Politicians, policymakers, and academics will occupy the foreseeable future debating the appropriate lessons to draw in the aftermath of the recent economic downturn. But few observers would question one lesson that has already come into sharp focus: bankruptcy courts play a central role in modern American life. The past two… Read More »
I. The Insulation Thesis
The standing doctrine is the Rorschach test of federal courts. In theory, the doctrine serves a distinct function, namely ensuring that a litigant is the proper party to bring a claim in court. Yet standing remains one of the most contested areas of federal law, with… Read More »
The Supreme Court has recently declared several categories of prisoners, such as juvenile and mentally retarded offenders, to be categorically ineligible for capital punishment under the Eighth Amendment. If these “death ineligible” offenders nonetheless sit on death row with procedurally defective habeas corpus petitions, can the writ be used to… Read More »
In a fairly short period of time, arbitration agreements have migrated beyond their traditional domains, such as commercial transactions between sophisticated business entities, and have come to pervade the contemporary economy. A typical consumer might have agreed, though not necessarily consciously, to arbitrate disputes with his or her credit card… Read More »