with respect to each class will …

Scope Of Disclosure Of Internal Revenue Communications And Information Files Under The Freedom Of Information Act, Peter R. Spanos

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article will discuss the proper scope of disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act of the files and administrative and policy materials of the IRS, with particular attention to the following currently contested issues: (1) the extent to which IRS guideline documents and private letter rulings are subject to disclosure; (2) the proper scope of the FOIA exemption for "interagency or intra-agency memorandums or letters which would not be available by law to a party other than an agency in litigation with the agency" as applied to the IRS; and (3) the scope of the exemption for "investigatory records …