Law School News: Bailey And Kilpatrick Join Rwu School Of Law Board 11/01/2018,
2018
Roger Williams University School of Law
Law School News: Bailey And Kilpatrick Join Rwu School Of Law Board 11/01/2018, Edward Fitzpatrick
Life of the Law School (1993- )
No abstract provided.
Discovery Disclosure And Deterrence,
2018
Vanderbilt University Law School
Discovery Disclosure And Deterrence, Sergio J. Campos, Cheng Li
Vanderbilt Law Review
Courts, practitioners, and scholars have recently expressed concern over the ex post costs of discovery in civil litigation. In this Article, we develop a game theoretic model of litigant behavior to study an overlooked phenomenon-the ex ante effects of discovery on a defendant's incentive to engage in unlawful conduct. We focus on motions to seal, which limit the disclosure of discovered information to the public, but permit disclosure to the court and parties. Specifically, we examine the effect different rules regarding such motions have in deterring defendants from engaging in unlawful behavior. We show that as a rule becomes more …
Discovery And The Social Benefits Of Private Litigation,
2018
Vanderbilt University Law School
Discovery And The Social Benefits Of Private Litigation, Paul Stancil
Vanderbilt Law Review
In the era just before the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure went into effect in 1938, federal civil litigation was a different animal.' Although Congress had created several private statutory causes of action before the 1930s,2 the federal civil docket prior to enactment of the Rules consisted primarily of diversity jurisdiction common law cases, labor injunctions and receiverships, and miscellaneous cases brought by the United States, including Prohibition-era "liquor cases" as well as internal revenue and food and drug enforcement. 3 Occasional exceptions notwithstanding, pre-New Deal federal courts hearing private claims functioned primarily as forums for the resolution of discrete, …
How We Got Here: A Brief History Of Requester-Pays And Other Incentive Systems To Supplement Judicial Management Of Discovery,
2018
Vanderbilt University Law School
How We Got Here: A Brief History Of Requester-Pays And Other Incentive Systems To Supplement Judicial Management Of Discovery, E. Donald Elliot
Vanderbilt Law Review
Over the last two decades, a mature academic literature has developed about how we might use incentives as a complement to discretionary judicial decisions for controlling civil discovery. Professor Brian Fitzpatrick and the other organizers of the Vanderbilt Law Review "Future of Discovery" Symposium thought it would make sense to start this symposium by summarizing what has been written previously on the subject in the hope that the next time that the rules advisory committee tries again to solve the problem of properly managing discovery, it might benefit from some of this learning.
Application Of The New "Proportionality" Discovery Rule In Class Actions: Much Ado About Nothing,
2018
Vanderbilt University Law School
Application Of The New "Proportionality" Discovery Rule In Class Actions: Much Ado About Nothing, Robert H. Klonoff
Vanderbilt Law Review
The "proportionality" amendment to the federal discovery rules, which went into effect on December 1, 2015, was greeted with panic by the plaintiffs' bar (and the academy) and euphoria by the defense bar. Both sides predicted that the impact would be profound and immediate. Some predicted that the impact would be especially great in class actions. To examine whether the predictions have been correct, I have reviewed every published judicial opinion (approximately 135) between December 1, 2015 and April 30, 2018 that applied the new proportionality rule in the class action context. The analysis is necessarily anecdotal rather than empirical. …
Civil Practice And Procedure,
2018
University of Richmond
Civil Practice And Procedure, Christopher S. Dadak
University of Richmond Law Review
This article addresses changes and notable analyses in approximately a year’s worth of Supreme Court of Virginia opinions, passed legislation, and revisions to the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia affecting Virginia civil procedure.1 This article is not meant to be all-encompassing, but it does endeavor to capture the highlights of changes or analyses regarding Virginia civil procedure. The opinions discussed throughout this article do not all reflect changes in Virginia jurisprudence on civil procedure. Some address clarifications or reminders from the court on certain issues it has deemed worthy of addressing (and that practitioners continue to raise). The …
Introduction: Reflections On The Future Of Discovery In Civil Cases,
2018
Vanderbilt University Law School
Introduction: Reflections On The Future Of Discovery In Civil Cases, Paul W. Grimm
Vanderbilt Law Review
First, we have a long way to go to educate judges about the benefit of active judicial management of the discovery process and the proportionality requirement. Second, just telling judges to "go forth and actively manage" without showing them concrete ways to do it in realistic case settings is not going to be effective. I am happy to report that thanks to the hard work of Judge Jeremy Fogel, director of the Federal Judicial Center, the educational programs for new and experienced judges alike now include special emphasis on management of the discovery process and the proportionality requirement. And the …
The People's Lawyer: The Role Of Attorney General In The Twenty-First Century,
2018
University of Richmond
The People's Lawyer: The Role Of Attorney General In The Twenty-First Century, Mark J. Herring
University of Richmond Law Review
For the last five years, it has been my privilege to serve the people as their attorney general. The origin of the position of attorney general can be traced back centuries, but in a world that has become more interconnected, complex, and fast-paced, what does the role of a state attorney general entail in the twenty-first century and beyond? Is the proper role as a diligent but reactive defender of statutes and state agencies, or is there a deeper responsibility that calls for a more proactive and engaged use of its tools and authority? I have found that the job …
Seeking Proportional Discovery: The Beginning Of The End Of Procedural Uniformity In Civil Rules,
2018
Vanderbilt University Law School
Seeking Proportional Discovery: The Beginning Of The End Of Procedural Uniformity In Civil Rules, Linda S. Simard
Vanderbilt Law Review
After more than two decades of vigorous debate, the original Federal Rules of Civil Procedure became effective on September 16, 1938, and ushered in broad provisions for discovery. The need for discovery, however, was not a central theme of the debates that preceded the original codification. Rather, the proponents of the new rules asserted that the Conformity Act of 1872 created uncertainty regarding the procedure that would apply in federal court. This uncertainty caused unnecessary expense and delay, particularly for interstate corporations that felt compelled to retain specialized counsel in every state. Proponents asserted that adoption of trans-substantive rules of …
A Plan For Reforming Federal Pleading, Discovery, And Pretrial Merits Review,
2018
Vanderbilt University Law School
A Plan For Reforming Federal Pleading, Discovery, And Pretrial Merits Review, David Rosenberg, Anne Brown, Jaehyun Oh, Benjamin Taylor
Vanderbilt Law Review
We propose a fundamental restructuring of the federal civil pretrial process to address its great expense and unreliability in resolving cases on their merits-problems largely attributable to discovery. The proposed reforms establish an affirmative-disclosure mandate that sharply reduces the role of discovery by transferring most of the parties' burden of fully revealing discoverable matter, favorable and unfavorable, to their pleadings. To effectuate the new function for pleadings, the reformed process replaces Rules 12(b)(6), (c), and (f) with pretrial merits review conducted exclusively pursuant to the procedures and standards for summary judgment under Rule 56. Responding parties will be required to …
One-Way Fee Shifting After Summary Judgment,
2018
Vanderbilt University Law School
One-Way Fee Shifting After Summary Judgment, Cameron T. Norris
Vanderbilt Law Review
New, defendant-friendly amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure took effect in December 2015. Included in the amendments were several provisions designed to curb the cost of discovery. Although modest, the discovery-related provisions created more controversy than perhaps anything the rule makers have done in recent memory. Yet the new amendments were only part of what corporate defendants asked the rule makers to do. Left undone was a much more ambitious proposal: to outright flip who pays for discovery, from the party who produces the discovery to the party who requests it. To the surprise of many commentators, the …
Opting Out Of Discovery,
2018
Vanderbilt University Law School
Opting Out Of Discovery, Jay Tidmarsh
Vanderbilt Law Review
This Article proposes a system in which both parties are provided an opportunity to opt out of discovery. A party who opts out is immunized from dispositive motions, including a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim or a motion for summary judgment. If neither party opts out of discovery, the parties waive jury-trial rights, thus giving judges the ability to use stronger case-management powers to focus the issues and narrow discovery. If one party opts out of discovery but an opponent does not, the cost of discovery shifts to the opponent. This Article justifies this proposal in …
A Proposal To End Discovery Abuse,
2018
Vanderbilt University Law School
A Proposal To End Discovery Abuse, Alexandra D. Lahav
Vanderbilt Law Review
When commentators, lawyers, judges, politicians, business people-anyone really-are looking to heap abuse on part of the civil process, they complain about discovery. But in truth, civil discovery is treated cruelly and often misunderstood. This is the case for two reasons. First, we do not know much about what actually happens in civil discovery in different types of cases. As a result, people seem to fill in the gaps of knowledge with their priors, which are, in turn, dependent on a few examples that loom large in their imaginations. Whatever limited reliable evidence about discovery we do have-and it is indeed …
Aligning Incentives And Cost Allocation In Discovery,
2018
Vanderbilt University Law School
Aligning Incentives And Cost Allocation In Discovery, Jonathan R. Nash, Joanna Shepherd
Vanderbilt Law Review
In this Article, we explain that either a rule requiring both parties to share the costs of discovery ("cost-sharing rule") or a rule creating a risk for both parties that they will bear the entire costs of discovery ("cost-shifting rule") would minimize many of the negative incentives that exist under either a strict producer-pays or requester pays rule. Whereas the producer-pays rule creates incentives for excessive discovery because requesters can externalize the costs of requests and use discovery to impose costs on producing parties to force settlement, requesters under a cost-sharing or cost-shifting rule cannot externalize the costs of discovery …
A Comparative Discussion Of Who Pays For Document Discovery In Australia, Canada, Guernsey (Channel Islands), And Singapore And Its Effect On Access To Justice,
2018
Vanderbilt University Law School
A Comparative Discussion Of Who Pays For Document Discovery In Australia, Canada, Guernsey (Channel Islands), And Singapore And Its Effect On Access To Justice, Gordon Mckee, Anne Glover, Francis Rouleau
Vanderbilt Law Review
symposium organized by the Vanderbilt Law Review to discuss the future of discovery in the United States.' More specifically, the topic for discussion was an ongoing debate in the United States about proposals by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform and Lawyers for Civil Justice to adopt a "requestor-pays" discovery rule. In a requestor-pays system, each party pays for the discovery it seeks, which includes the costs of discovery belonging to the other parties to the litigation. It is based on the theory that a requestor-pays rule will encourage each party to manage its own discovery expenses and tailor …
Pub. Emps.’ Ret. Sys. Of Nev., A Pub. Agency V. Nev. Pol’Y Res. Inst. Inc., 134 Nev. Adv. Op. 81 (Oct. 18, 2018) (En Banc),
2018
University of Nevada, Las Vegas -- William S. Boyd School of Law
Pub. Emps.’ Ret. Sys. Of Nev., A Pub. Agency V. Nev. Pol’Y Res. Inst. Inc., 134 Nev. Adv. Op. 81 (Oct. 18, 2018) (En Banc), Daniel Brady
Nevada Supreme Court Summaries
The Court determined that the Nevada Public Records Act requires the government agency to disclose the requested information if: (1) it can be found by searching a database for existing information, (2) it is readily accessible and not confidential, and (3) the alleged risks of disclosure do not outweigh the benefits of the public’s interest in the records.
Childhood Obesity And Positive Obligations: A Child Rights-Based Approach,
2018
Seattle University School of Law
Childhood Obesity And Positive Obligations: A Child Rights-Based Approach, Benedetta Faedi Duramy
Seattle University Law Review
Childhood obesity is one of the most serious current public health challenges. Its prevalence has increased at an alarming rate. The World Health Organization estimated that in 2016 the global number of overweight children under the age of five was over 41 million. Although there is widespread concern about the rising rates of childhood obesity, there is not as much consensus on how to address the problem. Obesity has been mostly considered either a matter of personal responsibility or of parental responsibility when it concerns children. Inadequate attention has been given instead to the obligations borne by States to prevent …
Law By Non-Lawyers: The Limit To Limited License Legal Technicians Increasing Access To Justice,
2018
Seattle University School of Law
Law By Non-Lawyers: The Limit To Limited License Legal Technicians Increasing Access To Justice, Rebecca M. Donaldson
Seattle University Law Review
For the first time in the American legal profession, non-lawyers can openly, independently, ethically, and legally engage in activities recognized by bar associations as the practice of law. In 2012, the Washington Supreme Court passed Admission and Practice Rule 28 (APR 28), establishing the profession’s first paraprofessional licensing scheme that allows non-lawyers to give legal advice. The process authorizes qualified non-lawyers to provide legal advice without the supervision of a lawyer. Washington’s Supreme Court intends for Limited License Legal Technicians, or “LLLTs” as they are known, to increase access to justice by responding to the unmet civil legal needs of …
Voila! Taking The Judge Out Of Divorce,
2018
Seattle University School of Law
Voila! Taking The Judge Out Of Divorce, Margaret Ryznar, Angélique Devaux
Seattle University Law Review
This Article examines the possibility of non-judicial divorce in the United States based on the French model. Part I begins by examining the recognition of divorce by agreement of the parties in France. Part II analyzes the judicial role in American divorces, and whether it bars either domestic non-judicial divorce or recognition of foreign non-judicial divorce. Part III undertakes a comparative analysis, concluding that the United States may be amenable to non-judicial divorces that occur not only abroad but, eventually, within its own borders.
Rodriguez V. Fiesta Palms Llc, 134 Nev. Adv. Op. 78 (Oct. 4, 2018),
2018
University of Nevada, Las Vegas -- William S. Boyd School of Law
Rodriguez V. Fiesta Palms Llc, 134 Nev. Adv. Op. 78 (Oct. 4, 2018), Khaylia Decaires
Nevada Supreme Court Summaries
The Court determined that relief under NRCP 60(b)(1) is appropriate when litigants: (1) promptly apply to remove judgement, (2) not intend to delay proceedings, (3) lack knowledge of procedural requirements; and (4) act in good faith. Further, the Court concluded that a district court must consider the relevant facts, including the difficulties faced by pro se litigants, when determining to grant or deny NRCP 60(b)(1) relief.
