State and Local Government Law | Open Access Articles

The Merger Of Common-Law And Equity Pleading In Virginia, William Hamilton Bryson

Law Faculty Publications

This article describes the separation of common law and equity in Virginia leading up to the 2006 merger of common law and equity pleading and the problems that remain to be solved by the courts.

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Look Homeward Candidate: Evaluating And Reforming Kentucky's Residency Definition And Bona Fides Challenges In Order To Avoid A Potential Crisis In Gubernatorial Elections, S. Chad Meredith

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

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Begging Underground? The Constitutionality Of Regulations Banning Panhandling In The New York City Subway System, Jordana Schreiber

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

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Exploring Disqualification Of Counsel In Texas: A Balancing Of Competing Interests The Fifth Annual Symposium On Legal Malpractice And Professional Responsibility., Rebecca Simmons, Manuel C. Maltos

St. Mary's Law Journal

Uncertainty over conduct which results in disqualification can be costly and the laws relating to disqualification may be widely known but their application is difficult. Rigid application of irrebuttable presumptions and imputation of knowledge may result in disqualification of a client’s chosen counsel. Even if an attorney succeeds in opposing a motion to disqualify, the resulting costs and delay may damage the attorney-client relationship more than if the attorney had simply declined the representation. Motions to disqualify usually arise from conflicts of interest involving former clients. The law of disqualification, in this instance, is well developed and largely based on …

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Take The Money Or Run: The Risky Business Of Acting As Both Your Client's Lawyer And Bail Bondsman The Fifth Annual Symposium On Legal Malpractice And Professional Responsibility., Dayla S. Pepi, Donna D. Bloom

St. Mary's Law Journal

The American Bar Association strongly discourages lawyers from being bondsmen due to the conflicts that can arise when a criminal defense attorney acts as their client's bail bondsman. These same ethical dilemmas can also be encountered in posting a bond for a client in civil matters such as probate, family law, and appeals. In Texas, lawyers are exempt from the requirements of licensure as a bondsmen, including the requirement to maintain a particular level of security to underwrite the bonds. Nonetheless, lawyers are still required to conform to the requirements regulating the practice of bondsmen. It is not enough for …

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The Law Of Mediation In Texas., L. Wayne Scott

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

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A Simple Prescription For Texas's Ailing Court System: Stronger Stare Decisis., Andrew T. Solomon

St. Mary's Law Journal

Several Texas Supreme Court Justices have recently criticized Texas’s appellate justice system for its failure to provide consistency and the unfairness it produces, namely how litigants are treated differently despite the identical factual circumstances. Despite the warnings of various Texas Justices, neither the Texas Supreme Court nor the Texas Legislature have done much to rectify the lack of uniform justice received by Texas litigants. Most of the proposals to reform the Texas appellate justice systems’ unfairness have focused exclusively on structural changes. While structural changes could help reduce inconsistent “justice”, these reforms fail to address the main substantive problem—Texas’s weak …

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The Unable To Agree Requirement And Texas Condemnation Law: A Critical Analysis Of Hubenak V. San Jacinto Gas Transmission Co.., B. Tyler Milton

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Texas, the state constitution requires adequate compensation as a predicate to a taking of private property for a public use. Though an eminent domain cause of action has both a constitutional and statutory basis, the requirement of adequate or just compensation is premised on principles of natural equity and justice. Texas statutorily mandates that a condemner of land must, prior to the institution of a condemnation proceeding, plead and prove the two parties were “unable to agree” on the corresponding compensation due to the landowner. Texas courts interpreted this requirement in the condemnation statute to compel “good faith negotiations” …

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Reading, Writing, And Radicalism: The Limits On Government Control Over Private Schooling In An Age Of Terrorism., Avigael N. Cymrot

St. Mary's Law Journal

There are constitutional limitations that govern attempts to regulate the teaching of terrorism-encouraging ideologies. According to a 1999-2000 study by the National Center of Education Statistics, there are 152 full-time Islamic schools in the United States, schooling about 19,000 students. The primary concern is not that children will be instructed to immediately engage in terrorist acts, but that the teaching of a radical Islamist ideology will predispose them to join radical Islamist terrorist movements and engage in violence. The Free Exercise Clause and parental rights doctrine, however, might not by themselves bar the state from interfering in private education to …

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Acquiring Separate Property On Credit: A Review And Proposed Revision Of Texas Marital Property Doctrine., James W. Paulsen

St. Mary's Law Journal

The character of property acquired on credit is one of the most vexing in Texas marital property law. The apparent black letter rule is that anything acquired by either spouse on credit during the marriage is community property, unless the creditor agrees at the outset to look only to separate property for repayment. The general rule follows naturally from a core principle of Texas law that everything owned by a married person is presumed community when the basic presumption is combined with the “inception of title” doctrine. In a credit transaction, the borrower acquires some legal right to the loan …

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Restricting Kelo: Will Redefining Blight In Senate Bill 7 Be The Light At The End Of The Tunnel., Adrianne Archer

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Kelo v. City of New London, the United States Supreme Court extended the public use limitation to its most expansive definition yet. The Kelo decision enhanced the Fifth Amendment takings power by allowing the city of New London, Connecticut, to exercise eminent domain power in furtherance of an economic development plan. Notably, the city’s revitalization plan did not include a claim that the area subject to eminent domain was “blighted.” The Fifth Amendment provides that governments may wield the power of eminent domain and take private property for public use but only with just compensation. Generally, private property can …

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Overcorrecting The Purported Problem Of Taking Child Brides In Polygamist Marriages: The Texas Legislature Unconstitutionally Voids All Marriages By Texans Younger Than Sixteen And Criminalizes Parental Consent., Rosanne Piatt

St. Mary's Law Journal

In the 79th Regular Legislative Session, Texas lawmakers amended and added numerous provisions to both the Texas Family Code and Texas Penal Code relating to the status of marriage. One change was the inclusion in the Family Code of a section voiding a marriage if either party is younger than sixteen years of age. Additionally, legislators included criminal penalties to other laws relating to marriage. Specifically, parents are prohibited from giving consent to the marriages of parties under sixteen, but parents also face third-degree felony charges if they give consent. The legislature voided certain underage marriages in Texas due to …

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Conflicting Loyalties Facing In-House Counsel: Ethical Care And Feeding Of The Ravenous Multi-Headed Client The Fifth Annual Symposium On Legal Malpractice And Professional Responsibility., William E. Matthews, Robert M. Hoffman, Daniel C. Scott

St. Mary's Law Journal

Because of corporate scandals that shook the business world, legislative, corporate, and public fingers immediately pointed at corporate attorneys for allowing such egregious conduct to occur. In 1983, the American Bar Association (ABA) passed Model Rule 1.13, which promoted the entity theory. Under the entity theory, the organization is the in-house counsel’s only client; and the in-house counsel’s primary duty is to act in the best interest of the organization. Whether the issue is deciding to make an executive compensation disclosure in a proxy statement, taking on a dual role within the organization, acting in compliance with heightened professional responsibility …

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A Radical Proposal For Lifetime Professionalism The Fifth Annual Symposium On Legal Malpractice And Professional Responsibility: Essays., Antonio Alvarado

St. Mary's Law Journal

Undeniably, the economics of law practice motivates the profession and immerses lawyers into a new professionalism paradigm not fully addressed by existing programs and activities. Linking professionalism to economic concerns might be considered heresy by some, yet now is the time to examine why the economic realities of practicing law sometimes cut short the best aspirations for high standards. Both the American Bar Association (ABA) and the State Bar of Texas focus extensively on questions concerning professionalism in the practice of law. Lawyers face significant economic burdens from several sources, and ironically technology does not always make practice easier. Often, …

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Sentence Modification In Texas: The Plenary Power Of A Trial Court To Alter Its Sentence After Pronouncement Comment., Andrew L. Johnson

St. Mary's Law Journal

Post-sentence plenary power of a trial court is not statutorily defined in Texas criminal law, and its boundaries are not fully delineated. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals recently added to the definition of plenary power in State v. Aguilera. The definition gives state trial courts the power to modify sentences if the modification is made the same day as the initial sentence before the court adjourns and if it is made in the presence of the defendant, his counsel, and counsel for the State. This holding lessens the sentencing pronouncement’s importance; potentially turning sentencing into a day-long affair. Additionally, …

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Rehnquist, Innsbruck, And St. Mary's University Tribute., Vincent R. Johnson

St. Mary's Law Journal

William H. Rehnquist taught for St. Mary’s University School of Law for four summers while serving as the sixteenth Chief Justice of the United States. For two weeks each July in 1991, 1994, 1998, and 2000, Rehnquist lectured on The Supreme Court in United States History as part of the law school’s Institute on World Legal Problems in Innsbruck, Austria. St. Mary’s has conducted the Institute as an annual five-week summer program at the University of Innsbruck since 1986, with the generous administrative support of that university’s Roman Law Institute. Rehnquist felt welcome in Innsbruck and earned the St. Mary’s …

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Standards Of Review In Texas., W. Wendell Hall

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

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Buying White Beauty, Imani Perry

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article argues that the global phenomenon of skin-bleaching is a manifestation of structural inequality rooted in race, poverty, and globalization. It critiques how the marketing and use of skin-whitening products perpetuate racial hierarchies and reflects broader societal power dynamics, emphasizing the need for legal and regulatory responses to address the health and social implications of this practice.

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Notes On The Illinois Pilot Program On Sequential Double-Blind Identification Procedures, Roy L. Malpass

Public Interest Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

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In Response To The Illinois Pilot Program On Simultaneous V. Sequential Lineups, Ebbe B. Ebbesen, Kristin M. Finklea

Public Interest Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

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The Street, The Lab, The Courtroom, The Meeting Room, James M. Doyle, Steven Penrod Ph.D., Margaret Bull Kovera Ph.D., Jennifer Dysart Ph.D.

Public Interest Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

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Life In The Early Days Of Lawyer Advertising: Personal Recollections Of A Bates Baby The Fifth Annual Symposium On Legal Malpractice And Professional Responsibility: Foreword., Gerald S. Reamey

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

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Colorado Revisits The Rule Against Perpetuities, Wayne M. Gazur

Publications

The 2006 Colorado General Assembly passed legislation adopting a 1000-year limitation applicable to interests in trust, practically eliminating the Rule Against Perpetuities ("RAP"). This article discusses the legislation's impact on the RAP in trust and non-trust situations.

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A Digital Age Communications Act Paradigm For Federal-State Relations, Kyle D. Dixon, Philip J. Weiser

Publications

This article captures the effort of the Digital Age Communications Act (DACA) to craft a new framework for the federal-state relationship in implementing a next generation telecommunications regulatory regime. In particular, it sets forth a DACA model that would implement a "rule of law" regulatory paradigm for an era of technological dynamism. This era requires, as the article explains, a coherent federal framework that circumscribes the role of state and local authorities so as to advance sound competition policy goals. The sole exception to this policy is the recognition that a basic local service rate retains both political and practical …

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Merrill Lynch V. Dabit: Federal Preemption Of Holders' Class Actions, Mark J. Loewenstein

Publications

No abstract provided.

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Where Are The Active Citizens Of Tomorrow? We Need Them Now..., Margaret E. Piasecka

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In 1997, Hindess labelled the gap between governments and citizens the democratic deficit. This gap, or deficit, has arisen over a long time period as a result of public scandals, perceptions of poor performance and poor economies. Local governments around the world are now attempting to regain community respect and support - the unstated mandate for governance - and seeking to implement government policies relating to concepts variously described as community engagement, capacity building, active citizenship or public/citizen participation. This thesis has identified a methodology for finding people who are motivated to act in the public interest in one local …

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Losing Control: Regulating Situational Crime Prevention In Mass Private Property, Robert E. Pfeffer

Oklahoma Law Review

No abstract provided.

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New Urbanist Zoning For Dummies, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

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Can A Private Corporate Analysis Of Public Authority Administration Lead To Democracy?, Jonathan Rosenbloom

NYLS Law Review

No abstract provided.

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Tracinda Corp. V. Daimlerchrysler Ag, Keith Martorana

NYLS Law Review

No abstract provided.

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Full-Text Articles in State and Local Government Law

The Merger Of Common-Law And Equity Pleading In Virginia, William Hamilton Bryson

Law Faculty Publications

Look Homeward Candidate: Evaluating And Reforming Kentucky's Residency Definition And Bona Fides Challenges In Order To Avoid A Potential Crisis In Gubernatorial Elections, S. Chad Meredith

Kentucky Law Journal

Begging Underground? The Constitutionality Of Regulations Banning Panhandling In The New York City Subway System, Jordana Schreiber

Cardozo Law Review

Exploring Disqualification Of Counsel In Texas: A Balancing Of Competing Interests The Fifth Annual Symposium On Legal Malpractice And Professional Responsibility., Rebecca Simmons, Manuel C. Maltos

St. Mary's Law Journal

Take The Money Or Run: The Risky Business Of Acting As Both Your Client's Lawyer And Bail Bondsman The Fifth Annual Symposium On Legal Malpractice And Professional Responsibility., Dayla S. Pepi, Donna D. Bloom

St. Mary's Law Journal

The Law Of Mediation In Texas., L. Wayne Scott

St. Mary's Law Journal

A Simple Prescription For Texas's Ailing Court System: Stronger Stare Decisis., Andrew T. Solomon

St. Mary's Law Journal

The Unable To Agree Requirement And Texas Condemnation Law: A Critical Analysis Of Hubenak V. San Jacinto Gas Transmission Co.., B. Tyler Milton

St. Mary's Law Journal

Reading, Writing, And Radicalism: The Limits On Government Control Over Private Schooling In An Age Of Terrorism., Avigael N. Cymrot

St. Mary's Law Journal

Acquiring Separate Property On Credit: A Review And Proposed Revision Of Texas Marital Property Doctrine., James W. Paulsen

St. Mary's Law Journal

Restricting Kelo: Will Redefining Blight In Senate Bill 7 Be The Light At The End Of The Tunnel., Adrianne Archer

St. Mary's Law Journal

Overcorrecting The Purported Problem Of Taking Child Brides In Polygamist Marriages: The Texas Legislature Unconstitutionally Voids All Marriages By Texans Younger Than Sixteen And Criminalizes Parental Consent., Rosanne Piatt

St. Mary's Law Journal

Conflicting Loyalties Facing In-House Counsel: Ethical Care And Feeding Of The Ravenous Multi-Headed Client The Fifth Annual Symposium On Legal Malpractice And Professional Responsibility., William E. Matthews, Robert M. Hoffman, Daniel C. Scott

St. Mary's Law Journal

A Radical Proposal For Lifetime Professionalism The Fifth Annual Symposium On Legal Malpractice And Professional Responsibility: Essays., Antonio Alvarado

St. Mary's Law Journal

Sentence Modification In Texas: The Plenary Power Of A Trial Court To Alter Its Sentence After Pronouncement Comment., Andrew L. Johnson

St. Mary's Law Journal

Rehnquist, Innsbruck, And St. Mary's University Tribute., Vincent R. Johnson

St. Mary's Law Journal

Standards Of Review In Texas., W. Wendell Hall

St. Mary's Law Journal

Buying White Beauty, Imani Perry

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

Notes On The Illinois Pilot Program On Sequential Double-Blind Identification Procedures, Roy L. Malpass

Public Interest Law Reporter

In Response To The Illinois Pilot Program On Simultaneous V. Sequential Lineups, Ebbe B. Ebbesen, Kristin M. Finklea

Public Interest Law Reporter

The Street, The Lab, The Courtroom, The Meeting Room, James M. Doyle, Steven Penrod Ph.D., Margaret Bull Kovera Ph.D., Jennifer Dysart Ph.D.

Public Interest Law Reporter

Life In The Early Days Of Lawyer Advertising: Personal Recollections Of A Bates Baby The Fifth Annual Symposium On Legal Malpractice And Professional Responsibility: Foreword., Gerald S. Reamey

St. Mary's Law Journal

Colorado Revisits The Rule Against Perpetuities, Wayne M. Gazur

Publications

A Digital Age Communications Act Paradigm For Federal-State Relations, Kyle D. Dixon, Philip J. Weiser

Publications

Merrill Lynch V. Dabit: Federal Preemption Of Holders' Class Actions, Mark J. Loewenstein

Publications

Where Are The Active Citizens Of Tomorrow? We Need Them Now..., Margaret E. Piasecka

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Losing Control: Regulating Situational Crime Prevention In Mass Private Property, Robert E. Pfeffer

Oklahoma Law Review

New Urbanist Zoning For Dummies, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

Can A Private Corporate Analysis Of Public Authority Administration Lead To Democracy?, Jonathan Rosenbloom

NYLS Law Review

Tracinda Corp. V. Daimlerchrysler Ag, Keith Martorana

NYLS Law Review