Legal Research

Selections from National Law Journal Daily Headlines July 17, 2008

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: NLJ.com, July 17, 2008.

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WEB-ONLY  |  Judges must stick to terms of bankruptcy code that cut higher-income debtors a break
"The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the strict language of the 2005 bankruptcy reform law allows higher-income debtors to limit the amount of money and time for repayment of debts, though lower-income debtors do not share the same benefit. Also, the 9th Circuit held that bankruptcy judges must stick to the terms of the 2005 bankruptcy reform law even though it treats higher-income debtors better than lower-income debtors when it comes to calculating income available to pay creditors in Chapter 13 reorganizations".

WEB-ONLY  |  International court urges U.S. to prevent scheduled executions
"In the ongoing international legal dispute between Mexico and the United States over Mexican nationals on death row, the state of Texas once again moves to the fore. Yesterday, the International Court of Justice directed the United States to take "all measures necessary" to prevent the executions of Jose Medellin and four other Mexican nationals on Texas' death row pending that court's final decision on Mexico's request last month for an interpretation of the so-called Avena judgment."

WEB-ONLY  |  The latest 'what-if' merger speculation: Baker & McKenzie and Heller Ehrman
"Baker & McKenzie, an international firm founded in Chicago, would regain its mantle as the world's largest law firm by attorney head count if rumors about its possible merger with Heller Ehrman were to materialize. A combination with Heller would give Baker, which has about 3,300 full-time lawyers, another 650, vaulting it to the top slot once again with about 4,000 attorneys worldwide."

WEB-ONLY  |  Calif. high court refuses to remove proposed ban on gay marriage from ballot
"The California Supreme Court, which approved same-sex marriage in a landmark ruling in May, has refused to remove a proposed ban on gay marriage from the state's November ballot. The state's highest court cleared the way on June 16 for state voters to weigh in on a ballot initiative, Proposition 8, which would outlaw same-sex marriage under the state constitution."

WEB-ONLY  |  Mortgage crisis spawns unusual class action in San Francisco suburb
"The mortgage crisis has spawned an unusual federal class action by black Americans in a San Francisco suburb alleging city intimidation and harassment of minorities who rent homes using federally subsidized Section 8 housing vouchers in an effort to force them out of the area."

WEB-ONLY  |  International law scholar is first female dean of University of Tulsa College of Law
"International law scholar Janet Koven Levit has been named dean of the University of Tulsa College of Law. Levit becomes the first female dean in the college's history as well as the first dean drawn from among the college's faculty since the 1960s."

OPINION:

FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  Socialization of loss
"The stated ideology of the Bush era has been that the free markets should run unfettered. In light of the U.S. government's recent intervention with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, it is clear that the actual ideology is the privatization of profit and the socialization of loss, at least for huge financial institutions. Our regulatory structure has to address three issues. Financial institutions may be too big, too complex or too politically connected to fail. Fannie and Freddie, unfortunately, are all three."

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on July 17, 2008 (boomark / email).