Courts Commons^™

Unintended Consequences, Loopholes, And Gibberish: Why There Are Still Securities Act Class Actions In State Courts, Brian Elzweig

Texas A&M Law Review

This Article examines Congress’s decades-long attempt to ensure that securities class action lawsuits of national importance are litigated in federal courts. The intent is limiting strike suits. Congress attempted to curtail strike suits through the enactment of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (“PSLRA”). The PSLRA required heightened pleading requirements to ensure the validity of federal securities class actions. Instead of solving the dilemma, plaintiffs circumvented the PSLRA by bringing fraud cases as state law claims. To combat the circumvention of the PSLRA, Congress enacted the Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act (“SLUSA”). SLUSA federally preempted state law claims based on …

A Network Analysis Of The Singapore Court Of Appeal’S Citations To Precedent, Jerrold Tsin Howe Soh

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This article presents findings from an empirical network analysis of citation practices in Singapore's highest court.A network of all 987 reported Court of Appeal judgments handed down from 2000 to 2017 is constructed. Networkcentrality algorithms are used to rank judgments by centrality. Judgments on contract law, particularly on contractual interpretation and terms, emerge as the most central. Based on this, this article argues that more attention can be paid to interpretation per se as a legal skill. More generally, this article establishes a framework for applying network analysis to Singapore jurisprudence on a larger scale.

Indiana Civil Legal Needs Study And Legal Aid System Scan, Victor D. Quintanilla, Rachel Thelin

Books & Book Chapters by Maurer Faculty

In 2017, the Indiana Coalition for Court Access entered into a partnership with Indiana University to conduct a statewide legal needs study. The IU Center for Law, Society & Culture and the IU Public Policy Institute submit this final report to the CCA. We designed this comprehensive study of legal needs to provide a relevant, reliable source of information with which the CCA, policymakers, and legal aid providers can make strategic decisions about where, when, and how to allocate resources for the effective, efficient delivery of civil legal services. We also designed this project to generate data and information that …

Private Ordering And Improving Information Flow To The Board Of Directors: The Duty To Inform Bylaw, Jennifer O'Hare

University of Richmond Law Review

It seems that almost every day there is another report of a corporate scandal at a public company. Whether the scandal involves sexual harassment by senior management or widespread illegal conduct by employees, the first question asked by investors and the media is usually, “Where was the board?” And the board’s response is almost always, “We didn’t know.” Directors of public companies rely on officers to provide the information the board needs to manage the corporation, but, strangely enough, officers may not even be legally required to provide information to the board. The Delaware General Corporation Law is silent on …

On Opioids And Erisa: The Urgent Case For A Federal Ban On Discretionary Clauses, Katherine T. Vukadin

University of Richmond Law Review

The American opioid epidemic cuts across all social divisions, touching the employed and unemployed. Those with private health insurance are one of the fastest-growing affected groups, but this group struggles most to get care. Despite their insured status, the privately-insured received treatment at half the rate of those with Medicaid and at even lower rates than the uninsured. This article focuses on a significant barrier to treatment for those in employer sponsored benefit plans: the discretionary clause. A discretionary clause grants the decision maker broad latitude and ensures that any federal court review is deferential. Claims processing in such a …

Of Hats And Robes: Judicial Review Of Nonadjudicative Article Iii Functions, Jeffrey L. Rensberger

University of Richmond Law Review

We are accustomed to thinking of Article III courts and judges deciding cases and controversies. But, federal judges and courts have historically also engaged in official but nonadjudicative activities. In addition to a history of federal judges serving on nonjudicial commissions, federal judges and the Supreme Court participate in the rulemaking process for the federal procedural and evidentiary rules. Although some argue to the contrary, the Supreme Court has approved such arrangements in the face of separation of powers objections. Since Article III officers and courts perform nonadjudicative duties, the question arises of how federal courts who address a challenge …

Obtaining And Enforcing A Security Interest In Local Currency Under Article 9 Of The Ucc, Marina C. Leary

University of Richmond Law Review

Community currency is known by many names including complementary currency, alternative currency, and parallel currency. Community currency operates alongside an official or national currency (e.g., dollars or euros) with the purpose of circulating within a small geographic area to facilitate the sale of goods and services. In other words, community currency refers to a privatized form of currency that is not backed by a government entity. With the increased use of community currency, it has the potential to serve as collateral for a security interest under the Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Although there are several types of …

Regulating From The Ground Up: Controlling Financial Institutions With Bank Workers’ Unions, Emma Cusumano

University of Richmond Law Review

In the Wells Fargo accounts scandal, millions of banking accounts were created for customers without their consent. The scandal cost Wells Fargo customers millions of dollars in direct and indirect charges. Investigations revealed that employees were pressured into creating these false accounts through abusive banking practices promulgated from the top. These practices are not unique to Wells Fargo; instead, they are ubiquitous in the financial services industry.

Current financial regulations do not adequately address how to mitigate banks’ harmful practices. This comment explores the premise that bank worker unionization could serve as a much-needed check on the power of financial …

Partnership Lost, Christine Hurt

University of Richmond Law Review

A century ago, two distinct business entities existed that could best be defined by describing either one of them as simply not the other. The corporation and the general partnership were mirror images of one another and opposites on a spectrum of corporate governance, limited liability, and taxation. Partnerships, seen as small, livelihood enterprises between active-owner partners, had personal liability but pass-through taxation. Corporations, seen as larger, capital-intensive enterprises with passive-owner shareholders, had limited liability but double taxation. The tax distinctions survive today, but the stereotypical partnership does not; in fact, the modern partnership is more corporation-like than partnership-like.

Today, …

Contract Creep, Tal Kastner, Ethan J. Leib

Faculty Scholarship

Scholars and judges think they can address the multiple purposes and values of contract law by developing different doctrinal regimes for different transaction types. They think if we develop one track of contract doctrine for sophisticated parties and another for consumers, we can build a better world of contract: protecting private ordering for sophisticated parties and protecting consumers’ needs all at once. Given the growing enthusiasm for laying down these separate tracks and developing their infrastructures, this Article brings a necessary reality check to this endeavor by highlighting for scholars and judges how doctrine in contract law functions in fact: …

Mediation/Collaborative Law: Exploring A New Combination In Alternative Dispute Resolution In Cases Of Divorce And Domestic Violence, Claudia Lanzetta

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This paper takes the suggestion of collaborative law practice for divorcing couples with an element of domestic violence in their relationship a step further, and proposes a deeper collaboration: a new combination called Mediation/Collaborative Law, or "Med/ Collab." The discipline of Alternative Dispute Resolution and its practitioners are not unfamiliar with collaborations. Hybrid processes on the ADR continuum' 7 include Med/Arb and Arb/ Med. In the same spirit, Med/Collab presents the best aspects and benefits of each process, while addressing and overcoming the difficulties each process separately faces in dealing with domestic violence.

Part II of this paper will revisit …

The Life Of Arbitration Law Has Been Experience, Not Logic: Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, And The Federal Arbitration Act, William F. Fox, Ylli Dautaj

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Over the past 50 years, the international business community has settled on the device of international commercial arbitration to resolve the overwhelming number of disputes that arise in their commercial agreements. One reason is that many business people are suspicious of the domestic courts of many host countries and have always sought the comfort of a neutral forum. Arbitration is neutral (i.e., not tied directly to any particular domestic legal system), efficient and confidential. Much of this evolution has been triggered by events in the United States-in particular a long series of United States Supreme Court decisions that ended the …

Evaluating A Permanent Court Solution For International Investment Disputes, Emily Palombo

Law Student Publications

Despite the original objective of investor state dispute settlement (“ISDS”)—to create an unbiased arbitration mechanism to resolve conflicts between states and foreign investors—ISDS tribunals have gained the reputation of being one-sided, nontransparent, and inconsistent in decisions rendered. A major reform proposed to address the criticism of ISDS is the creation of one permanent tribunal, rather than numerous ad hoc tribunals constituted separately for each investment dispute. Discussion of ISDS reform in light of its historical context poses the question: is ISDS really a broken system, or have our global priorities and concerns changed over time? While improvements can be made, …

Colombian Constitutionalism: Challenging “Judicial Supremacy” Through Pluralism, Santiago Garcia-Jaramillo

Cardozo International & Comparative Law Review

The article critically examines the role of judicial review in Colombia, particularly the Constitutional Court's expanding power, and argues for a more restrained approach to prevent judicial supremacy. It emphasizes the importance of pluralism and democratic decision-making, suggesting that controversial issues should be resolved through elected institutions rather than the judiciary. The analysis advocates for institutional reforms to strengthen Congress and ensure accountability, promoting a balance between judicial oversight and democratic processes.

The Soft Power Of Dissent: The Impact Of Dissenting Opinions From The Russian Constitutional Court, Alexandra V. Orlova

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article poses a question regarding the importance of judicial dissents emanating from constitutional courts. It examines the power of dissents emanating from the Russian Constitutional Court, given the fact that the Russian government has invested a significant effort in suppressing dissenting voices. The very presence of dissents in the Russian Constitutional Court poses an interesting question regarding their impact on democracy, consensus building, and civil society. This Article argues that while dissents coming from the Russian Constitutional Court may not be binding, they carry a great deal of "soft power." Judicial dissents aid in challenging commonly espoused consensus both …

Senator Chuck Grassley And Judicial Confirmations, Carl Tobias

Law Faculty Publications

Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley finished his second term as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee with the early January 2019 adjournment of the 115th Congress. He was the first nonlawyer to lead the august committee over almost 200 years. A core panel duty is moving judicial nominees through the confirmation process, which helps senators discharge their constitutional advice and consent responsibility. Because the Chair plays an integral role—Grassley fulfilled this obligation in a critical, albeit controversial, manner—and because his service as Chair has ended, it is crucial to evaluate how the lawmaker discharged that important responsibility.

This Essay initially …

President Donald Trump's War On Federal Judicial Diversity, Carl Tobias

Law Faculty Publications

In Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, the candidate promised to nominate and confirm federal judges who would possess ideologically conservative perspectives. Across President Trump's first twenty-seven months, the chief executive implemented numerous actions to effectuate his campaign pledge. Indeed, federal judicial selection may be the area in which President Trump has achieved the most substantial success throughout his first twenty-seven months in office, as many of Trump's supporters within and outside the government recognize. Nevertheless, the chief executive's achievements, principally when nominating and confirming stalwart conservatives to the appellate court bench, have imposed numerous critical detrimental effects. Most important for …

Civilly Disobedient: Justifying Juror Misconduct, Grace K. Wilson

CMC Senior Theses

A fair, unbiased jury that follows the courts instructions is a crucial aspect of the American criminal justice system, mandated by both the California and United States Constitution. When jurors violate judicial instructions, it can jeopardize the impartiality of a case. Despite this, little research has been completed on what individual differences are indicative of greater willingness to commit jury misconduct. Misconduct can occur when jurors fail to follow judicial instructions in circumstances that a reasonable person may be tempted to disobey. This study explores potential individual differences that correlate with a greater likelihood of excusing and even committing juror …

Class Actions In Canada: The Promise And Reality Of Access To Justice, Camille Cameron

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Class actions have found their way into the fabric of Canada’s civil justice system. Class action legislation has been in place in Ontario for 27 years and in British Columbia and Quebec for 25 and 40 years respectively. Trial and appellate courts have had many opportunities to deal with and develop the law of class actions. Notwithstanding their longevity, however, there is little qualitative and empirical research to test many of the justice claims that are made in favour of, and the criticisms that are levelled at, class actions. This is the unsettled terrain into which Professor Kalajdzic ventures. Her …

The Role Of International Environmental Law In Canadian Courts, Phillip Saunders

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Book Description

Canadian environmental law is a dynamic and exciting area that is playing an increasingly important role in furthering sustainable development policy. Environmental law has distinctive relevant principles, operating procedures, implications, and importance in comparison with other areas of law, and these distinctions must be appreciated both within the legal community and by all those who are concerned with the way that courts handle environmental cases.

Environment in the Courtroom provides extensive insight into Canadian environmental law. Covering key environmental concepts and the unique nature of environmental damage, environmental prosecutions, sentencing and environmental offences, evidentiary issues in environmental processes …