Exploring New Approaches to Unsettled Legal Questions

Category: Contributions Page 8 of 15

Necessary or Sufficient? The Applicability of the Exchange Act to Domestic Securities Transactions Under Morrison v. National Australia Bank Ltd.

by William Bristow*

Do Section 10(b) the Exchange Act and SEC Rule 10b-5 apply to securities transactions entered into in the United States where the security is not sold on a national exchange and is valued based on the price of a different security not sold within the United States? In this Contribution, William Bristow (’21) discusses the implications of Morrison v. National Australia Bank Ltd., where the Supreme Court held that the Exchange Act does not apply extraterritorially and thus only applies to domestic securities transactions. This Contribution argues that Morrison’s “transactional test” establishes a sufficient condition for the application of the Exchange Act, not a necessary condition.

Inverting the Scope-of-the-Project Rule: Determining When Government Pre-Condemnation Announcements Should Change the Default Rule for Just Compensation

By Timothy Lyons*

The Fifth Amendment prohibits the taking of private property “without just compensation,” but the optimal method of determining the precise amount of money that will justly compensate the property owner is not always clear. The general rule has been to set compensation at the fair market value of the property at the time the government takes it, with certain exceptions. In this Contribution, Timothy Lyons (’21) argues that when the government makes a well-publicized pre-condemnation announcement, it may be appropriate to compensate the owner based on the property’s value at the time of the announcement rather than its value at the time of the taking.

Seizures Conducted Absent Physical Force: Momentary Compliance Versus Submission

by Dean S. Acheson*

This Contribution examines whether police have effectuated a Fourth Amendment seizure by show of authority when an individual flees from a momentary encounter. Dean S. Acheson (’21) argues that, under Fourth Amendment precedent, pre-flight compliance does not constitute submission to a show of authority in a police interaction that consists of answering brief questions and engaging in evasive behavior.

Are Drug-Free Workplace Policies Discriminatory?

by Tian Lei*

Do state laws that prohibit employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of medical marijuana cardholder status effectively protect cardholder employees? In this Contribution, Tian Lei (’21) argues that when courts recognize and legitimize employers’ interest in maintaining drug-free work-place policies, cardholder employees become especially vulnerable to adverse employment action. This Contribution establishes that drug-free workplace policies often leave cardholder employees with a choice between their health and their job and that the scope and legitimacy of such policies must be interrogated if the law is to protect medical marijuana cardholders from employment discrimination.

An Application of Federal Preemption Law to State Efforts to Legalize Medical Marijuana

by Shrivats Sanganeria*

The federalist model of separation of powers often sets up protracted conflict over the extent to which the federal government is able to preempt the actions of states. Among the growing arenas for such preemption disputes is the field of controlled substances, which the federal government regulates under the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). However, several state legislatures have challenged the federal government’s preemptive authority by creating medical marijuana cardholder systems, where individuals can register for a card to obtain and consume medical marijuana. Any such state medical marijuana laws (“SMML”) that were modeled this way would prevent cardholders from being discriminated against by their employers, and shield doctors who prescribe medical marijuana from criminal liability. In this Contribution, Shrivats Sanganeria (’21) argues that any such state statute should be preempted under a theory of obstacle preemption, for the state would have affirmatively authorized conduct that Congress prohibited with the CSA, thus frustrating the purpose of the federal legislation.

The ‘P’ is Not For Privacy: Preventing Private Enforcement of HIPAA

by Ryan Knox*

Can plaintiffs bring state law claims of negligence per se based only on alleged violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)? In this Contribution, Ryan Knox (’19) discusses the interaction of HIPAA with state negligence claims and the legal and policy reasons challenging these private claims. This Contribution ultimately argues that negligence per se claims under state law should not be permitted to be brought when based only on alleged HIPAA violations.

Deciphering Non-Discriminatory Licensing Terms Under a FRAND Commitment

by Arielle Koppell*

To what extent can a SEP holder can discriminate in how it licenses to suppliers without violating its FRAND commitment? In this Contribution, Arielle Koppell (’19) considers whether and how SEP holders can discriminate in licensing. Ultimately, this Contribution argues that a SEP holder should be able to arrange differential licensing terms for vertically integrated and non-vertically integrated licensee counterparts require its licensees to purchase tied non-SEP components when those non-SEP components are functionally related.

Just How Extra? The Case for Clear Guidelines to Apply Section 10(b) Extraterritorially

By Mathews R. de Carvalho*         

When does the use of the Exchange Act cross the line into forbidden extraterritoriality? In this contribution, Mathews R. de Carvalho (’19) examines recent federal court decisions which try to develop a body of law under which Section 10(b) might be applied to parties outside the United States without contravening the presumption against extraterritoriality. This Contribution argues that one approach taken by circuit courts – the irrevocable liability test – represents the most faithful application of the Supreme Court’s dictates in Morrison v. National Australia Bank Ltd.

Prejudgment Interest in Hybrid Jones Act-Unseaworthiness Claims

by Nate Blevins*

Are plaintiffs who raise hybrid claims for unseaworthiness under the common law of admiralty and negligence under the Jones Act ineligible to obtain prejudgment interest? In this Contribution, Nate Blevins (’19) discusses the interaction of admiralty common law and the Jones Act—along with the Federal Employers Liability Act incorporated therein—that has led to a circuit split on this issue. Ultimately, this Contribution argues that, contrary to the rule in most circuits, a plaintiff who prevails on both counts of a hybrid claim should be eligible for prejudgment interest.

Language Conduit Theory After Crawford

By Caleb Younger*

Must interpreters be available for cross examination under the Confrontation Clause? In this Contribution, Caleb Younger (’19) discusses the conduit theory in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Crawford v. Washington and subsequent lower court findings. Ultimately, this Contribution argues that the Crawford Court properly interpreted the Sixth Amendment and that the language conduit theory fails under both Supreme Court jurisprudence and the Constitutional text.

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