Law of the United States

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1 Law of the United States An Overview by Peter Hay L. Q. C. Lamar Professor of Law Emory University, Atlanta Universitatsprofessor (ret.), Dresden Third Edition C.H.BECK Bruylant, Brussels 2010

2 Preface (2010) Preface (2002) List of Abbreviations V VII IX XIX Chapter 1: Introduction, Sources, Nature of U.S. Law, Legal Methodology 1 A. Historical Aspects 1 I. Roots of American Law 1 II. The Reception of English Law in America 5 B. The Sources of American Law 7 I. Federal and State Statutory Law 7 II. American Law as Case Law 9 III. Finding Applicable Case Law Common Law Subject Matters Statutory Law Secondary Sources Computer-assisted Legal Research 16 Chapter 2: Public Law 18 A. Constitutional Law 18 I. Basic Principles 18 II. The Federation The Legislature: Congress The Executive Branch: President and Federal Government The Judicial Branch: The U.S. Supreme Court and Lower Federal Courts 30 III. The States of the Union 31 IV. U.S. Territories 33 B. Basic Rights 34 I. The Origin and the Development of the Bill of Rights 34 II. Particular Basic Rights 36

3 X C. Immigration Law Issues 39 I. Entry and Sojourn 39 II. Naturalization 42 III. Loss of Citizenship 42 IV. Deportation 43 D. Administrative Law 44 I. Introduction Administrative Law Defined Origins and Contemporary Sources 44 II. Administrative Agencies Ministry-level and Independent Agencies Administrative Agencies and Separation of Powers 46 III. Administrative Procedure Forms of Administrative Acts Procedural Safeguards and Hearings 49 IV. Judicial Recourse 50 Chapter 3: The Judicial System: Courts and Civil Procedure A. Introduction 53 I. The Civil Suit and Civil Procedure 53 II. Sources 54 B. Court Organization and Subject Matter Jurisdiction 55 I. The Federal Courts Structure Subject Matter Jurisdiction 57 II. State Courts Structure Subject Matter Jurisdiction 60 III. Summary 60 IV. Changing Courts: Removal, Federal Transfer, and Forum Non Convemens 60 C. Jurisdiction over Persons and Things 62 I. In General 62 II. Forum Selection (Choice-of-Court) Clauses 62 III. Submission 63 IV. Jurisdiction at the Situs 64 V. Personal Jurisdiction General Jurisdiction Specific Jurisdiction Special Problems of Federal Jurisdiction 68

4 XI VI. Venue 68 VII. Declining to Exercise Jurisdiction Forum Non Conveniens Federal Transfer Parallel Litigation (Lis Pendens) 71 D. Civil Procedure 72 I. The Civil Suit and the Course of Litigation Introduction 72 a Defining the Claim; Remedies Available; Punitive Damages 72 b) Costs and Attorneys' Fees: The "American Rule" Commencement of Suit Broadening the Suit: Additional Claims or Parties 76 a) Introduction 76 b) Claim Joinder 76 c) Counterclaim 77 d) Party Joinder : 78 e) Crossclaim 78 f) Impleader 79 g) Intervention 80 h) Interpleader 80 i) Class Action Discovery 84 a) In General 84 b) Jurisdiction 85 c) The Discovery Motion Provisional Remedies 86 a) In General 86 b) Preliminary Injunctions 86 c) Temporary Restraining Orders 87 d) Attachment Summary Judgment Trial 88 a) The Course of a Trial 88 b) The Jury Trial Use and Proof of Foreign Law The Effects of a Judgment 91 a) Claim Preclusion 91 b) Issue Preclusion 93 c) Conflict-of-Laws Problems in Preclusion Reopening; Appeal 94

5 XII II. Recognition and Enforcement General Problems and Considerations Recognition in Interstate Practice Recognition of Foreign-Country Judgments Execution 98 E. Alternative Dispute Resolution 98 I. In General 98 II. Forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution Arbitration Other Forms of ADR 99 Chapter 4: Conflict of Laws (Private International Law) 101 A. Introduction 101 B. Sources 102 I. Treaties 102 II. Federal and State Law 103 III. The ne-doctrine 103 C. Development and Current State of the Choice-of-Law Debate 105 D. General Principles (Pervasive Problems) 108 I. Domicile 108 II. Characterization 108 III. Depegage 109 IV. Renvoi 110 V. Ordre Public Ill E. Choice of Law by Subject Matter 112 I. Contracts 112 II. Torts 114 III. Property 117 IV. Family Law 119 V. Inheritance/Succession 121 VI. Trusts 121 VII. Company Law 122 Chapter 5: Private Law 124 A. The Law of Contracts 124 I. Introduction 124

6 XIII II. Formation of a Contract Offer and Acceptance 127 a) Offer 127 b) Acceptance Consideration Formality Void and Voidable Contracts 136 a) Lack of Capacity 136 b) Illegality 136 c) Fraud and Duress 136 d) Mistake of Fact 137 e) Considerations of Fairness 137 III. The Contract Contractual Terms UCC Art. 2: Sale of Goods 139 a) Duties of the Parties 139 b) The Passage of Risk 140 c) Express and Implied Warranties Conditions 141 IV. The Satisfaction of a Party's Contractual Duties: Performance Common Law Uniform Commercial Code Rejection of Delivery Acceptance of Goods and Subsequent Return 143 V. Termination of the Contractual Obligation Breach by the Other Party Stipulations Subsequent to Contract Formation: Modification Impossibility and Frustration of Contract 145 a) Overview 145 b) Impossibility 145 c) Frustration of Purpose 146 VI. Remedies for Breach Damages Specific Performance 148 VII. Third Party Beneficiary Contracts 149 VIII. Assignment of Rights and Delegation of Duties Assignment of Contract Rights Delegation of Contract Duties 152 B. Restitution and Unjust Enrichment 152 I. The Concept Defined (Relationship to Contract and Tort)

7 XIV II. Case Constellations 153 III. The Content of the Claim 154 C. The Law of Torts 155 I. Introduction 155 II. Intentional Torts Torts Against Persons 156 a) Battery 156 b) Assault 157 c) False Imprisonment 157 d) Infliction of Mental Distress Torts Against Things 158 a) Trespass 158 b) Conversion Privileges Extent of Liability 162 III. Negligence Duty of Care 162 a) General Standard 162 b) Owners and Occupiers of Land Violations of the Duty of Care 164 a) General Requirements 164 b) Burden of Proof Causation and Damages Privileges 167 IV. Nuisance 168 V. Strict Liability 168 VI. Products Liability 169 VII. Reputation and Privacy Defamation Invasion of Privacy Malicious Prosecution and Abuse of Process 175 VIII. Other Issues of Liability Joint and Several Liability Vicarious Liability Immunity 178 IX. Law of Damages Nominal Damages Compensatory Damages Punitive Damages Wrongful Death and Survival Statutes 184 X. Reform of Tort Law 184

8 XV D. The Law of Property 185 I. Introduction 185 II. Tenancy Shared by Several Persons 185 III. Real Property Types of Legal Interests in Real Property Freehold Estates Non-Freehold Estates Future Interests Landlord and Tenant Limitations on Legal Interests and Rights of Use Acquisition of Legal Interests in Real Property 198 a) Adverse Possession 198 b) Acquisition by Legal Transaction 198 c) Bona Fide Acquisition Mortgages Moveable Property 201 a) Bailment 201 b) Bona Fide Acquisition 203 c) Security Interests 203 E. Family Law 205 I. Introduction 205 II. Marriage Engagement and Marriage Effects and Consequences of Marriage Support and Matrimonial Property Divorce Cohabitation Without Marriage, Same-sex Marriage, and Domestic Partnerships 219 III. Parents and Children Legitimation and Descent Custody Support Adoption 228 F. Inheritance Law and Trusts 230 I. Introduction 230 II. Succession by Statute 231 III. Inheritance by Will Validity Capacity and Limits of Party Autonomy 234 IV. Statutory Share 236 V. Rejecting an Inheritance 237

9 XVI VI. Probate 238 VII. Trusts Nature and Function Issues in Trust Law 242 Chapter 6: Business Law and Economic Regulation 245 A. Company Law and the Law of Capital Markets 245 I. Agency In General The Creation of an Agency Rights and Duties in the Agency Relationship 247 II. Unincorporated Business Associations The General Partnership 248 a) In General 248 b) Creation 248 c) Liability 249 d) Liquidation The Limited Partnership 249 a) In General 249 b) Limited and General Partnership Distinguished Other Forms of Business Associations 251 a) Joint Venture 251 b) Registered Limited Liability Partnerships 252 III. Incorporated Business Associations In General Public Corporations 253 a) In General 253 b) Incorporation 253 c) Participation in Capital (Shares and Other Forms) 254 d) Structure: Governing Bodies 255 e) Internal Affairs-Rule The Close Corporation The Sole Proprietorship Other Forms of Corporations The "Delaware Effect" Recognition Abroad 260.IV. The Limited Liability Company 260 V. Out-of-State Companies 261 VI. The Law of Capital Markets State Supervision Forward Looking Statements Insider Trading 264

10 XVII B. The Law of Insolvency 265 I. Introduction 265 II. Jurisdiction 267 III. Forms of Insolvency Proceedings Under Federal Law 268 C. Competition Law 271 I. In General 272 II. The Sherman, Clayton, and FTC Acts 273 III. Sanctions 277 IV. Extraterritorial Application of Antitrust Law 280 V. Unfair Trade Law 286 VI. Limitations Applicable to U.S. Foreign Trade 287 D. Employment and Welfare Law 289 I. Development of Employment Law 289 II. Contractual Employment Relations General Principles The Prohibition of Discrimination Minimum Standards 295 III. Collective Bargaining 295 IV. Welfare Law 296 Chapter 7: Criminal Law and Procedure 300 A. Criminal Law 300 I. Introduction 300 II. General Principles Prerequisites for Criminal Culpability Defenses Vicarious Liability in Criminal Law 304 III. Selected Crimes 304 IV. Death Penalty 312 B. Criminal Procedure 316 I. The Effect of Constitutional Guarantees 316 II. The Course of Criminal Proceedings The Investigative Phase 318 a) Arrest 318 b) Search and Seizure 320 c) Miranda-jRtgks 323 d) Right to Counsel 325 e) Limits on Use of Evidence and Exceptions The Pre-trial Phase 326

11 XVIII 3. The Trial The Imposition of Punishment (Sentencing) Appeals 337 III. Post-Conviction Remedies The Constitutional Guarantee of habeas corpus Reform of Federal habeas corpus-law Review Mechanisms Under State Law 341 Appendix 1: A Case Law Illustration and Commentary: MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co 343 Appendix 2: U. S. Constitution 357 Appendix 3: Legal Education and the Legal Profession in the United States 377 I. Legal Education 377 II. Legal Careers 381 A. Private Practice 381 B. Public Service 384 C. Societal Role 386 Appendix 4: Map of the Federal Courts of Appeal and District Courts 388 Table of Cases 389 Index 409

List of Figures. Acknowledgments About the Author

List of Figures. Acknowledgments About the Author Contents List of Figures Preface Acknowledgments About the Author xxi xxiii xxvii xxix PART A LAWS AND COURTS CHAPTER 1. OUR LEGAL SYSTEM 3 1.1 Common Law versus Civil Law 4 1.1.1 Common Law 4 1.1.2 Civil