SS 2007US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M. 1 Einführung in das US-amerikanische Recht I SS 2007 Dr....
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Transcript of SS 2007US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M. 1 Einführung in das US-amerikanische Recht I SS 2007 Dr....
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Einführung in das US-amerikanische Recht I
SS 2007 Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M. (Duke)
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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US Law in Practice
A client enters your office and asks for legal advise. He is German and has bought a CD player in the US which turned out to be defective.
1. What court? (International jurisdiction)a. International treaties?b. National law
2. What law? (Applicable law)a. International treaties?b. National law
3. How and where to enforce the judgement?a. Enforcing a German judgement in D/in the USb. Enforcing a US judgment in D/in the US
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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US legal system
Federal state 51 legal systems (50 state, 1 federal)
Legal tradition: Common Law (based on English Law) Civil Law in Louisiana
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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The notion „Common Law“
Common Law Civil Law (Common) Law Equity Common Law Statutory Law
Other Common Law-countries: England/ Wales, Ireland, Canada (except Quebec),
Australia, New-Zealand, South Africa (hybrid), India, Nigeria
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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US Legal History
Historical cornerstones Legal traditions in the New World Reception of English common law Development of US (common) law
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Historical cornerstones -1-
1492 Christopher Columbus 1607 Pilgrim Fathers reach Jamestown,
Virginia („Mayflower“) Immigrants come from England, Ireland
and Italy, Germany, Poland and in the 20. Century increasingly from China.
Reasons: Political and religious persecution and unemployment
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Historical cornerstones -2-
War against England Boston Tea Party („No taxation without
representation“) 1776 Declaration of Independence 1787 Constitution signed and submitted to
Congress 1789 Constitution comes into effect and
George Washington becomes the first President of the United States of America
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Four legal traditions
New England States were English colonies Louisiana was French Many Germans lived in Pennsylvania and
Virginia Parts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and
California Spanish
What legal tradition should the new United States of America follow?
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Reception of English common law
In the territories (colonies) of the British Empire English common law was applied (17th/18th century)
Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765-1769)
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Why English Common Law?
Language Most people of English descent Easy access to literature and precedents Precedents easier to transmit and to apply
(Legislation takes a long time to be passed) Most lawyers were trained in England Traditionally in the US more trust is given to
a local judge and jury than to the government
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Development of US-American (Common) Law
1820-1840 James Kent and Joseph Story: (American) „Commentaries“
English common law was subject to changes due to particularities in the New World
At the latest since the Civil War (1862-65) English precedents have significantly lost their influence in the US
But: Important features are still the same in English and US Law (terminology, methodology, legal thinking and reasoning, style of legal documents)
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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US (Common) Law
The Development of US Common Law The rise of legislation The Supremacy Clause Federal Law/State Law Supremacy Clause v. Amendment X
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Sources of law
Federal Law State Law Common Law Statutory Law
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Federal and state sources of law
Federal level: US Constitution United States Code (USD) Case law interpreting statutes
State level: State constitutions Statutes Common law Uniform laws and restatements
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Federal Law/State Law
U.S. Const., Amendment X:
„The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.“
=> Exclusive jurisdiction/shared (concurrent) jurisdiction
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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The Supremacy Clause
U.S. Const. Art. VI:
„This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United Sates, shall be the supreme law of the land; …“
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Supremacy Clause v. Amendment X
Legislative jurisdiction condition for Supremacy of Federal Law
Rule: legislative power with the statesException: legislative power expressly
delegated to Congress or prohibited to the states by the Constitution
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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United States Code No „Gesetzbuch“ in the German
sense Codification of the general and permanent laws of the United States Federal Law 50 Titles E.g. arbitration, bankruptcy,
copyrights, crimes and criminal procedure, civil procedure, patents
Legal Information Institute (LII) of Cornell University United States Code online
=> Copy
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Federal Statutes
E.g. in the areas: Copyright (exclusive federal jurisdiction) Antitrust Workers‘ compensation Bankruptcy
See U.S. Code P: Notion „statute“ can also only mean one
or few provisions integrated into an existing statute or code
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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State Law - general
Contracts, torts, family law, law of succession is predominantly state law (statute or case law/common law)
Problem: Differences within state laws bad for interstate-commerce
Uniform Codes and Model Acts (statutory law)
Restatements (common law)
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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State Law – Statutory Law
Uniform Codes and Model Acts National Conference of
Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL)
Need implemetation by states Most famous example: UCC
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Traditional common law areas of law
Contracts Torts Property Family law Trusts and wills (inheritance law)
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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State Law – Common Law
Restatements American Law Institute (ALI) since
1923 Collection of common principles in the
(state) law of the 50 states Not binding
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Legal Sources Primary Sources of Law (binding)
Constitutions Statutes Cases
Secondary Sources (persuasive) Dictionaries Legal Encyclopedias Law Review Articles (Periodicals) Treatises and Hornbooks Restatements
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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The Doctrine of Precedent
What is a precedent? What part of a precedent is binding? Judicial decisions in the US
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Judicial decisions in the US
No given structure One judge writes majority opinion Others can write concurring or
dissenting opinions
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Common Law: What is a precedent?
Decision of a higher court of the same jurisdiction
U.S. Supreme Court decisions binding for all other courts
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What part of a precedent is binding?
Only holding (ratio decidendi) is binding
Holding: Parts of a court decision that are necessary for the decision of the case
NOT so-called obiter dicta
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Finding a precedent
Digests Summaries Word Index Key numbers (400 topics – subtopics) Table of Cases volumes
Corpus Juris Secundum Treatises, Hornbooks, Articles Westlaw, LEXIS/NEXIS
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Localizing a precedent (of a federal court)
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Reports (U.S.)Supreme Court Reporter (S.Ct.)Lawyers Edition (L.Ed.)
U.S. Courts of Appeals
Federal Reporter (F., F.2d, F.3d.)Federal Appendix (Fed. Appx.)
U.S. District Courts Federal Supplement (F.Supp.)
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Analysing a precedent
1. Procedure
2. Facts3. Issue(s)4. Rules applied5. Holding6. (Concurring and/or dissenting opinions?)
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Finding a Federal Statute Slip laws
Individual pamphlets Published by the U.S. Printing Office
Session laws All slip laws of one legislative session Published in „Statutes at Large“
Code 50 laws of permanent and general nature Published in U.S.C. and U.S.C.A.
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Interpretation of a Statute
Literal interpretation Predominant method of interpretation in
common law countries: = „Literal Rule“ Historical interpretation
Significant use of legislative materials in the U.S.
Systematic interpretation Almost unimportant
Teleological interpretation Less important than for civil law countries
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Secondary Materials
Dictionaries: Black‘s Law Dictionary Online legal dictionary
Legal Encyclopedias: Corpus Juris Secumdum (C.J.S.) American Jurisprudence 2d (Am.Jur.2d) American Law Reports, A.L.R. (Analysis of
selected cases) Restatements
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Citation
The Bluebook Published by Harvard Law Students Decisive for citations in legal articles and law schoolexams
SS 2007 US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
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Analysis of a legal problem
IRAC-Rule I ssue R ule A pplication C onclusion