N.Y.U. Proceedings

Exploring New Approaches to Unsettled Legal Questions

Author: Editor-in-Chief NYU Moot Court Board Page 6 of 12

Greenwashing and Section 11: Why Current Securities Laws Are Ill-Equipped to Handle Environmental Claims

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On November 29, 2022

In Contributions

by Christopher Menendez*

Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933 imposes liability on issuers of securities for statements that are found to be materially misleading, which are statements containing the type of information a reasonable investor would find significant when making an investment decision. In conjunction with the rising salience of climate issues and concern about “greenwashing,” there has been a push by some investors to bring section 11 claims based on the professed, but ultimately unsuccessful, commitments of companies to combat climate change. However, these claims are unlikely to be successful in combatting greenwashing, as sustainability issues are not normally the sort of information that courts presume investors consider material. This Contribution argues that section 11 is ill-suited to address climate-based misstatements and encourages the adoption of rules the Securities and Exchange Commission has recently proposed to more effectively cover climate disclosures.

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Immutable Skills: The Validity of Career-Based Asylum Categories

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On November 22, 2022

In Contributions

by Nathaniel Brodsky*

Federal asylum law requires that all “particular social groups,” the persecuted identity upon which an asylum claim is based, demonstrate three qualities: immutability, particularity, and social distinction. While courts have historically rejected careers as particular social groups, since people can change jobs and that characteristic is therefore not immutable, this Contribution argues that a more professionalized career—based on the past experience of acquiring specialized skills—is a valid particular social group under asylum law precedent.

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Disparate Impact Claims and Federal Disability Discrimination Law

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On November 17, 2022

In Contributions

by Elizabeth Schwartz*

Together, the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act provide federal protections for individuals with disabilities in a wide variety of contexts. However, while parties can pursue a private right of action under these statutes, circuit courts are split on whether to recognize disparate-impact discrimination claims. This Contribution argues that Supreme Court precedent and statutory purpose require that disparate impact claims be cognizable.

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The Constitutionality of Policing Technology: Evaluating Network Investigative Techniques Under Fourth Amendment Search Doctrine

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On November 15, 2022

In Contributions

by Madison Gonzalez*

Courts review the constitutionality of digital surveillance technologies in criminal investigations under Fourth Amendment search doctrine. In order to constitute a search, a law enforcement practice must either violate an individual’s reasonable expectation of privacy or constitute a physical trespass on private property. In this Contribution, Madison Gonzalez (’23) argues that the use of a Network Investigative Technique (“NIT”) to collect an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address directly from an individual’s computer is a Fourth Amendment search under either test.

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You Vote What You Eat? Assessing the Constitutionality of Prohibitions on Food Distribution to Voters

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On November 10, 2022

In Contributions

by Shara Safer*

A controversial Georgia law, the Election Integrity Act of 2021, prohibits non-profit organizations from handing out food or water to individuals waiting in line to vote. This Contribution argues that the law constitutes an unconstitutional restriction on free speech in a public forum.

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Barred from Birthright: The Constitutional Case for American Samoan Citizenship

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On November 3, 2022

In Contributions

by Tess Saperstein*

Unlike those born in any other United States territory, American Samoans are saddled with the ambiguous legal status of “nationals, but not citizens, of the United States.” American Samoans have repeatedly sued, arguing that they are entitled to birthright citizenship. However, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and the Tenth Circuit have denied their claims, relying on the Insular Cases, a series of early twentieth century Supreme Court decisions dealing with territories acquired as a result of the Spanish-American War. Nonetheless, the modern Court has repeatedly expressed its reluctance to extend the logic of the Insular Cases because of their racist underpinnings. This Contribution argues for the Court to overturn the Insular Cases and grant American Samoans birthright citizenship.

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Applicability of the PSLRA Automatic Discovery Stay in State Courts

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On October 18, 2022

In Contributions

by Catherine Willis*

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (“PSLRA”), 15 U.S.C. § 77z-1(b)(1), provides that discovery should be automatically stayed in Securities Act actions at the motion to dismiss stage. Though Securities Act claims may be brought in either state or federal courts, courts are divided over whether the PSLRA discovery stay applies in both state and federal court or solely applies in federal court. This Contribution argues that the PSLRA discovery-stay provision should apply in any action under the Securities Act, regardless of venue.

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Falsifying a Social Security Number Is Not Morally Turpitudinous

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On October 6, 2022

In Contributions

by Claire Lisker*

A conviction for a “crime involving moral turpitude” renders an undocumented immigrant ineligible for cancellation of removal, a discretionary form of relief that the Attorney General may grant to individuals who have remained in the United States for ten or more years. This Contribution argues that falsifying a Social Security number, as criminalized under 42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(B), is not a crime involving moral turpitude.

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Preserving the Bivens Doctrine in the Fourth Amendment Context

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On October 4, 2022

In Contributions

by Tina LaRitz*

The Bivens doctrine allows plaintiffs who suffer constitutional violations at the hands of federal officers to claim monetary damages from federal courts, absent the statutory recognition of such a right. Recent jurisprudence has increasingly sought to limit this right in a show of judicial conservatism at the expense of deserving plaintiffs. This Contribution argues that the Bivens doctrine must be preserved broadly within the Fourth Amendment unreasonable search context.

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Gatekeeping or Gaslighting? How Courts Mislead Juries by Excluding Expert Testimony on the Accuracy of Eyewitness Identifications

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On September 22, 2022

In Contributions

by Zoe Farkas*

Historically, eyewitness identifications have been considered the gold standard of trial evidence. There’s little that’s more convincing than a witness on the stand confidently pointing at a defendant and proclaiming, under oath, “that’s the one!” However, over the last half century it has become clear that eyewitness identification may actually be one of the most fallible evidentiary tools, despite common misconceptions of its accuracy. Even in the face of growing research demonstrating the unreliability of eyewitness identification, courts have been slow to allow experts to testify to that unreliability in the courtroom. Judges instead bar them as unqualified or unhelpful under Federal Rule of Evidence 702. This Contribution argues that these experts are not only qualified and helpful, but absolutely essential to help juries fulfill their fact-finder duties.

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