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I.Briefreviewofwhatwevecoveredthissemester
A.Firsttwoclasses:historyoflegalthought
1.Someexamplesofchangesovertime:
a)Changeofnegligencelawintorts
b)Transitiontorealistapproach
(1)EspeciallyinConstitutionallaw(seeCommerce
Clause)
(2)AlsoinPropertyandCivPro
c)Movefromfirmrulestomoreflexible
standards/balancingtests
2.Professorimploresstudentstoreadthehistoryof
whateverkindoflawtheyreinterestedin
B.Thirdclass:legalarguments
1.Firmrulevsflexiblestandard
a)WillistononContractsvsUCC
C.Fourthclass:lawandeconomics
1.Coaseisyourfriend
2.VeryimportantinProperty,Torts,Antitrust
a)Antitrustlawtransformedin1970s1990s
(1)Movedawayfromthelanguageofthestatutesand
moretoaCaldorHicksfocus
D.Fifthclass:Blocher
1.DifferentwaystointerprettheConstitution
a)Textualism,Originalism,LivingConstitutionalism
(1)Andthesubdivisionswithinthem
2.ApparentlytheressomethingcalledProcessTheoryof
Constitutionalinterpretationaswell

II.Threeguidelinesforpickingcourses
A.Takeonetheoryfocusedclass
B.Takeonehandsonclass

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1.Clinics,
C.Takeonethatisnotyou

III.Spelunceanexplorerscase,LonFuller
A.Facts:
1.Fourdudesarespelunking
2.Theyreinacave,theentrancetowhichgetscutoff
3.Thegovernmentgathersfundstoattempttorescuethem
4.10peoplearekilledinattemptsfreethem
5.Theydrawlotstoseewhogetseaten
6.Theguythatsuggestedthedrawingoflots(Whetmore)
wantstopullout;othersdontallowhimtobackout;that
guyslotischosen;theyeathim
7.Uponrescuetheysurvivorsarechargedwithmurder
B.Similarityofthishypotothetrolleyproblem
1.KantvsBentham(utilitarianism)
C.ChiefJusticeTruepennysopinion:
1.Executivehasbeenappealedtoforclemency;chiefjustice
knowsmoreabouttheissuesandthusshouldbedeferredto;
handsaretiedbythestatutes/lawsastheyrewritten
2.Problemswithchiefjusticesarguments:
a)Thereareextenuatingcircumstances
b)Itsnotcertainthatthechiefexecutivewillgrant
clemency
c)Separationofpowersconcerns
D.JusticeFostersopinion:
1.Thelawofsociety/Newgarthdoesntapplyhere
a)Instead,thelawsofnatureshouldapplybecausethe
spelunkersarecutofffromsociety(exceptfortheradio
communications)andbecausethecircumstances/reasons

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thatunderpinthenormallawsofsocietywerentpresent
inthattrappedcave
(1)Apurposiveargument,btw
b)Thespelunkers,therefore,formtheirownsocial
contract/government
2.Purposesofthelawofsociety(todeterbadbehavior)are
notservedbyenforcingthelawaswritten
a)Becausetheyreallgoingtodieiftheydonteat
someone
b)Andbecauseanyonedothesameunderthesame
circumstances
c)IsanalogoustoselfdefenseinCrimLaw
(1)Findingtheseexceptionstothestrictadherenceto
thelawissomethingthatjudgesshoulddoandactually
do
(2)Fidelityrequiresintelligentadherencetothelaw
(a)IsreminiscentofCohen
3.ProblemswithFostersarguments:
a)Theterritorialdemarcationsarentsoclearhere
b)Justbecausetheyrenotsubjecttothelawsof
Newgarth,doesntmeanthattheiractionsarentagainst
thelawsofnature(orsomeotherlawsthatapply)
c)DidWhetmoreconsenttothenewsocialcontract?
d)DoesitmatterthatWhetmoreagreedthattheprocedure
wasfair?
4.Note:thisislikelytheviewclosesttoFullersownview
E.JudgeTattingsopinion:
1.Raisesatimelineissue
a)Whendoesthelaw/stateofnaturebegintoapply?
2.Parsesthelanguageofthecriminalstatute

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F.JudgeKeensopinion:
1.Therearemultiplepurposes;howdoyouknowwhichpurpose
toapply?
a)Deterrenceisnttheonlypurposeforoutlawingmurder
b)Otherpurposes:Moralstigmatization;
punishment/retribution
c)Thus,judgescanabusethesystem
(1)Ie,theypickandchoosewhichpurposetogive
credencetoinordertojustifyyourownviews/biases
2.Theunderlyingpurposesimplymightbewrong
3.Judicialdispensationdoesmoreharminthelongrun
a)Ifthejudgeshaveaproblemwiththestatute,they
shouldapplyitstrictly,whichwouldforcethe
legislatureshandtofixit
4.Judgesarerequiredtofollowtheclearcutmeaningofthe
rulesinordertoupholdtheexistingseparationofpowers
a)Andthustheonlylegitimatemethodofinterpretation
istextualism
5.Lawislaw;dontconfuselawwithmorality
a)Legalpositivism
G.JusticeHandy(islikeCohenonsteroids)
1.Judgesshouldfollowcommonsense
a)Courtswouldloselegitimacyifitdoessomethingthat
thevastmajorityofthepopulationthinksistotally
wrong
2.Therearealreadysomanyotherplacesthatthelaw
deviatesfromastrictadherencetothetext(thusifthe
resultsalreadystrayfromthelaw,whycanttheprocedure
dosotoo?)
a)Notbeingindictedbyprosecutor

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(1)Alreadypoliticized
b)Notbeingconvictedbyjury
c)Beingpardonedbytheexecutive
3.Formalismisreducedtoaverysmallportionofthelaw
4.ProblemswithHandysarguments:
a)Courtsaresupposedtobethecountermajoritarian
force
H.Additionalthoughts:
1.Alljudgesmixedsubstance(purpose)andforminvarying
degrees
2.Buttheyallincludedsomeamountsofboth

IV.

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