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United States: History

United States: History. Indians/native Americans 1492 Christopher Columbus Spanish, Southwestern French, Great Lakes Dutch, Province of The Netherlands – New York British (religion) – 13 colonies. Tension: American colonials & British Taxation 1775 First Continental Congress 大陸會議

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United States: History

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  1. United States: History • Indians/native Americans • 1492 Christopher Columbus • Spanish, Southwestern • French, Great Lakes • Dutch, Province of The Netherlands – New York • British (religion) – 13 colonies

  2. Tension: American colonials & British • Taxation • 1775 First Continental Congress 大陸會議 • 1775-1781 King George III: American Revolutionary War • 1776 Second Continental Congress • Declaration of Independence 獨立宣言 • Drafted by Thomas Jefferson • July 4, 1776: Independence Day

  3. 1778 Articles of Confederation 邦聯條款 • No National Government • Only Congress (from 13 states) • action 9/13 • Amendment 13 • Result: • Externally: International Treaties • Domestically: Trade; Taxation

  4. 1788 The United States Constitution • 1787 Constitutional Convention 制憲會議 • Federalist • 1789 The new public • Senate 參議院 • House of Representative 眾議院 • President: George Washington

  5. United States: Federal Government • Legislative (Congress; US Capitol) • Senate • 100 members; 2/state • Term: 6 years • House of Representative • 435 members; 7 states: 1, California: 53 • Term: 2 years • Function: make federal law, declare war, approve treaties

  6. Executive • President • Term: 4 Years • Function: Commander-in-Chief 三軍統帥; appoints Cabinet 內閣 (Q: Secretary of State) and other officers • Current President: Jan. 20, 2009, Barack Obama (44th, Democrat)

  7. Judicial • Supreme Court and lower federal courts • Judges: appointed by the President with Senate approval • Supreme Court: 9 members (Chief Justice) • Functions: interpret law, overturn law (unconstitutional law)

  8. Election (two-party system) • Republican (Red) • Conservative • Democrat (Blue) • Liberal • 2008 Election

  9. States • 50 states (including original 13 states) • Alaska, Hawaii

  10. District of Columbia • Washington, DC • Taxation Without Representation • Federal law • 5 Overseas Territories • Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands – US citizenship (except for Samoa) • Recent federal case: Taiwan? US Passport? • 2/5, DC Circuit Court

  11. State government – modeled on the federal government • Legislative: Senate, House of Representative, sate legislature, general assembly • Executive: Governor (Q: CA Governor?) • Judicial: State Supreme Court

  12. Foreign Relations • Cuba, Iran, N. Korea, Bhutan, Sudan, ROC (Taiwan) • Taiwan Relations Act • Not affected by derecognition • Arms sale

  13. Your thoughts • Movies, TV… • American/US Law? • Differences?

  14. US Law: Origin • 1066 William I, Duke of Normandy • Common Law 普通法 (customary law, cases) • 1154 Henry I • Apply to Britain • Binding • 1776 US Declaration of Independence • Anglo-American Legal System, Common Law • Continental Legal System, Civil Law

  15. Common Law • Writ 命令狀 • Chancellor 法官 • Forms: Contract, Tort, Property • Incorrect writ: Defendant – dismiss the action for procedural mistake

  16. Equity 衡平法 • Reform • Procedure • Codification 成文化/法典化 (enacted law > common law)

  17. Enacted Law/Legislative System • 1. The Constitution of the United States • “supreme law of the land” • Preamble + Articles I to VII • Amendments I to XXVII • 2. Treaties • Same authority with federal statutes • Under the Constitution • Conflict? The latter prevails

  18. 3. Federal Statutes • Constitution: Congress has broad power • 4. Federal executive orders and administrative rules • President • Federal agencies

  19. 5. State Constitutions • Subject to federal legislation • Paramount authority within the state • “enumerated power” • 6. State statutes • State Parliament

  20. 7. State administrative rules and regulations • 8. Municipal ordinances, rules, and regulations

  21. Common Law • Stare Decisis 判決先例拘束原則 • Precedent - Later Cases • Appellate courts • Federal/State Courts • Case • Opinion (Holding & Obiter dictum 附帶意見) • Concurring Opinion • Dissenting Opinion

  22. Holding – example • Cantwell v. Denton (last name, Plaintiff v. Defendant) • Faulty wiring – resident sustained injuries • Owner/Defendant – defense: voluntary assumption of the risk • Court ruled – this doctrine did not apply • Reason: father rescued his daughter

  23. Holding: • Assumption of the risk applies only to voluntary conduct • And a father’s choice to enter a burning building is not voluntary if • He must choose between entering the building and failing to save his child’s life • Questions: • Child tried to save his mother? • Save a dog?

  24. Adversary System 司法對立制度 • Judge – neutral • Plaintiff v. Defendant • Lawyer & Witness • Direct Examination • Cross Examination 交叉詰問 • Evidence – Federal Rules of Evidence • E.g. Hearsay 傳聞證據

  25. Court Structure (Federal) • Supreme Court • In Washington DC • Court of Appeals (13 Circuits, Circuit includes several states) • 1-11 Circuits • 2nd: New York (United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit) • 9nd: California (?)

  26. D.C. Circuit • Largest caseload: foreign relations • Federal Circuit • U.S. Court of International Trade • Customs, anti-dumping • U.S. Court of Federal Claims • Against US government • Patent Cases

  27. District Court (one state has several district courts – N, E, S, C) • United States District Court for the Southern District of New York • United States District Court for the Central District of California

  28. Citations (Bluebook) • Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137 (1803) • 5. U.S., 137, 138-39 (1803) • Engel v. CBS, Inc., 182 F.3d 124 (2d Cir. 1999) • Salahuddin v. Coughlin, 999 F. Supp. 526, 535 (S.D.N.Y. 1998)

  29. Federal Court • Jurisdiction (protect out-of-state residents) • Federal Question • Federal Law, e.g. labor law • Diversity 多元管轄 • Citizens of different states (NY v. NJ) • more than $75,000 in potential damages

  30. Appeals • Trial Court: District Court • Question of fact • Jury • Appellate Court: Circuit Court & Supreme Court • Question of ;aw • Supreme Court: writ of certiorari 上訴許可令

  31. Court Structure (State) • Similar to federal court – 3 level, with different names • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania • Supreme Court • Superior Court; Commonwealth Court • Court of Common Pleas • State of New York • Highest Court: Court of Appeals • Intermediate Court: Supreme Court, Appellate Division • Trial Court: Supreme Court • Internship/Clerkship

  32. Legal Research • Primary Sources • United States Code (U.S.C.) • Federal Register (F.R.) • Restatement • Cases • Secondary Sources • Uniform Commercial Code (U.C.C.) • Law Review/Journals • Westlaw; LexisNexis

  33. Marbury v. Madison • 1803 • Importance • Judicial Review • Separate of Powers • Role?

  34. Presidential Election 1800 • John Adam, Incumbent (Federalist) • Thomas Jefferson (Republican) – Winner • John Adam • John Marshall: Secretary of State – Chief Justice • Federalist Congress: The Organic Act: 42 justices-of-the peace in DC (William Marbury)

  35. Thomas Jefferson • Secretary of State: James Madison • Marbury sued Madison in the SC– writ of mandamus 任命狀 • Legal Issues?

  36. 1. Right to the commission? • Signed by the President/Sealed by the Secretary of State • 5 years – not revocable • Vested legal right

  37. 2. Right was violated, legal remedy? • Head of government – duty • Individual right depends on the performance of the duty • Injured – right to ask for a remedy • Legal Remedy

  38. 3. Legal Remedy? Can the Supreme Court issue a writ of mandamus? • Legal Basis: Art 13 of the Judicial Act of 1989 • Authorizes the SC to issue a writ of mandamus • US Constitution • Art 3, Sec 2 • Original Jurisdiction • Appellate Jurisdiction – Congress • Conflict: Unconstitutional, void

  39. US Law School Programs • LLM • SJD/JSD • JD

  40. Master of Laws (LLM) • 9-12 month program for foreign lawyers • Business School Certificate • Northwestern; Penn • Application Materials: • Transcript, GPA (>3.5) • TOEFL (>600/250) • Letters of Recommendation • Personal Statement; Study Plan

  41. GPA Calculation • 90分以上: 5; 80-89:4; 70-79:3; 60-69:2; 59以下:1 • 中文 82, Credit 2 (4 x 2); 英美導 77, credit 2 (3 x 2); 刑總, 63, Credit 3 (2 x 3): Total除以學分總數

  42. LLM • Quota: Different Country and Standard • Good Candidate • Grades (GPA & TOEFL) • Other Performance in School (Moot Court) • Work Experience (Diverse) • Career: New York Job Fair • Opportunities in the US Limited • Taiwan: Law Firms, Foreign Banks

  43. US Bar Exam • International Students • New York (LLM) (60%) • California (LLM & Bar) (40%) • Exam (twice an year; 2 days) • Professional Responsibility (Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, MPRE ) (60 questions) • Multistate Bar Examination, MBE (200 questions) • State-Specific • BarBri, Expenses

  44. Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD/JSD) • Research program; mostly international students • Career: academia in Taiwan • Different Schools • Requirement • Specialization • Application • Accept LLM • Proposal • Supervisor

  45. Juris Doctor (JD) • Standard 3-year US Program • US Law Professors, Judges, Lawyers • Foreign Students (<5%) • Different from International Programs • No quota for each country • Compete with top US students and others (UK, Canada, Germany, China, Korea) • High Standard for English (legal writing) • Ranking (US News): T14

  46. JD • Career • US Law Firms; International Organizations • Academia: US, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan (LLM, fields: Intellectual Property, Corporate) • Publications Essential • Return to Asia • Firm: Partner • Tech Company: In-house Counsel

  47. JD • Application • LSAT (170) • GPA • Letters of Recommendation • Personal Statement • Transfer (highly competitive): Columbia, Penn, Duke, Virginia, Washington in St. Louis • May waive LLM • Standards • Grades (> A-) • Strong Recommendation

  48. 1L • Compulsory (demanding, strict curve) • Civil Procedure • Constitution • Contracts • Torts • Property • Legal Writing; Moot Court • Elective • International Law (except Michigan, Harvard) • Intellectual Property • Socratic Method (int’l students may waive) • Exams (open book, 24 hours)

  49. 2L, 3L • Corporations, Securities, Evidence • Seminar • Journal Work • Moot Court Competition • Clinic (Mediation) • Teaching/Research Assistant • Legal Writing Fellow: 1L & LLM

  50. 1L Summer Internship;Post-graduation Clerkship (Court) • Difference • Internship (unpaid, 8-12 weeks) • Clerkship (paid, 1 year) • Court: Circuit Court; Supreme Court • Clerkship bonus • Work • Memo • Court Proceedings • Draft Opinions

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