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In Re Oluloro: Risk Of Female Genital Mutilation As Extreme Hardship In Immigration Proceedings Symposium - Human Rights In The Americas - Recent Development., Patricia Dysart Rudloff

St. Mary's Law Journal

On March 23, 1994, in In re Oluloro, Immigration Judge Kendall Warren’s decision indicated the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) should consider human rights abuses directed at women. The overriding concern was the possibility that two young U.S. girls would suffer female genital mutilation (FGM) if the INS deported their mother to Nigeria. In reaching the decision to suspend the mother’s deportation, Judge Warren condemned FGM as “cruel and serv[ing] no known medical purpose.” Judge Warren ruled the practice presented an extreme hardship for the girls. Unfortunately, the court’s ruling has no precedential value because the INS did …

Oil And Gas Issues Involved In Cercla Reauthorization., Joseph R. Dancy, Victoria A. Dancy

St. Mary's Law Journal

After several decades of environmental legislation, the regulated community faces an extremely complex and costly matrix of obligations and responsibilities. For industry in general, the most expensive environmental statute enacted has been the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). CERCLA created the Hazardous Substances Superfund (Superfund) and established retroactive liability for remediation of hazardous substance contamination. President Clinton admitted CERCLA does not work and even labelled the Superfund a “disaster.” Even though public and private entities have already spent twenty billion dollars on the CERCLA program since its inception, only around ten or twenty percent of …

International Law Of Trade Preferences: Emanations From The European Union And The United States., Kele Onyejekwe

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article posits that the increase of tariff arrangements, like the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), is evidence of the “hardening” of a body of international trade-preference law. It contends that the law of trade preferences is widely practiced in international affairs and the developed nations which terminate all trade preferences for developing countries most likely engage in illegal conduct under international law. Classical international law principally consisted of the law between nations and an international law of trade preferences in any form was unthinkable. Thus, neither international cooperation nor a duty for developed countries to assist developing countries is …

A Settlement Offer Above Policy Limits Does Not Trigger An Insurer's Stowers Duty To Act Reasonably., James Martin Truss

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Robert Wilburn Calvert, The Prudentialist In Memoriam., L. Wayne Scott

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

How Do We Get Rid Of These Things? Dismantling Excess Weapons While Protecting The Environment, David A. Koplow

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The startling successes of contemporary international arms control negotiations call to mind the old aphorism that one should be careful about what one wishes for, because the wish just might come true.

Today, disarmament diplomacy has wrought unprecedented triumphs across a wide range of global bargaining issues, producing a series of watershed treaties that offer spectacular new advantages for the security of the United States and for the prospect of enduring world peace. At the same time, however, these unanticipated negotiation breakthroughs have themselves generated unforeseen implementation problems, spawning a host of novel difficulties for which the traditional tools and …

Legislative Redistricting In 1991-1992: The Texas Bill Of Rights V. The Voting Rights Act., James C. Harrington, Judith Sanders-Castro

St. Mary's Law Journal

Every decade, after the federal government has taken the census, Americans endure the process of redistricting Congress, state legislatures, county commissioner precincts, school boards, city councils, and a host of other elected bodies. Governed by the interplay of federal, state, and local law, the reapportionment process would seem to be a relatively easy task in theory. Yet, overriding forces unique to the political arena and the judiciary’s voice in redistricting questions undermine the implementation of such a simple system. Narrow interpretation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by the United State Supreme Court and lower federal courts further intensify …

Self-Publication: Defamation Within The Employment Context., Howard J. Siegel

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article reviews the rules and reasoning various jurisdictions have maintained in defamation actions supported by self-publication. This type of defamation action is commonly known as self-defamation. Before the law will hold the originator of a defamatory statement liable for defamation, publication of the defamatory comments must occur. Generally, defamatory communications are those communications which tend to injure one’s reputation. Publication normally occurs when one communicates the defamatory matter to “one other than the person defamed.” Originally, courts considered defamation actions valid only when the defamed person alleged that the originator directly published the statement to a third person. Under …

Time Limitations For Objecting To Claims: The Interplay Between Sections 502(D) And 546(A) Of The Bankruptcy Code., Gregory G. Hesse

St. Mary's Law Journal

It is common lore among bankruptcy trustees and lawyers that a bankruptcy trustee has an unlimited time period under the Bankruptcy Code (the Code) to file objections to claims. Neither Section 502(a) of the Code nor Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 3007 contains time limitations within which an objection to a claim must be filed. Yet, creative creditor attorneys have fashioned arguments that the two-year limitations period placed on avoidance actions by Section 546(a) of the Code applies to claim objection proceedings brought under Section 502(d). Because courts have held the limitations period of Section 546(a) applies to claim objection …

U.S. Taxation Of U.S. Persons Doing Business Or Investing In Mexico: An Overview., William H. Hornberger

St. Mary's Law Journal

U.S. persons who plan to do business in Mexico or invest in new or existing Mexican business ventures are faced with a myriad of U.S. federal income tax issues. U.S. counsel advising U.S. persons regarding the ownership structure for a contemplated business or investment in Mexico should have a basic understanding of the U.S. system of international taxation. While a working knowledge of Mexico’s tax system is also helpful, Mexican counsel can provide information regarding the Mexican tax implications of doing business or investing in Mexico. A review of the U.S. system of international taxation should begin with a consideration …

Banning Motherhood: An Rx To Combat Child Abuse., Toni Driver Saunders

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Enhanced Punishment Under The Texas Hate Crimes Act: Politics, Panacea, Or Pathway To Hell., David Todd Smith

St. Mary's Law Journal

Nearly without exception, modern legislatures have responded to the reprehensible nature and detrimental social effects of hate crime by enacting laws specifically designed to punish the offender’s discriminatory animus. The term “hate crime” describes criminal conduct which is motivated by the offender’s bias or prejudice against another cognizable group. Although the reprehensible nature of a hate crime is often apparent from the facts of any given case, the repercussions of these offenses exceed the ignoble character of any one specific act. Texas has now joined the ranks of these jurisdictions by adopting legal provisions which authorize heightened penalties upon a …

The Supreme Court Takes A Weapon From The Drug War Arsenal: New Defenses To Civil Drug Forfeiture., Scott Alexander Nelson

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Comment discusses the history and development of forfeiture law—emphasizing the misnomer of “guilty property”—and addresses the lack of constitutional safeguards in the civil forfeiture statutes. It outlines prospective constitutional defenses announced by the United States Supreme Court, emphasizing the Fifth Amendment guarantee of due process, the Eighth Amendment’s Excessive Fines Clause, and the “innocent owner” defense. The federal statute authorizing civil forfeiture, 21 U.S.C. § 881 (Forfeiture Statute), was initially enacted as part of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. The Comprehensive Forfeiture Act of 1984 amended the statute to impose forfeiture on real property …

Industrialization In The Borderlands And The Nafta Treaty., Phillip D. Hardberger

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Foreign Investment In Mexico From The Perspective Of The Foreign Investor., Hope H. Camp Jr., Jaime Alvarez Garibary, C. Lee Cusenbary Jr.

St. Mary's Law Journal

A factor contributing to the continuation of the economic revolution in Mexico has been, and will continue to be, foreign investment. The liberalized foreign-investment regulations and the positive attitude of the Foreign Investment Commission (FIC) in approving foreign investment proposals promote a more favorable environment for foreign investors. The Mexican government recently completed negotiating the NAFTA, a proposed free-trade agreement with the United States and Canada. The government is now considering what additional actions may be required to compete successfully with those other nations trying to attract scarce investment funds. Opportunities for foreign investors in Mexico are brighter than they …

Contracting In Mexico: A Legal And Practical Guide To Negotiating And Drafting., Rona R. Mears

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article is intended as a primer in contracting for the United States attorney counseling clients doing business in Mexico. Thus, this Article begins by surveying the legal foundations of contracting in Mexico. This includes basic contract principles in Mexico’s civil-law system, the distinction between civil and commercial contracts, and procedural formalities applicable to contracts in Mexico. Following the introduction is a discussion of successful contract negotiations in Mexico, including certain cultural factors and Mexican business customs which can affect negotiations. This section includes suggestions for preparing for negotiations and managing the negotiation process to obtain the best result. Next, …

Consent Decrees Resulting From Institutional-Reform Litigation May Be Modified Upon Showing A Significant Change In Law Or Fact And A Modification Appropriately Tailored To That Change., Christy J. Lindsay

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Rufo v. Inmates of Suffolk County Jail, the Court held that courts may modify consent decrees resulting from institutional reform litigation upon showing a significant change in law or fact and a modification appropriately tailored to that change. The case of Swift v. United States set a strict standard for modification of consent decrees, requiring movants to demonstrate extreme, unexpected hardship and oppression. However, there is a modem trend toward adopting a more flexible standard. The Court deems the “flexible test” as particularly appropriate in the case of the institutional reform consent decree because of its speculative, long-term nature. …

The New Agrarian Law - Mexico's Way Out., Adrianna De Aguinaga

St. Mary's Law Journal

The New Agrarian Law was passed based on a Mexican consensus demanding a better way of life for millions of farmers. Because of low agricultural productivity by the ejido—land common to all the neighbors—and the difficulties for the ejidatarios—members of the ejido—to obtain credit, an armed insurrection resulted. Mexico was forced to find a solution by trying to redistribute the agrarian lands equitably through agrarian reform. Unlike prior amendments which proved inefficient, the New Agrarian Law is applicable to companies and to ejidos. The New Agrarian Law will permit higher productivity in the Mexican agricultural sector and will increase the …

Judges On Judging: A Bibliography., Shirley S. Abrahamson, Susan M. Fieber, Gabrielle Lessard

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Agricultural Trade Wars: A Threat To The Gatt And Global Free Trade., Thomas J. Schoenbaum

St. Mary's Law Journal

Agriculture, today, is the center of a set of multi-dimensional international controversies and crises. International agricultural strife threatens the future of the global free-trade system. This strife soured relations between the United States and its principal allies and trading partners: Canada, the European Community (EC), and Japan. The agricultural trade controversy is at the heart of the bitter stalemate of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations. The deadlock over farm trade called into question the very future of the GATT as an international organization. Controversies over agriculture also endanger approval of the recently …

The Texas Employer's Liability In Tort For Injuries To An Employee Occurring In The Course Of The Employment., David W. Robertson

St. Mary's Law Journal

The focus of this Article is tort suits by employees, or their families, based on personal injury or death occurring in the course and scope of the worker’s employment. If an injury does not occur in the course and scope of employment, the defendant’s status as employer becomes irrelevant; the lawsuit is a common-law tort action, and the defendant has all of the common-law defenses. In 1989 the Texas Legislature repealed the former workers’ compensation law and replaced it with the new Texas Workers’ Compensation Act. The new Act took effect on January 1, 1991. The essentially voluntary nature of …

The Brain Gets Sick, Too - The Case For Equal Insurance Coverage For Serious Mental Illness., Brian D. Shannon

St. Mary's Law Journal

Recent brain research has revealed that the major mental illnesses are organic diseases of the brain. Like other organs of the body, the brain can become ill. Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, a psychiatrist whose sister suffers from schizophrenia, has commented that "[t]he evidence that serious mental illnesses are diseases is now overwhelming..." Notwithstanding recent medical findings regarding the organic underpinnings of mental illnesses, private insurers generally do not provide health insurance coverage for the treatment of these brain diseases at the same coverage levels as for other physical illnesses. In fact, "[m]ost private insurers require larger co-payments and set lower …

Criminal Trespass And The Exclusionary Rule In Texas., Paul R. Stone, Henry De La Garza

St. Mary's Law Journal

In State v. Hobbs, the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals held a warrantless intrusion by police onto private property to obtain evidence constitutes criminal trespass under Section 30.05 of the Texas Penal Code. The resulting evidence falls within the exclusionary rule and this article considers whether this protection, which goes beyond constitutional guarantees, is necessary or desirable. The first part of this paper reviews existing federal and state constitutional protections against unreasonable searches. Next, the paper analyzes the history and purpose of criminal trespass and the exclusionary rule in Texas. Finally, the paper considers a question the court of appeals …

Expert Witness Fees In Federal Diversity Cases., Wade P. Webster

St. Mary's Law Journal

Even with the increasing complexity of litigation and the increased utilization of expert witnesses to provide expensive evidence on narrow scientific and technical issues, Congress still limits compensation of expert witnesses to only forty dollars per day, the same rate as ordinary fact witnesses. The justification for the low rate is that the witness fee statute was not intended by Congress to compensate witnesses fully for their lost time and income. Presumably this same reasoning also applies to expert witnesses. The problem with this reasoning, unlike law witnesses who may be compelled by subpoena, individual litigants must pay the fees …

Comments On The Law On Property In The Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic., Larisa Krasavchikova

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Private Property And Russia's Leap Of Faith., Douglas R. Haddock

St. Mary's Law Journal

Popular notions of property are enshrined in constitutional protections which seem to make quite clear society’s emphasis on the individual’s preeminence in matters of property. Americans have never been able to accept the “socialist ownership” notions of the Soviet Union and other socialist countries as a viable scheme of property. It is probably irrefutable that the application of socialist ownership principles in the Soviet Union has been less efficient than the American model of private ownership. Yet, it is reactionary to entirely condemn the idea of socialist ownership and conclude the downfall of the Soviet Union proved the “rightness” of …

Enactments Altering Or Reallocating Elected Officials' Powers Do Not Directly Relate To Or Affect Voting And Are Therefore Not Subject To Judicial Or Administrative Preclearance Under Section 5 Of The Voting Rights Act Of 1965., Sharon N. Humble

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Presley v. Etowah County Comm’n, the Court held enactments altering or reallocating elected officials’ powers do not directly relate to or affect voting. Therefore, not subject to judicial or administrative preclearance under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. However, the Court’s holding in Presley, that the changes at issue must directly relate to voting, contradicts the Court’s earlier holdings that indirect or minor changes affecting voting must meet Section 5 preclearance requirements. In Presley, the Court limited the coverage of Section 5 by holding that enactments reallocating elected officials’ decision-making authority do not require judicial or …

The Filing Of An Indictment Against A Criminal Defendant Activates His Sixth Amendment Right To A Speedy Trial, Notwithstanding The Fact That The Defendant Had No Knowledge Of The Indictment Until The Time Of His Arrest., Ronna A. Laidley

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Doggett v. United States, the Supreme Court held the filing of an indictment against a defendant activates his Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial, notwithstanding the defendant not knowing of the indictment until his arrest. The right to a speedy trial serves to vindicate the rights of individuals who have incurred impediments to their personal liberty because of governmental negligence. The Court stated the Speedy Trial Clause aims to prevent undue and oppressive pre-trial incarceration, limit the anxiety accompanying public accusation, and diminish delays that might cripple a defendant’s ability to prepare an adequate defense. Since Doggett suffered …

The Legal Dilemma Of Groundwater Under The Integrated Environmental Plan For The Mexican-United States Border Area., M. Diane Barber

St. Mary's Law Journal

This paper will explore the dilemma of implementing an appropriate legal format to best guide proposals for resolution of groundwater contamination. It will review groundwater under the Integrated Environmental Plan for the Mexico-United States Border Area (the Plan) and examine groundwater law in Mexico and in the four border states from a historical perspective. It will consider existing agreements between the two countries and propose adoption of the Bellagio Draft Treaty as the only legally viable means of achieving long-term remedial groundwater solutions. This paper, however, will also note isolated situations may be effectively addressed by the IBWC Minute, pending …

Mexico's Accession To The Gatt: A Catalyst At Odds With The Outcome., John M. Vernon

St. Mary's Law Journal

The history behind Mexico’s accession to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) sheds light on Mexico’s progression toward improved bilateral trade relations with the United States. Mexico embarked on its modernization and reform path with its accession to the GATT in 1987. The recent initialing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by Canada, Mexico, and the United States is a symbolic event in the continued globalization of the world economy. The trilateral NAFTA is revolutionary because of Mexico’s participation. Part II of this article addresses Mexico’s progression toward accession to the GATT. Part III provides an …