Articles

A Federal Tête-à-Tête? The Multiparty, Multiforum Trial Jurisdiction Act and Hurricane Katrina: Past, Present, and Future Considerations

I. Introduction - II. Background: Setting the Stage. - A. What Is the MMTJA? What Does It Do? . - 1. § 1369(a): The Basic Provision - a. Minimal Diversity - b. Single Accident - 2. Tailoring the Basic Provision's Reach. - 3. Abstaining from Jurisdiction: § 1369(b) - 4. Removing Cases to Federal Court: § 1441(e) - B. Where did the MMTJA Come From? - 1. The Problem of Complex Litigation - 2. The Remedy: Aggregation in Federal Court - III. Analysis: Katrina Meets the MMTJA - A. The Jurisp...

A Whole New Ballgame: Coastal Restoration, Storm Protection, and the Legal Landscape After Katrina

I. A Brief History -A. Property Ownership -B. Land Use -C. Takings -II. What is an Actionable Regulatory Taking? -A. Regulatory Takings Under Louisiana Law -B. Regulatory Takings Under Federal Law -III. How Much Compensation is Due? -IV. Conclusion

After Katrina: A Critical Look at FEMA's Failure to Provide Housing for Victims of Natural Disasters

I. Introduction -II. Overview Of The Stafford Act and its Relevance to Housing for Victims of Natural Disasters -III. Fema's Failures Present and Past -A. 2005: Hurricane Katrina -B. 1989: Loma Prieta Earthquake -C. 1992: Riots, Wildfires, Hurricanes -D. Failure to Learn from Mistakes -IV. Litigation Against Fema to Enforce Housing Rights -V. Recommendations for Change in Fema Policies and Practices -VI. Conclusion

Dusting Off the Code: Using History to Find Equity in Louisiana Contract Law

I. Introduction -II. Background -A. The Origins of Louisiana's Impossibility Excuse (Pacta Sunt Servanda). -B. The Foundation for Expanding Louisiana's Excuse (Rebus Sic Stantibus). -III. Why Does Louisiana Need to Change? . -A. Catastrophic Events . -B. Legal Isolation . -C. Economic Inefficiency . -IV. Why Must the Change be Employed Through Legislation? -V. The Projet -A. Proposed Articles . -B. Explanation and Application -C. Economic Inefficiency Revisited. -VI. Defense: Loui...

Finding Silver Linings

Introduction -I. Several Steps Forward-one Step Back -II. Walk the Walk -III. Heal Thyself -IV. More Heat than Light -Conclusion

Hurricane Insurance Litigation: More Than Wind Versus Water

I. The Government Initiatives - A. The Governor Acts - B. The Louisiana Department of Insurance ("LDOI") - C. The Louisiana Legislature - D. The Rush to the Courthouse: August 29, 2006 - II. The First Battle: Procedural Jockeying - A. Removal - 1. The Retail Agents - 2. The Adjusters - 3. Jurisdiction - B. Class Actions - III. The Substantive Rulings - A. The Water Exclusion - B. The Valued Policy Law - C. Business Interruption Insurance - D. The Off-Set Cases and the Louisiana Roa...

Nailing Down Occurrence Triggers for Property Damage in the Wake of Redevelopment--Why a Distinction Should Be Made Between First and Third Party Policies

I. Introduction: The Aftermath of Disaster-Louisiana's Current Rebuilding Crisis - II. Background to Trigger Theories and Louisiana's Application of them - A. Introduction to Trigger Theories - B. Louisiana's Development of the Manifestation Theory - C. Louisiana's Development of the Exposure Theory - D. So Where Does This Leave Us in Louisiana? - III. Why Louisiana Should Distinguish Between First Party and Third Party Policies in Resolving Coverage Trigger Issues - A. The Distinction ...

Revisiting Contra Non Valentem in Light of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

I. Introduction . II. Background . A. Louisiana's Treatment of Contra Non Valentem. 1. The Inception of Contra Non Valentem in Louisiana. 2. Modern Development of Contra Non Valentem in Louisiana B. The Evolution of Contra Non Valentem: Roman Roots and French Propagation . III. Extending Limitation of Actions in Other Jurisdictions A. Contra Non Valentem in Other Civil Law Jurisdictions 1. Québec 2. Argentina B. Suspending and Tolling Statutes of Limitation in Common Law Ju...

Saving Private Development: Rescuing Louisiana from Its Reaction to Kelo

I. Introduction - II. Background - A. History of the Federal Public Use Clause - 1. The Founding and Purpose of Eminent Domain. - 2. The Limitations on Eminent Domain - B. The Kelo v. City of New London Decision. - C. States' Reactions to Kelo . - D. History of Expropriation in Louisiana . - III. The Amendment. - A. The Overall Purpose of Amendment 5 - B. Textual Concerns . - 1. The "Predominant Use" Limitation . - 2. The Three "Public Purpose" Limitations. - 3. Eliminating Ec...

Two Years and Counting: Land Use and Louisiana's Post-Katrina Recovery

I. Introduction -II. Regionalism in Land Use: Its Variants and its Challenges -A. Realism About Regionalism -B. Land Use Powers and Local Governments -C. "Regionalizing" (Some) Land Use Powers and Values: Three Complementary Models -1. The "Regional Dimension" in Land Use Control -2. The Italian City-State Model: Intergovernmental Cooperation -3. The Functional Model: The CPRA in Present (and Prospective) Action -4. The Aspirational Model: The Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan -III. The 2...