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Summer 2000
Summer 2000
(June 2000 - August 2000)
Prof. John Coffee was quoted in an article about the SEC's efforts to
draft rules on auditor independence. According to the article, Prof. Coffee
testified in July that he supports an "aggregate limitation on non-audit
services whose ceiling would be set in relation to the auditing revenues from
the client." He noted that such a role would keep the auditing role paramount
rather than becoming a loss leader for other services. Mergers and Acquisitions
Journal, September 1, 2000
Profs. Eben Moglen and Jane Ginsburg were both quoted in an article
titled "Copyright Fight," about the entertainment industry's recent
successful legal battle with a computer hacker who posted DVD decryption software
on the Web. Prof. Moglen said, "The decision made by Judge (Lewis A.) Kaplan
will allow the content industries to consolidate their control of distribution;
that much is clear." In the DVD case, the defendant was accused of helping
to circumvent encryption, but was not charged with stealing any copyrighted
material. In pending cases against file-sharing utilities, however, the defendants
are charged with copyright infringement. Prof. Ginsburg said that's an important
distinction because copyright defendants like Napster argue that their action
is a "fair use" of the material, such as taping a baseball game for
personal use. Access-control defendants are rarely afforded that right. Variety,
August 28, 2000
Prof. David Schizer was quoted in an article titled "Few Options
on Cheney Option Problem." Discussing the possible conflict of interest
in how Dick Cheney handles his stock options in Halliburton, the company he
headed until become the Republican vice presidential nominee, Prof. Schizer
said, "It appears to me that the only sure ways out would be for Halliburton's
board to change the rules or for Congress to change the tax law." He continued,
"The irony is that the derivatives position that leaves him with a neutral
position pretax leaves him with an economic after-tax interest in the stock
going down." According to the article, the Clinton administration has indeed
proposed a highly technical change in tax laws that would affect Mr. Cheney's
situation. Prof. Schizer said the proposed change would effectively allow Mr.
Cheney to offset his losses and gains from one strategy, no matter how large
they were, and thus lock in his profits now, before and after taxes. The
New York Times, August 26, 2000
Prof. John Coffee was quoted in an article about the Emulex press release
scandal, in which a false press release caused the company's stock to drop dramatically.
"...this is not the first time something like this has happened, and it
won't be the last time," said Prof. Coffee. Los Angeles Times, August
26, 2000
Prof. Gerard Lynch '75 received special thanks for his work as a consultant
to the independent counsel's inquiry into Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt's
1997 congressional testimony about a proposed tribal casino in Wisconsin. Special
Prosecutor Carol Elder Bruce thanked Prof. Lynch in her 484-page report, released
August 22, which states that though there is circumstantial evidence that Mr.
Babbitt lied, there is not enough proof to indict him. Star Tribune (Minneapolis,
MN), August 23, 2000
Prof. John Coffee was quoted in an article titled "SEC Finishes
Lazio Inquiry/Recommends No Action Against Congressman." The SEC's insider
trading investigation into Rep. Lazio stemmed from a 600 percent profit he made
with Quick & Reilly stock options in 1997, after buying the options just
weeks before the company was taken over. Some argue that the SEC's findings
don't necessarily mean Lazio is innocent. Prof. Coffee said, "To pursue
the matter in court, they have to find some indication that he has material
non-public information, which he denies. This is not the same thing as saying,
'He's definitely innocent.'" Prof. Coffee continued that most SEC inquiries,
particularly those of the "suspicious trading variety," end without
enforcement action when the agency is stymied in efforts to find corroboration
of insider trading activity. Newsday, August 21, 2000
Asst. Dean Ellen Chapnick appeared on CNN to discuss the New York Times
article about law firms cutting back on pro bono hours. Dean Chapnick said,
"People feel, not too surprisingly, that if I'm paying you $130,000 a year,
you should be earning as much of that back for the firm as you possibly can,
in the form of billable hours, rather than doing pro bono work." CNN
Today, August 21, 2000
Prof. Jim Liebman's report on rates of error in capital sentencing was
reported on/mentioned in the following:
August 20, 2000
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA)
August 21, 2000
The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)
Prof. H. Richard Uviller was quoted in an article titled "Lawyers
Say Drug War's Tactics Draw Addicts Into Serious Crimes." The article discussed
the case of Steven Flowers, who was arrested for selling drugs to the police
after he was approached by an undercover cop who gave him money to purchase
the drugs for him. Legal Aid lawyers have criticized this tactic, saying it
lures addicts into making drug deals and being arrested for crimes they may
not otherwise have committed. Prof. Uviller said that agency cases "border
on the metaphysical" because defendants like Mr. Flowers are, in some sense,
both sellers and buyers. "A guy like this is brokering for both. There
would be no sale if not for the buyer's instigation, but there would also be
no sale if this guy didn't know where to get the drugs or how to make the deal."
The New York Times, August 19, 2000
Prof. Jane Ginsburg was listed as one of many experts involved with
the work-for-hire amendment issue being debated by the recording industry and
musicians/artists. The article states that "the Artists' Coalition and
legal representative Jay Cooper have run this language by some of the most respected
legal scholars in the nation, including Jane Ginsburg, a venerable professor
of intellectual property at Columbia University Law School...." Billboard,
August 19, 2000
Dean David Leebron was quoted on Forbes.com, where he discussed the
Firestone tire recall. Initially, Firestone announced that it would recall the
tires in three phases, beginning with states where more than 80 percent of the
problems had occurred. There was much negative reaction to this plan. Several
days later, the company announced that the recall was in fact nationwide, but
that there had been some confusion caused by their own statements -- a seeming
change in emphasis. Dean Leebron said that potential liability plays a part
in the change of tune, but less so than public relations concerns. The company
will likely face lawsuits by motorists who suffered injuries while riding on
the tires, he continued. If a tire were proved defective, the company would
be strictly liable -- that is, regardless of negligence -- for resulting injuries
in all 50 states. Any delay in effecting the recall could lead to punitive damages
as well. "If the tires are really dangerous, it's not enough to say 'We
don't have enough tires,'" Dean Leebron said. The company should replace
the radials with other tiremakers' brands or with cash. Failure to do so could
lead to punitive damages. More important, it could impact the willingness of
consumers to buy Firestone tires or Ford Explorers that use them, he said. Dean
Leebron faulted the company for not going national with the recall sooner. Forbes.com,
August 18, 2000
Prof. Ronald Gilson was an expert witness for Visa in the credit card
antitrust trial. An article titled "Visa Witness Warns Against Justice's
Board Rule Proposal" states that in his testimony, Prof. Gilson said a
Justice Department proposal would be highly disruptive to the industry. Prof.
Gilson had submitted a report on the card industry earlier in the trial. According
to the article, Prof. Gilson said in his testimony, "The process is changing,
no question. The question is whether the government wants to impose regulatory"
change on an industry. "If Visa tries to experiment (with exclusivity)
and they don't like it, they can change it. With a court ruling this gets written
in stone, and that is a very different process." The American Banker,
August 16, 2000
Prof. John Coffee was quoted in an article titled "Bloomberg helps
nab alleged cyber-extortionists," about two Kazaks who were arrested in
London for hacking into the Bloomberg computer system. The U.S. is seeking their
extradition. Prof. Coffee said, "This is further proof that cops vs. robbers,
which used to be a neighborhood game, is now a global game. It's a classic legal
doctrine: If your statements penetrate a jurisdiction, you become liable under
the laws of that jurisdiction, even if you never physically go there. To a criminal
lawyer, that's breathtaking." USA Today, August 15, 2000
Prof. Jim Liebman was quoted in a round-up article about the U.S. Supreme
Court's 74-case docket this year. Discussing a 5-4 count in which the Court
rejected a ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that said federal
judges could overrule state courts only if all "reasonable jurists"
agreed the state court ruling was unreasonable, Prof. Liebman said, "It's
the first time they said (federal judges) had to defer to anybody." He
called the ruling "incredibly important." New Jersey Law Journal,
August 14, 2000
Prof. Richard Gardner was listed as a member of the Foreign Policy Group
for Gore-Lieberman 2000, which participated in a meeting at the DNC sponsored
by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, a Democratic
Party subsidiary that promotes democracy abroad. National Journal's CongressDaily,
August 14, 2000
Prof. John Coffee was quoted in another article about the SEC's adoption
of Regulation FD, or the "fair disclosure" rule. The Philadelphia
Inquirer, August 13, 2000
Prof. John Coffee was quoted in an article about Republican vice-presidential
candidate Dick Cheney's retirement package from the Halliburton Company, where
he has served as chairman and CEO for the past five years. The company's board
voted to allow him to take an early retirement and leave with a package estimated
at $20 million, rather than exercise an aspect of his contract that would penalize
him for simply resigning without board permission before the retirement age
of 62 (known as the "golden handcuff" clause). Prof. Coffee said that
the Halliburton board was well within its legal powers in granting Mr. Cheney
full retirement benefits before the date in his contract. "The purpose
of such golden handcuffs is to keep an attractive executive from taking a competitive
job in business," Prof. Coffee said. " I don't think you need to extend
that concept to keep someone from becoming pope, vice president or chief justice."
The New York Times, August 12, 2000
Dean Ellen Wayne was quoted extensively in an article titled "Pricey
Grad Schools Don't Always Pay." The article discussed how many business
school students are jumping ship to start their own dot-coms before earning
their degrees, but law school applications are still climbing. Dean Wayne discussed
this year's salary raises at law firms to prevent associates from defecting,
as well as the new practice of lawyers benefiting from equity pools. International
Herald Tribune, August 12, 2000
Prof. John Coffee was also quoted in an article about the approval of
the fair disclosure rule. He said, "I believe the principal benefit of
this will be to enforce the independence and objectivity of the securities analyst.
Right now, corporate executives have a key weapon to hold over the securities
analyst. An analyst, to remain competitive, has to get as much or more selective
disclosure as his competitors." The New York Times, August 11, 2000
Dean David Leebron was quoted in an article titled "Phased recall
may backfire, experts say," about the national recall of Firestone tires.
Because they are short on replacement inventory, Firestone is recalling the
faulty tires in stages, beginning with the warm-weather states where most of
the accidents involving the product have occurred. "It's in Firestone's
interest to get these tires off the road as quickly as possible," said
Dean Leebron. "I think they run the risk of enhancing any possible punitive
damages. It's not enough of an answer for Firestone to say, 'We don't have enough
tires.'" USA Today, August 11, 2000
In another article on the fair disclosure rule, Prof. Goldschmid was
described as "its chief architect." The article said that in drafting
the rule, Prof. Goldschmid was "mindful of the difficulty of stopping the
bad flow of information without chilling the good. That's why the rule won't
allow plaintiff lawyers to use it to sue. It gives companies 24 hours to issue
a press release and cure an unintentional leak. To be liable, executives would
have to be extremely reckless in misjudging what is material. It specifically
allows companies to give a resourceful analyst a piece of non-material information
that completes an investment puzzle." Prof. Goldschmid said, "We don't
want to preclude interviews, plant visits and talking to executives about products.
We do want to preclude hardcore material information simply being turned over
to a favored few." USA Today, August 10, 2000
Prof. Goldschmid also appeared on Nightly Business Report to discuss
the rule after it was approved on August 10. He said, "No company executive
ought to feel concerned about talking to analysts unless he or she is going
to give this kind of hard core information, and that we don't want them to do."
NPR Transcript, August 10, 2000
Prof. John Coffee was quoted in an article titled "Bear Stearns
Settles Case Accusing It of Bad Advice." Two years ago, Bear Stearns was
found negligent in its role as an adviser in an ill-fated takeover. The jury
awarded shareholders $108 million in damages. This week, Bear Stearns settled
the case for $30 million. Prof. Coffee, who testified as an expert witness in
the original trial, said that lawyers for the creditors of Daisy Systems, a
software company, had argued that Bear Stearns contributed to the failure of
the companies by telling them that it was "highly confident" that
it could line up financing for the highly leveraged transaction. When the firm
failed to arrange bank loans, Daisy Systems had to borrow at interest rates
higher than it could afford, Prof. Coffee said. The New York Times, August
8, 2000
Prof. Patricia Williams was mentioned in an article about the closing
of the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue, founded and directed by playwright
and actor Anna Deavere Smith, at Harvard. Prof. Williams participated this year,
performing a spoken-word piece with saxophonist Oliver Lake. The New York
Times, August 7, 2000
Marianne T. Remedios '80 is now executive director of the Minnesota
Higher Education Facilities Authority. Ms. Remedios has served as bond counsel
to the organization for 10 years. The Bond Buyer, August 7, 2000
Prof. Harvey Goldschmid was quoted in several articles about the SEC's
rule on fair disclosure (which was approved on August 10), which he helped draft
while serving as general counsel at the Commission. "Right now the fear
is that information is being given out selectively as a way of keeping analysts
in check," said Prof. Goldschmid. "Fundamentally, for the average
person, there will be a sense of the markets being fairer." The New
York Times, August 4, 2000; The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 6, 2000;
International Herald Tribune, August 7, 2000
Kay R. Sherman '81 has joined the St. Louis office of Thompson Coburn
LLP as Of Counsel in the Intellectual Property and Information Technology practice
area. Press release, August 4, 2000
President Clinton appointed Bill Lann Lee '74 to serve as assistant
attorney general for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice. Mr. Lann Lee
has been acting assistant attorney general for Civil Rights, a position to which
he was appointed on December 15, 1997, and to which he was re-elected twice
in 1998. FDCH Federal Department and Agency Documents and U.S. Newswire,
August 3, 2000, and M2 Presswire, August 4, 2000
Andres Martinez '92 has joined The New York Times as an editorial writer.
Mr. Martinez was most recently an editorial writer at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
He also was a reporter for The Wall St. Journal, an author, a law clerk in Dallas
for Federal District Judge Jerry Buchmeyer, and an associate at Verner, Liipfert,
Bernhard, McPherson & Hand in Washington. The New York Times, August
3, 2000
Prof. John Coffee was quoted in an article about anonymous takeover
bids. He said that new electronic media, and the looser rules, make it easier
for smaller or unknown players to disseminate such offers, as well as unfounded
rumors. Investor's Business Daily, August 3, 2000
Prof. Jim Liebman's report on rates of error in capital sentencing was
reported on/mentioned in the following:
July 31, 2000
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution The Florida Times-Union
August 1, 2000
The Florida Times-Union
James Broadhead '63 was the subject of an article titled "The FPL-Entergy
Deal; FPL's Top Man Made Hard Calls." Mr. Broadhead is chairman and CEO
of Florida Power & Light. He stands to become chairman of the largest utility
and power producer in the U.S. -- a new company that will be created out of
a deal between FPL and Entergy Corp. of New Orleans. The Palm Beach Post,
August 1, 2000
Stacy D. Phillips '83 will serve as a senior partner in the new Los
Angeles firm Phillips, Lerner & Lauzon, which was created out of a reorganization
of the firm Mannis & Phillips. Ms. Phillips, who represents high-profile
clients such as celebrities and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, was a senior
partner in the original firm. In addition to her practice, she is a frequent
lecturer and author, and co-authored State Senate Bill 924, which allows victims
of domestic abuse the right to sue their abusers in civil court. PR Newswire,
August 1, 2000
Marc Engel '85 has joined the Bethesda office of Lerch, Early &
Brewer as partner. Mr. Engel was formerly a partner at Siskind, Grady, Rosen,
Hoover & Levin. Legal Times, July 31, 2000
Prof. John Coffee was quoted in an article titled "Goldman's two
roles on deal: no conflict here," about the company's role in the proposed
merger of VoiceStream Wireless and Deutsche Telekom AG. Goldman serves as both
an advisor to and investor in VoiceStream, a position that some say poses a
potential conflict of interest. Prof. Coffee said, "Goldman had a bigger
problem last year on the Mannesmann offer when they were on different sides
of the same transaction." Mannesmann went on to sue Goldman for conflict
of interest. Investment Dealers Digest, July 31, 2000
Prof. Richard Gardner authored an article titled "The One Percent
Solution; Shirking the Cost of World Leadership," in which he addressed
what he called the "fallacy that a successful U.S. foreign policy can be
carried out with barely one percent of the federal budget." Foreign
Affairs, July/August 2000
A 1996 Columbia Law Review article by Prof. Steven B. Epstein was quoted
in an article about the debate over use of the motto "In God We Trust"
in schools. In his article, Prof. Epstein wrote, "It would take an exceptionally
creative argument to suggest that a national motto is not a government endorsement
of the content of the motto or that the phrase 'In God We Trust' does not embrace
religion and a monotheistic god. The legislative history of the various statutes
spawning the motto merely serves to underscore its obvious purpose." The
Denver Post, July 29, 2000
Prof. Mike Dorf hosted a live chat on CNN.com on July 27 to discuss
Supreme Court appointments and the next president. The session was part of CNN.com's
Law Center site, which has a regular feature called Law Chat (presented by FindLaw).
To view the transcript of the chat session, go to:
Prof. Jack Coffee was a guest on Nightly Business Report to discuss
an SEC proposal to limit the activities of independent auditors. Referring to
accounting firms that provide both independent auditing services and consulting
services to the companies they audit -- a potential conflict of interest --
Prof. Coffee said, "And to the extent that happens, he becomes much more
deferential to management and much more willing possibly to bend the numbers
a little." NPR Transcripts, July 26, 2000
In a second article about the SEC's proposal, Prof. Coffee said that
in addition to the increase in consulting, several recent legal developments
make SEC actions necessary. He said new laws and court rulings have made it
harder to bring lawsuits against accounting firms, meaning they face less liability
for signing off on fraudulent financial reports. Thus, although accounting irregularity
lawsuits remain common, accounting firms are rarely the defendants. The Washington
Post, July 27, 2000
Prof. Harvey Goldschmid was quoted in an article titled "Now appears
to be the best of times for antitrust lawyers." Prof. Goldschmid said,
"There is more activity now than there was in the '80s or early '90s, but
it is warranted. We're not seeing the type of activism of the 1960s when efficiency
was too often disregarded and matters like ease of entry were given too little
weight." USA Today, July 24, 2000
Prof. Jim Liebman's report on rates of error in death penalty sentencing
was reported on/mentioned in the following:
July 24, 2000
Chicago Tribune
Prof. Jim Liebman's report on rates of error in capital sentencing was
reported on/mentioned in the following:
July 23, 2000
The Augusta Chronicle (Georgia)
July 19, 2000
Investor's Business Daily
Prof. John Coffee's comments on the case of Harvey Houtkin were rebroadcast
on CNN's show "Ahead of the Curve" on July 18, 2000
(see In the News, July 18, 2000 for first reference).
Prof. John Coffee appeared on CNN to discuss Harvey Houtkin, whose day
trading firm has been charged with misconduct by the NASD. Prof. Coffee said,
"I believe not only the NASD, but the SEC and state regulators, are concerned
that this is an industry that's gotten in over its head and has sucked in a
large number of basically middle-income investors with the promise that this
was a low-risk way of making a great deal of money." CNN Transcripts:
Moneyline, Moneyline News Hour, and Digital Jam (July 17, 2000); Ahead of the
Curve (July 18, 2000)
Prof. Eben Moglen was a guest on NPR's Morning Edition, where he discussed
the trial of Eric Corley, an Internet journalist accused of using his web site
to distribute software that allows users to crack the anti-copying code of DVDs.
Mr. Corley is being sued by eight major motion picture companies. A programmer
for Linux, Jon Johansen, was also involved in descrambling the code and making
it accessible for free on the web. Prof. Moglen said, "What Johansen was
adding was the part that understood how to descramble DVD content. The studios
responded that this was primarily a tool of piracy.... The use of technical
means somehow extinguishes the consumers' power to do anything with the content
that the maker of that content doesn't like. And a world in which the only fair
use of content is use permitted by the guy who makes it, is a very different
world from the world that we have all grown up living in." NPR Transcripts,
July 17, 2000
Prof. Harvey Goldschmid's comments in the New York Times on June 11
(regarding the changing face of antitrust regulation) were reprinted in a Forbes
magazine article titled "Justice Brandeis Vs. B2B." The article said,
"To rein in a market that offers such obvious advantages to consumers and
businesses based on some Brandeis nostalgia for small shopkeepers would exact
'a terrible efficiency price in terms of technological innovation and global
competitiveness,' in the wise words of Harvey J. Goldschmid, an antitrust professor
at Columbia Law School." Forbes, July 17, 2000
Prof. John Coffee was quoted in several publications about the $145
billion tobacco class-action verdict handed down on July 14. Prof. Coffee
said, "There is no way a judgment can be levied until the appeal process
is concluded...and that could take years." Financial Times (London),
St. Petersburg Times, Dayton Daily News, Sun-Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale, FL),
and The Deseret News (Salt Lake City, UT), July 15, 2000; Chicago Tribune, July
16, 2000
Prof. Richard Gardner's role as a foreign policy adviser to Vice President
Gore was also mentioned in The Washington Times, July 16, 2000 (see In
the News, July 14, 2000 for first reference).
Adjunct Professor Ron Goldstock was quoted in an article titled "Settlement
Still Possible in Olympic Probe." Referring to William Taylor, the attorney
for one of the men accused in the Olympic bribery scandal, Mr. Goldstock said,
"If they win, they've beaten Bill Taylor. But it depends on the strength
of the case. If you have a weak or ambiguous case you don't want to go against
the best lawyer, and Bill Taylor is one of the best." The Salt Lake
Tribune, July 14, 2000
Prof. Jim Liebman's report on rates of error in capital sentencing was
reported on/mentioned in the following:
July 14, 2000
The Houston Chronicle
San Antonio Express-News (twice)
July 15, 2000
Sun-Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
July 16, 2000
Newsday
The Orlando Sentinel
Prof. Richard N. Gardner was named as a member of Vice President Al
Gore's foreign policy advisory team in an article titled "Gore's Foreign
Policy Long Term, But Unsettled." Chicago Tribune, July 14, 2000
Prof. Jeffrey Gordon was quoted in an article titled "Sprint, WorldCom
plan official end to defeated merger." Prof. Gordon said, "It's costly
to the shareholders both because of dilution and because the golden handcuffs
have slipped off. That could put a lot of pressure on Sprint to find a new suitor
fast." USA Today, July 13, 2000
Prof. Jim Liebman wrote a letter to the editor in response to an editorial
by James Q. Wilson regarding Prof. Liebman's death penalty report. Prof. Liebman
wrote, "Mr. Wilson suggests that high capital error rates don't matter
until we prove that an innocent person was executed. By this logic, we should
ignore a meat plant's high rate of E. coli bacteria until we know that one of
its hamburgers killed someone." The New York Times, July 12, 2000
Prof. Jack Coffee was quoted in an article titled "7 Is No Lucky
Number for Divine; Doubts About Deal Growing After IPO Put Off Again."
The article discussed the seventh delay of an IPO by Divine Interventures Inc.
because of slumps in technology stocks and the "excessive publicity"
by the company's CEO. Prof. Coffee said the SEC typically pushes back offerings
when corporate executives tout their firms beyond what is filed in their prospectuses
with the commission. Chicago Tribune, July 11, 2000
Prof. Jack Coffee was quoted in an article titled "Criticism of
'Quiet Period' Gets Louder," about securities laws designed to prevent
insiders from disclosing information during the IPO process. Discussing the
case of Webvan Group, Inc., which had to delay its offering last year due to
publicity, Prof. Coffee said, "Webvan shows the SEC is still willing to
enforce the rules on the books. If the SEC thinks you've violated the quiet
period, they invoke gun-jumping rules that make you hold the IPO for a cooling
off period." Chicago Tribune, July 8, 2000
Prof. Jim Liebman's report on rates of error in capital sentencing was
reported on/mentioned in the following:
July 5 & 6, 2000
Gannett News Service
July 9, 2000
Newsday
July 11, 2000
The Deseret News (Salt Lake City, UT) Seattle Post-Intelligencer
July 10, 2000
Asheville Citizen-Times (Asheville, NC)
Prof. John Coffee authored an article titled "Electronic Media"
about what he calls the SEC's "ducking and delaying resolution of more
serious questions" about the Internet and electronic communications. The
National Law Journal, July 3, 2000
Prof. John Coffee was mentioned and quoted in an article about the litigation
involving H & R Block, which was accused of marketing advances on customers'
tax refunds at annual interest rates as high as 250%. Block is expected to resolve
the litigation without admitting any wrongdoing. Prof. Coffee has been retained
as an expert by attorneys opposing the settlement. He calls the proposed deal
"pathologically flawed" and contrary to two recent U.S. Supreme Court
rulings on fairness in class action settlements. The New York Times, July
2, 2000
Prof. Cindy Estlund was quoted in an article titled "A Disconnect
Between AOL, Unpaid Staff; Volunteers Have Played Vital Role from Start, But
Some Are Calling Arrangement into Question." The article discussed the
unique body of volunteers -- 14,000 of them, 1,000 more people than are on the
AOL payroll. Other online services also use volunteers. Some disgruntled AOL
volunteers have filed a lawsuit asserting that the work they did was similar
to that of paid employees (the Labor Department is investigating the practice).
Prof. Estlund said the AOL case is one of many legal questions raised by the
rapid rollout of technology, such as recent concerns about how occupational
safety rules affect telecommuters. "There are all sorts of places where
developments in technology are getting ahead of existing employment law, but
this is one of the most peculiar ones," she said. The Washington Post,
July 2, 2000
Prof. Debra Livingston was quoted in an article titled "Investigations
Show What Louisville Can Expect; Police under eye of Justice" about ongoing
Justice Department investigations of civil rights violations by police. The
Justice Department is conducting its investigations under a 1994 federal law
that allows the government to sue for changes if it determines that there is
a "pattern or practice" of police violating the civil rights of citizens.
Prof. Livingston said the federal government only wants law-enforcement agencies
to make it easier for citizens to file complaints and for police to investigate
the complaints more thoroughly. The law may encourage police departments to
reform and adopt such changes on their own -- either in support of the ideas
or because they want to head off federal monitoring, she continued. But, Prof.
Livingston acknowledged that officers may be so demoralized at being labeled
abusive and untrustworthy that they will refuse to cooperate and perform less
effectively. "There's both potential and peril with this statute,"
she said. The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY), July 2, 2000
Prof. Patricia Williams authored a letter in The New York Times in response
to the paper's continuing series, "How Race is Lived in America."
Prof. Williams' letter was included in an editorial section titled "A Conversation
on Race; America, Seen Through the Filter of Race," which featured letters
from various academics, business people and public figures. The New York
Times, July 2, 2000
Prof. Jane Ginsburg is interviewed in an article titled "intellectual
Property in the Cyber Age" in the Summer 2000 issue of Columbia (the
university's magazine).
Prof. Jim Liebman's report on rates of error in death penalty convictions
was reported on/mentioned in the following:
June 27, 2000
Buffalo News
June 28, 2000
The Star-Ledger (New Jersey)
The Harrisburg Patriot
July 3, 2000
Wisconsin State Journal
July 7, 2000
Corrections Professional
July 9, 2000
The San Diego Union-Tribune
July 10, 2000
The New York Times
July 11, 2000
The New York Times
Prof. Philip Genty was mentioned in an article titled "The Incarcerated
Mothers Legal Project," for which he and the Prisoners and Families Clinic
provide training and materials to volunteer lawyers. Pro Bono Digest, June
30, 2000
Prof. Patricia Williams will collaborate with saxophonist Oliver Lake
on a performance piece based on her writings at The Institute on the Arts &
Civic Dialogue's 2000 summer session in Cambridge, MA. The Boston Globe,
June 30, 2000
Prof. Jack Coffee was quoted in articles about Thomas Hanley, an influential
bank analyst fined $75,000 for incorrectly forecasting a bank merger three years
ago. Prof. Coffee said, "There's an old saying: 'bad information drives
out the good.'" He continued, "If you allow people" to spread
false rumors as fact, "you will get more bad information than good information
affecting the marketplace." The Wall St. Journal, June 29, 2000, and
The Wall St. Journal Europe, June 30, 2000
Prof. Harvey Goldschmid was quoted in an article titled "The Great
Antitrust Debate." The article discusses whether antitrust will continue
to play a limited role in economic policy, or whether it will become a key defender
of innovation and innovative firms in the new economy. Prof. Goldschmid said,
"Even on relatively easy stuff like price, there is still a lot of debate.
But you can get research, and over time reach a consensus. You may get the same
consensus over time on innovation." Business Week, June 26, 2000
Prof. Jack Coffee was quoted in an article about Willie E. Gary, the
attorney who recently signed on to represent black Coca-Cola employees in their
discrimination case against the company. His role in the case has come under
criticism because he owns a cable company that has signed an advertising deal
with Coke. Prof. Goldschmid said, "It's not a matter of which he cares
about more. It's that the interests overlap." The New York Times, June
24, 2000
Prof. Jim Liebman's report on rates of error in death penalty convictions
was mentioned/covered in the following publications:
July 6, 2000
USA Today
July 3, 2000
The Legal Intelligencer
July 2, 2000
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
June 30, 2000
San Antonio Express-News
June 27, 2000
The Richmond Times Dispatch
The Buffalo News
June 26, 2000
Capital Times (Madison, WI)
June 25, 2000
The Washington Post
Tulsa World
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Idaho Statesman
The Houston Chronicle
Gannett News Service
Asheville Citizen-Times
The Buffalo News
June 24, 2000
The Washington Times
The Boston Globe
June 23, 2000
Wall Street Journal
The San Francisco Chronicle
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (twice)
June 22, 2000
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Omaha World-Herald
June 21, 2000
The Miami Herald
The Washington Times
June 20, 2000
The Dallas Morning News
Chicago Tribune
Tallahassee Democrat
June 19, 2000
The National Law Journal
USA Today
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
Daily News (NY)
June 18
The San Diego Union-Tribune
The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA)
June 17
The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC)
Also on June 20, Florida Governor Jeb Bush authored a response to the
report in the Sun-Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale, FL).
Prof. Harvey Goldschmid was quoted in an article titled "A Geek
Tragedy; Wrong attitude. Wrong strategy. Wrong lawyers. But it probably can't
get any worse" about the Microsoft antitrust ruling. Discussing the likely
appeal by Microsoft and the possibility of the case appearing before the Supreme
Court, Prof. Goldschmid said, "The Supreme Court is probably a more favorable
forum for the government." Fortune, June 26, 2000
Prof. Louis Henkin was quoted in an editorial piece about the 11th Circuit
Court's decision to send Elian Gonzalez home and what the ruling says about
U.S. immigration law. The author quoted a 1987 work in which Prof. Henkin wrote,
"Chinese Exclusion -- its very name is an embarrassment -- must go."
Legal Times, June 19, 2000
Prof. Vivian Berger authored a column in the National Law Journal titled
"The youth-crime scare." National Law Journal, June 19, 2000
Prof. Jack Coffee was quoted in an article titled "Lazio Earned
Profit on Stock in Firm Run by Contributors." In 1997, Congressman Lazio
invested in stock options of a company controlled by some of his biggest campaign
contributors. The investment paid a roughly 600 percent gain when the company
was taken over shortly thereafter. Before knowing that the subject was a Congressman,
Prof. Coffee said, "This is the kind of thing that an enforcer would say
'There is a lot of smoke here, and I should be looking for fire.'" After
learning who made the trades, Prof. Coffee said, "From the standpoint of
a public official, purchasing 90-day options is very risky" to his reputation.
The New York Times, June 16, 2000
Prof. Jim Liebman's report on the state of capital sentencing was also
reported in USA Today and on M2 Presswire on June 16, 2000
An announcement of Prof. Patricia Williams receipt of a MacArthur Fellowship
also appeared in the International Herald Tribune on June 15, 2000 (see other
references in In the News, June 15, 2000).
Prof. Jack Coffee was quoted in an article titled "Swindlers Use
Old, New Tricks" about the arrests this week in one of the largest cases
of securities fraud. The perpetrators in the $50 million scam used cold-calling
and the Internet to reach their victims. Prof. Coffee said that a real symptom
of fraud is when a caller is unable to provide any written information. "I
don't think you should take a cold call," he said. Newsday (NY), June
15, 2000
Prof. Jim Liebman's report, "A Broken System: Error Rates in Capital
Cases, 1973-1995," was released on Monday, June 12. The report, which documents
an alarming rate of prejudicial, serious and reversible error in capital sentencing
-- in 68 percent, or nearly 7 of every 10 of the 4,578 cases reviewed -- was
covered extensively in the national media, including:
(As of 6/15/00)
BROADCAST
ABC Good Morning America, lead story ABC World News Tonight, lead story
NBC Today Show, taped interview
NBC Nightly News, taped interview
NPR Morning Edition, taped interview NPR Talk of the Nation
CNN Headline News, lead story (ran for 24 hours) CNN Today, live interview
CNN Talk Back Live, live interview >>CNN Newsstand CNN Sunday Morning
CNN International
CNN Early Edition
CBS Evening News
CBS News Channel, tape
Court TV Crier Today, live interview
PBS, News Hour with Jim Lehrer, Monday and Tuesday nights, taped interview
MSNBC, live
WCBS-TV, tape
ABC Radio Los Angeles, live
CBS Network Radio
NATIONAL PAPERS
The Christian Science Monitor
New York Times, front page
New York Times, Public Lives
New York Times, editorial
Los Angeles Times, front page
Washington Post, article
Washington Post, editorial
USA Today, editorial
USA Today, article
US News & World Report
NEWS WIRES
AP- National
AP- Kentucky
AP-Georgia
AP- Chicago
AP- Montana
Knight-Ridder
Reuters
The Bulletin's Frontrunner
The White House Bulletin
REGIONAL PAPERS
The Advocate, LA (AP reprint)
The Arizona Republic
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Charleston Gazette
Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Tribune
The Commercial Appeal, TN (New York Times reprint) The Courier-Journal (Louisville,
KY)
Daily Press (AP reprint)
The Dallas Morning News
Dayton Daily News, OH (AP reprint)
The Deseret News, UT (AP reprint)
The Deseret News, UT
Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Houston Chronicle
Indianapolis Star
Miami Herald
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (New York Times reprint) News and Observer (Raleigh,
NC)
News & Record (Greensboro, NC)
Newsday
Omaha World-Herald
The Orlando Sentinel
Portland Press Herald (Knight Ridder reprint) The Record, NJ (Knight Ridder
reprint) Richmond Times-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Petersburg Times
San Diego Union Tribune
San Francisco Examiner
San Jose Mercury News
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The Tennessean
The Virginian-Pilot
LEGAL AND ACADEMIC PAPERS
Legal Times
University Wire
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
International Herald Tribune
Agence France Presse
BBC radio, The World Tonight
Calgary Herald (Knight Ridder reprint) CBC Radio As it Happens, tape
Deutsche Press-Agentur
French TV / Channel 2
The Independent, London
Liberacion, Paris
The London Free Press (Knight Ridder reprint) The Scotsman
DOT.COM STORIES (with link to the website) ABCNEWS
ABCNews.com On-Line Chat
MSNBC
CNN
Salon On-Line
AP Online
Washingtonpost.com
Prof. Liebman is also scheduled / on hold for future bookings on: ABC
This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts, Sunday
CNN Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, Sunday
NBC Documentary on the death penalty to air in July / August
BET "Lead Story" roundtable with journalists including Clarence Page,
The Chicago Tribune, and DeWayne Wickham, USA Today, for Sunday
Prof. Bill Sage was quoted in an article titled "A favorable Supreme
Court ruling lifts health care company stocks, but more lawsuits loom."
Discussing the Supreme Court's unanimous decision to support the offering of
financial incentives by HMOs to physicians who limit costs by restricting care,
and referring to pending litigation against managed care providers, Prof. Sage
said the decision was "a serious setback for the class-action plaintiffs'
lawyers." He predicted that the Supreme Court would also side with the
insurance industry on a disclosure issue in a Texas case, Ehlmann v. Kaiser
Foundation Health Plans. Prof. Sage continued that recent court rulings had
held health insurance plans responsible for actions by managed care physicians
who were found to be negligent, and that the ruling would not change that trend
in lawsuits filed on behalf of individuals claiming injuries. The New York
Times, June 14, 2000
Prof. Harvey Goldschmid appeared on PBS' Nightly Business Report to discuss
the major securities fraud crackdown announced on June 14, in which 120 people
were indicted. PBS Transcripts, June 14, 2000
Prof. Patricia Williams was named one of 25 MacArthur Foundation Fellows
on June 14, 2000. The Fellows each receive $500,000 over five years to use at
their discretion and with "no strings attached." Prof. Williams was
described by the Foundation as "a thoughtful commentator on race and racism
in America. An interdisciplinary scholar and public intellectual, she approaches
issues of law and social justice in novel ways." The Foundation's press
release went on to say that Prof. Williams' "essays and columns have challenged
what many take for granted in our society, particularly with regard to cultural
constructs of race and gender." Fellows are selected by anonymous nominators
and judges who keep the process a secret until the final names are chosen and
the awardees are notified by telephone. (Multiple articles in national media)
Prof. John Coffee's comments regarding the $111.5 million judgment against
Bear Stearns (see In the News, June 1, 2000) appeared in the Financial Times
(London) on June 12, 2000.
Prof. Jeong-Ho Roh was quoted in an article titled "North Korea economy
on knees ahead of summit." Discussing North Korea, Prof. Roh said, "The
legal system is very political, there is no such thing as the rule of law as
we know it in the West." Agence France Presse, June 12, 2000
Prof. Harvey Goldschmid was quoted in an article titled "The Nation:
800-Pound Gorillas; Oligopoly." Discussing the trend toward major corporate
mergers and oversized companies, Prof. Goldschmid said, "We can't go back
to a Jeffersonian world or a literal Brandeis concern about human-sized institutions
because we'd pay a terrible efficiency price in terms of technological innovation
and global competitiveness. The trick is take account of the modern needs for
efficiency but still use antitrust to give us workably competitive markets."
The New York Times (Week in Review section), June 11, 2000
Prof. Harvey Goldschmid was quoted in an article titled "Microsoft
puts wrinkle in long-established antitrust principles." "If we had
left AT&T where it was," he said, "we'd have a stodgy, non-dynamic
telecommunications world today, and we'd never even know what we were missing."
Breaking up Microsoft "is not like breaking up two factories," Prof.
Goldschmid continued. "A breakup may well be the appropriate remedy, but
the tough part is that there is a heavy investment in human capital, and breaking
up Microsoft means changing things for a lot of people." Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel, June 11, 2000
Prof. Richard Gardner's participation in a conference in Cernobbio,
Italy was reported in The Washington Post and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. According
to the article, Prof. Gardner said at the conference that free traders like
himself needed to acknowledge the tensions in their own positions. According
to the article, Prof. Gardner asked who would adjudicate when intellectual property
and free trade rules are applied to pharmaceuticals and sick people in the Third
World can't afford life-saving drugs? He also asked what rules would be used
by a global system to determine the difference between expropriation and reasonable
regulation. The Washington Post and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 6,
2000
Prof. Louis Lowenstein '53 is a member of the Panel on Audit Effectiveness,
appointed in 1998 by the Public Oversight Board at the request of SEC Chairman
Arthur Levitt. On June 6, the panel released an Exposure Draft of its Report
and Recommendations, in which it comprehensively reviewed and evaluated the
way independent audits are performed and assessed the effects of recent trends
in auditing on the public interest. PR Newswire, June 6, 2000
Assistant Dean Ellen Wayne wrote an article titled "No Offer Received?
Spot the Hints, Use the Experience" for a special supplement for summer
associates included in the New York Law Journal on June 5th.
Prof. Richard Gardner's participation in a conference in Cernobbio,
Italy was also reported in The Houston Chronicle on June 6, 2000 (see In
the News, June 5, 2000).
Prof. John Coffee appeared on CNN's "Moneyline" to discuss
the status of the Microsoft antitrust case. CNN Transcripts, June 5, 2000
Adjunct Professor Giuliano Amato '63 MCL was quoted in an article about
Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Italy. Mr. Amato is currently prime
minister of Italy. The International Herald Tribune (June 3, 2000); The Washington
Post and The Denver Post (June 4, 2000)
Prof. John Coffee appeared on CNN's "Street Sweep" to discuss
the status of the Microsoft antitrust case. CNN Transcripts, June 1, 2000
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