Features
Supreme Court Hands Arbitrators the Keys to the Class Action
A plurality of the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that an arbitrator must decide whether class action arbitration in a consumer action is authorized. <i>Green Tree Financial Corp. v. Bazzle</i>, 123 S.Ct. 2402, (June 23, 2003). Four Justices concluded that whether or not the contracts forbid class arbitration is a disputed issue of contract interpretation and that such a dispute must be decided by an arbitrator. Justice Stevens concurred in the judgment.
John Gaal's Ethics Corner
Your ethics questions answered by the expert.
Decisions of Interest
Recent decisions of importance to your practice.
Features
A New York Perspective on Workplace 'Spam'
When employees lose their jobs, bitterness may breed revenge - revenge that goes well beyond the pilfering of pens on the way out. Disgruntled former employees have been known to defame the company to its clients, offer inside information to competitors, and initiate frivolous litigation, all at great cost to their former employers. But there is another problem that may be on the rise: spam, the Internet's version of junk mail.
Decisions of Interest
Recent decisions of importance to your practice.
Spousal Maintenance Arrears: Judge Gets Tough
If a Nassau County judge has his way, people who are in arrears on their spousal maintenance payments will face much tougher sanctions.
The Guardian <i>Ad Litem</i> As Mediator
In the high-conflict divorce, try as it may, a court has little to offer minor children caught in Mom and Dad's crossfire. Regrettably, in many, if not most, instances, the more resources directed toward high conflict divorces, the more opportunity for escalating the conflict, unintended though it may be. One of the reasons for this entrenching of positions seems to be the identification of a specific role with its concomitant stance for everyone involved.
Features
Freeing Severely Abused Children Just Got Easier
<b><i>ASFA Can Be Retroactive, Says Judge</i></b> In a decision issued July 2 in a case of first impression, Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye of the Court of Appeals interpreted the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), enacted in February 1999, to find that it can be applied retroactively to expedite the placement of severely abused children and their siblings.
Features
Should Forensic Psychologists Make Custody Recommendations?
<b><i>Part One of a Two-Part Article.</i></b> Forensic psychological assessments are often pivotal documents that can have a dramatic effect on the trajectory of a contested custody dispute and, ultimately, on the path a particular child's life will take post disposition. Forensic reports arrive in court as documents that represent the application of a behavioral "science" and there is therefore a common expectation that the recommendations will be weighted heavily because they will go beyond common public knowledge or subjective value choices.
Need Help?
- Prefer an IP authenticated environment? Request a transition or call 800-756-8993.
- Need other assistance? email Customer Service or call 1-877-256-2472.
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright LawsThis article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.Read More ›
- "Holy Fair Use, Batman": Copyright, Fair Use and the Dark KnightThe copyright for the original versions of Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse have expired. Now, members of the public can create — and are busy creating — their own works based on these beloved characters. Suppose, though, we want to tell stories using Batman for which the copyright does not expire until 2035. We'll review five hypothetical works inspired by the original Batman comic and analyze them under fair use.Read More ›
- Legal Possession: What Does It Mean?Possession of real property is a matter of physical fact. Having the right or legal entitlement to possession is not "possession," possession is "the fact of having or holding property in one's power." That power means having physical dominion and control over the property.Read More ›
- Removing Restrictive Covenants In New YorkIn Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?Read More ›