johns fmt 4/19/02 3:27 PM Page i The United States Legal System

johns fmt 4/19/02 3:27 PM Page i The United States Legal System

johns fmt 4/19/02 3:27 PM Page ii

johns fmt 4/19/02 3:27 PM Page iii The United States Legal System an introduction Margaret Z. Johns Rex R. Perschbacher Carolina Academic Press Durham, North Carolina

johns fmt 4/19/02 3:27 PM Page iv Copyright 2002 Margaret Z. Johns and Rex R. Perschbacher All Rights Reserved ISBN 0-89089-041-2 LCCN 2002104057 Carolina Academic Press 700 Kent Street Durham, North Carolina 27701 Phone (919)489-7486 Fax (919) 493-5668 www.cap-press.com Printed in the United States of America

johns fmt 4/19/02 3:27 PM Page v Contents Acknowledgments chapter 1 Introduction to United States Legal Education 3 1.1 The History of Legal Education 3 1.1.1 The Apprenticeship System 3 1.1.2 The Academic Model 5 1.2 The Nature of Legal Education 9 1.2.1 Langdell s Harvard Model 9 1.2.2 Practical Professional Training 11 1.3 Legal Education Today 15 1.4 Discussion Questions 22 chapter 2 Introduction to the United States Legal Profession 25 2.1 The Regulation of Lawyers 25 2.2 The Number of Lawyers 27 2.3 The Gender and Racial Diversity of the Bar 29 2.3.1 Gender Diversity 29 2.3.2 Racial Diversity 32 2.4 The Settings in which Lawyers Practice 35 2.4.1 Historical Overview 35 2.4.2 Sole Practitioners and Small Firms 37 2.4.3 Middle-Sized and Large Firms 40 2.4.3(a) Middle-Sized Firms 40 2.4.3(b) Large Firms 41 2.4.4 In-House Counsel 46 2.4.5 Lawyers for the Government 49 2.4.5(a) Lawyers in the Judiciary 49 2.4.5(b) Lawyers for Local Governments 52 2.4.5(c) Lawyers for State Governments 52 2.4.5(d) Lawyers for the Federal Government 53 2.4.6 Public Interest Lawyers 53 2.4.6(a) The Historical Antecedents 53 2.4.6(b) Lawyers for the Poor 54 2.4.6(c) Advocates for Group Legal Rights 58 chapter 3 I n trodu cti on to the United States Legal Sys tem 61 3.1 Multiple Sovereignties 62 viii v

johns fmt 4/19/02 3:27 PM Page vi vi contents 3.1.1 Federalism 62 3.1.2 Substantive Law Areas of the Multiple Sovereigns 64 3.2 The Federal Government 66 3.2.1 United States Constitution 66 3.2.2 The Three Branches of Government 67 3.2.2(a) The Legislative Branch 68 3.2.2(b) The Executive Branch 68 3.2.2(c) The Judicial Branch 69 3.2.2(c)(i) Court Structure 69 Trial Courts 69 Appellate Courts 71 Supreme Court 73 3.2.2(c)(ii) Federal Jurisdiction 75 3.2.2(c)(iii) Judicial Review 77 3.2.2(d) Separation of Powers 80 3.3 The State Governments 83 3.3.1 State Court Structure 83 Trial Courts 83 Intermediate appellate courts 85 Supreme courts 86 3.3.2 Parallels and Contrasts to the Federal System 86 3.3.3 Areas of State Law 88 3.3.4 Continuing Evolution of the Common Law 89 3.4 Two Features of the United States Judicial Process 92 3.4.1 The Doctrine of Stare Decisis 92 3.4.2 The Merger of Law and Equity 94 3.5 The Overlap and Complexities 97 3.6 Discussion Questions 102 chapter 4 Introduction to Statutes and Statutory Interpretation 105 4.1 Approaches to Statutory Interpretation 105 4.1.1 The Literal Rule 105 4.1.2 The Golden Rule 106 4.1.3 The Social Purpose Approach 107 4.2 Canons of Construction 107 4.2.1 Plain Meaning 108 United States v. Locke 108 Dissent to United States v. Locke 112 4.2.2 Ejusdem Generis ( Of the Same Kind ) 116

johns fmt 4/19/02 3:27 PM Page vii contents vii 4.2.3 Noscitur a Sociis ( It Is Known by Its Companions ) 117 4.2.4 Expressio Unius ( The Mention of One Thing Excludes Other Things ) 117 4.2.5 Narrow Construction of Penal Statutes 117 4.2.6 Broad Construction of Remedial Statutes 118 4.2.7 Specific Statutes Take Precedence Over General Statutes 118 Strawberry v. Albright 118 4.2.8 Dueling Canons 120 4.3 Legislative Intent 121 4.3.1 The Legislative Process 121 4.3.2 Legislative History 121 Wisconsin Public Intervenor v. Mortier 123 Concurring Opinion in Wisconsin Public Intervenor v. Mortier 128 4.4 The Retroactivity Problem 137 Martin v. Hadix 140 chapter 5 Introduction to Cases and Case Analysis 151 5.1 Reading Cases 151 5.2 Evolution of the Common Law 154 Applebaum v. Kidwell 154 Isaacs v. Huntington Memorial Hospital 156 5.3 Stare Decisis 163 Ann M. v. Pacific Plaza Shopping Center 164 5.4 Continuing Evolution of the Common Law 177 Rosenbaum v. Security Pacific Corporation 177 5.5 The Retroactivity Problem 186 Douglas v. Ostermeier 189 chapter 6 Putting It All Together 203 6.1 Romero Facts 203 6.2 Romero Procedure 204 6.3 Romero Issue 205 6.4 Separation of Powers Analysis 205 6.5 Statutory Construction of the Three Strikes Law 210 6.6 Retroactivity of the Romero Decision 217 6.7 Disposition of Romero 220 Glossary 225 Index 231

johns fmt 4/19/02 3:27 PM Page viii Acknowledgments Many people contributed to this book in many ways. While space does not permit me to thank them each individually, a few deserve special mention. I wish to acknowledge and thank my research assistants, David Gross, Mike Reitzell, and Carrie Rosenbaum for their hard work and invaluable suggestions. Thanks to Tim Colton at Carolina Academic Press for his help on the manuscript. I m also grateful to my colleagues, friends, and family for their encouragement and support, especially Frank, Bob, and Hope. I m grateful to the UC Davis School of Law for its commitment to the Introduction to Law course and its support of this project. It was a great pleasure to work with Rex in developing these materials and teaching this course. Finally, I wish to thank our first-year students who have made teaching Introduction to Law a surprising, exciting, and altogether wonderful experience. Margaret Z. Johns I wish to thank Margaret and the wonderful students at King Hall. Rex R. Perschbacher viii