Alien Tort Claims Act – Overlawyered

May 23 roundup

Walter Olson — Wed, 23 May 2018 09:57:56 +0000

Judge denies motion to dismiss Title IX suit against Laura Kipnis [Maddie Burakoff, Daily Northwestern, KC Johnson thread on Twitter] First Circuit appeal considers whether persons unconnected with a university can initiate Title IX complaints against it [District of Rhode Island decision in Doe v. Brown via Nicholas Wolfinger thread on Twitter]
“Do we really need to tell you how a rent control regulatory takings claim fared in the Ninth Circuit? We didn’t think so.” [Robert Thomas, Inverse Condemnation, on Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson]
Judge boots 30-year-old who refused to move out of parents’ house [Douglass Dowty, Syracuse Post-Standard] More: Lowering the Bar.
As the Supreme Court narrows the gate for Alien Tort claims, here come the inevitable proposals to widen it again by statute, as by FCPA-izing ATS [Pierre-Hugues Verdier and Paul Stephan, Lawfare]
“Theatre Must Provide Captioning For All Live Performances Says Federal Judge” [Minh Vu, Seyfarth Shaw; Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis]
Still relevant, alas: what I wrote on the ADA and golf competition 20 years ago [Reason “From the Archives”]

Tags: age of majority, Alien Tort Claims Act, disabled rights, Title IX

May 23 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Supreme Court further reels in Alien Tort Statute

Walter Olson — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 04:05:31 +0000

In my new Cato piece, I welcome the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision in Jesner v. Arab Bank, in which it continued its series of cases cabining the for-a-while-adventurous scope courts had begun to assign to the Alien Tort Claims Act of 1789, often called the Alien Tort Statute. In its new decision, the Court ruled that unless Congress provides by law for such application, the statute does not apply to foreign corporations as distinct from natural persons. “Issues of foreign affairs are peculiarly the province of the political branches, which can weigh (and take responsibility for) the dangers of engendering friction with foreign sovereigns by extending liability…. The Court has simply made it clear that if the United States courts are to become a sort of human rights policeman to the world, it is Congress that will need to decide to fit them out for that task.” Justices Gorsuch, Alito, and Thomas, concurring, would have gone further in confining the ATS to the instances in which Congress has chosen to create a cause of action through legislation. More on Jesner from Amy Howe at SCOTUSBlog here and here; related on Kiobel in 2013 here, here, etc. More: Federalist Society “Courthouse Steps” with William Casto and Sam Estreicher.

Tags: Alien Tort Claims Act, Supreme Court

Supreme Court further reels in Alien Tort Statute is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Liability roundup

Walter Olson — Mon, 15 Jan 2018 11:20:39 +0000

Company that advances money to claimants against New York City also donates generously to New York politicos [Shawn Cohen, Julia Marsh, Rich Calder and Bruce Golding, New York Post and followup (“LawCash execs showering Schneiderman with campaign contributions”), as well as editorial and followup]
Jesner v. Arab Bank (whether corporations are exposed to liability under Alien Tort Statute) argued at Supreme Court [John Bellinger and Andy Wang, Lawfare; Anthony J. Bellia and Bradford R. Clark, Lawfare; Just Security symposium; Federalist Society teleforum with William Casto and Samuel Estreicher]
For defendants in pending patent litigation, T.C. Heartland decision on patent venue may not offer a get-out-of-Texas card [Jeffri A. Kaminski, WLF]
Top ten class action related developments of 2017 [Paul Karlsgodt; plus Andrew Trask on the class action issues of ascertainability and Spokeo standing in 2017]. And Jim Beck offers a defense perspective on most and least helpful court decisions of the year for pharmaceutical and medical device makers;
Missed this from 2014: how tort law creates pressures (before any dispute arises) to intrude on privacy [Eugene Volokh, Columbia Law Review]
“Alabama SC: Settlement schedule violates due process rights, class members deserve more information” [Jessica Karmasek, Legal NewsLine; MedPartners securities action]

Tags: Alien Tort Claims Act, class actions, Eastern District of Texas, Eric Schneiderman, litigation finance, NYC, pharmaceuticals, privacy

Liability roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Supreme Court and constitutional law roundup

Walter Olson — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 05:05:56 +0000

Constitutional right to teach children in a foreign language: the story of Meyer v. Nebraska, 1922 [Dave Kopel]
Court to address Indian law issues in three cases this term: right of counsel in tribal courts, conditions of removal from tribal to federal courts, tax authority on former tribal land [Daniel Fisher]
As constitutional conservatives go, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz are at odds on Lochner. Why that’s important [Roger Pilon]
2013 Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Shell decision hasn’t killed off Alien Tort cases, especially not in Ninth Circuit [Julian Ku/Opinio Juris on rejection of certiorari in Doe v. Nestle, background John Bellinger/Lawfare]
Textbook-resale case from 2013 term, Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, is coming back for a ruling on fee award standards in copyright cases [ArsTechnica]
High court will review federal court’s jurisdiction to resuscitate denied class certification [Microsoft v. Baker, Ninth Circuit ruling; Fisher]
“Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh: If You Don’t Want To Be Tracked, Turn Off Your Phone” [Motherboard/Vice on stingray surveillance]

Tags: Alien Tort Claims Act, cellphones, constitutional law, Indian tribes, schools, Supreme Court, surveillance

Supreme Court and constitutional law roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

January 20 roundup

Walter Olson — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 05:05:20 +0000

As an experienced lawyer Hillary Clinton surely knows better than to say the things she’s saying about gun lawsuits. [Charles Cooke, thanks for citing my work]
While we’re at it, Ms. Clinton, there is so much wrong with your contemplated business exit tax [Ira Stoll, New York Sun]
Metallica vs. cover band cease/desist spat gets patched up quickly [Rockfeed, followup]
Alas, RICO suits harassing Colorado legal-pot business appear to be prospering [Jacob Sullum/Reason, my Cato take]
Judge tosses $21.5 million award in that colorful Holland America case we’ve covered [Seattle Times, earlier]
Labor-rights case from Colombia causing further difficulty for Terry Collingsworth, attorney known for Alien Tort suits [Daniel Fisher, earlier]
“Harvard Law Review Freaks Out, Sends Christmas Eve Threat Level Over Public Domain Citation Guide” [Mike Masnick, TechDirt]

Tags: Alien Tort Claims Act, Harvard, Hillary Clinton, music and musicians, Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, racketeering and RICO

January 20 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Supreme Court roundup

Walter Olson — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 05:05:57 +0000

SCOTUS takes up oral argument Monday on one of this year’s cases on uninjured plaintiff standing [Anne Friedman/DLA Piper, Richard Samp/WLF on Spokeo, Inc., v. Robins, more from Theodore Olson/Lucas Townsend, WLF on uninjured-plaintiff class actions]
Time magazine asked law professors to pick best and worst SCOTUS rulings. Much consequentialism ensued [Orin Kerr, Ilya Somin]
Fisher v. University of Texas, the affirmative action case, returns to the high court [Alison Somin, Federalist Society blog]
CBIA vs San Jose case could upend some of zoning law [Ilya Shapiro and Trevor Burrus, Cato, via @nickzaiac]
Rebuff to DoJ: “Supreme Court denies cert in US v. Newman insider trading tipping case” [Prof. Bainbridge, more, Peter Van Doren/Cato]
Will Court agree to revisit Alien Tort Statute in Ivory Coast-related case of Nestle v. Doe? [WLF]
Can defendant moot a class action by fully satisfying claim of named plaintiff? [Daniel Fisher on Campbell-Ewald v. Gomez] “Gomez Is Not the Slam Dunk You Think It Is” [Andrew Trask]

Tags: Alien Tort Claims Act, class actions, land use and zoning, Supreme Court

Supreme Court roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Drummond Coal vs. Terry Collingsworth

Walter Olson — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 04:05:49 +0000

Terry Collingsworth, a well-known attorney specializing in Alien Tort cases against defendants like Chiquita, Coca-Cola, Dole, and Chevron over alleged overseas misconduct, is enmeshed in a bitter fight with the Alabama-based, privately held Drummond Coal empire in which heated allegations are flying in both directions [Daniel Fisher, Forbes]

Tags: Alien Tort Claims Act, ethics

Drummond Coal vs. Terry Collingsworth is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Supreme Court and constitutional law roundup

Walter Olson — Tue, 27 May 2014 04:05:47 +0000

Boston’s North End, the home-as-one’s-castle doctrine, and how we got the Fourth Amendment [Ted Widmer, Globe]
NYT sniffs at Origination Clause as basis for ObamaCare challenge, but many framers of Constitution saw it as vital [Trevor Burrus, Forbes; Ilya Shapiro; four years ago on another Origination Clause episode]
Justice Scalia, concurring in Schuette, knocks the fabled Carolene Products footnote down a peg [Michael Schearer]
SCOTUS lets stand New Jersey’s very extreme gun control law. Was it serious about reviving the Second Amendment? [Ilya Shapiro]
Didn’t link this earlier: Kenneth Anderson discusses his excellent Cato Supreme Court Review article on Kiobel, the Alien Tort case [Opinio Juris]
Kurt Lash guestblogs on 14th Amendment privileges and immunities clause [Volokh Conspiracy]
Supreme Court reviving law/equity distinction? (Hope so.) [Samuel Bray, SSRN via Solum]

Tags: Alien Tort Claims Act, Boston, constitutional law, Fourth Amendment, guns

Supreme Court and constitutional law roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

International human rights roundup

Walter Olson — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 04:05:25 +0000

U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities remains a bad, bad, bad, idea, but Senate Foreign Relations Committee has now scheduled hearings for Nov. 5 and Nov. 12 in effort to push it through;
Proliferation of human rights treaties not necessarily good for, well, human rights [Jacob Mchangana et al. via Sullivan “Dish”; cf. David Kopel, NYT “Room for Debate” last year]
Claim: Urban planning schemes are a human right [Wikipedia on “Right to the City”] U.N. Special Rapporteur calls for legally enforceable international right to food [UN]
CRPD cited in Spain by group campaigning against “disability-selective abortion” [Pablo de Lora, Harvard “Bill of Health”]
Some forms of national sovereignty OK after all? Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP) cited in Indian tribal claims [Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, Truthout] “Lakota to file UN Genocide Charges Against US, South Dakota” [Jeff Armstrong, CounterPunch]
“N.Y. state appeals ruling opens courthouse door to foreign victims” [Alison Frankel] First post-Kiobel ATS case smacks down plaintiffs on South Africa claims [Julian Ku/Opinio Juris, Fed Soc Blog]
Panel from Cato’s Constitution Day includes Kenneth Anderson discussing his excellent article on Kiobel in the Cato Supreme Court Review; also includes presentations by Ilya Somin on property rights and Andrew Grossman on City of Arlington, with Roger Pilon moderating [Cato video, podcast]

Tags: Alien Tort Claims Act, eat drink and be merry, Indian tribes, international human rights, South Dakota, United Nations

International human rights roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

International law roundup

Walter Olson — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 04:05:46 +0000

U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to Germany: to comply with your treaty obligations, you must punish this insensitive discussion of immigrants [Volokh, Bader]
California’s Armenian genocide law entrenches on federal foreign affairs power [Ku/OJ]
Heritage Foundation urges feds to overrule state marijuana laws on grounds of international treaty obligations [via @LucyStag]
UN conventions ban torture, but that can bear meanings very different than in common parlance [Wesley Smith, Weekly Standard]
Kiobel-aftermath marathon at Opinio Juris: Spiro, Lederman, Ku, Bellinger and Kontorovich, Alford, Phillips, Moyn, earlier here, here. More: Eugene Kontorovich podcast, Federalist Society.
Underreported: how international vote buying influences outcomes in UN, similar bodies [Natalie Lockwood/OJ]
Adding a Protocol: U.N. human rights chief “today welcomed the birth of a new mechanism which will empower individuals to seek out justice when their rights to food, adequate housing, education or health are violated.” [UN]

Tags: Alien Tort Claims Act, international human rights, United Nations

International law roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system