Describes history of state school-finance litigation and legislative efforts related to the construction and renovation of school facilities in New Jersey. Provides a detailed description of the Educational Facilities Construction and Finance Act. Discusses current status and challenges in implementing the act, concluding with an analysis of…

Public education funding in the past 40 years has increased significantly, with parties turning to the judiciary in order to address perceived educational opportunity inequities arising from state education finance distribution formulas. As the 21st century opens, the question of public education finance is set squarely before the courts. This…

This report summarizes the findings of the Computer-Aided Transcription (CAT) Project, which conducted a 14-month study of the technology and use of computer systems for translating into English the shorthand notes taken by court reporters on stenotype machines. Included are the state of the art of CAT at the end of 1980 and anticipated future…

Analyzed state appellate court decisions to identify judicial philosophies and to determine which states have accepted or rejected various exceptions to employment at-will. Showed that states varied considerably. Most commonly accepted arguments against employment at-will were violations of public policy, breaches of implied contracts in employee…

Results of a survey of state attorneys general (N=46) found that, with few exceptions, identification of persons with mental retardation in criminal justice is neither systematic nor probable. Protections lie in statutes pertaining to mental illness rather than to mental retardation. (Author/DB)

A Maryland court of appeals ruling concerning the National Collegiate Athletics Association's ability to enforce its eligibility regulations has cast little light on the legality of the rules' applications. The case concerns two lacrosse players who were declared to have used up their four years' eligibility. (MSE)

Church-state issues in education have a long history in America. Although the U.S. Supreme Court has made several landmark decisions with regard to the separation of church and state in schools, strong conservative influences in Southern states, including Louisiana, have resulted in state statutes and individual school-district policies and…

This report is an update on eight state-level cases: (1) "School Financier Litigation in Minnesota" (Van D. Mueller), which states students are allowed enhanced access to suburban schools and to Minneapolis magnet schools; (2) "School Finance Litigation across the States--New Hampshire" (Van D. Mueller), which states the court ruled that property…

This study suggests that court procedures in Illinois must improve to assure that more children are placed in permanent homes in a timely way. The University of Chicago's Chapin Hall Center for Children examined the timeliness of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois' Child Protection Division in completing the sequence of hearings and…

Reviews the historical background of teacher tenure and discusses, using state court decisions, the bases for teacher dismissal, including insubordination, moral misconduct, disability, job elimination, and incompetence. Notes seven types of incompetence warranting dismissal, involving discipline, scholastic ability, pupil performance, and other…

Reviews court cases and current issues involving nonverbal communication and the First Amendment. Concludes that many modes of nonverbal expression have won a firm place under the umbrella of protection of the First Amendment but that some modes (flag and draft card burnings, economic boycotts, and coercive persuasion) still raise troublesome…

The equal protection clause permits gender classification and discrimination and cannot support a broadening concept of sexual equality. An equal rights amendment is needed to remedy the situation. Available from Rutgers School of Law-Camden, 5th and Penn Streets, Camden, NJ 08102. (Author/IRT)

Traces the history of "The Pledge of Allegiance" litigation and discusses the probability the Supreme Court will agree to resolve the difference in judicial opinion over the constitutionality of including the words "under God" in the pledge. (Contains 32 references.) (MLF)

Provides an update of the case law dealing with assaults on school personnel, including an illustrative Arizona case followed by a question-and-answer discussion posing certain hypothetical situations concerning the facts and law of the case. Draws implications for policy and practice. (Contains 13 references.) (PKP)

In 1989, the supreme courts of Montana, Kentucky, and Texas declared their respective school finance systems unconstitutional. Explores why these cases represent a major change in litigation and will prompt a third wave of school finance reform litigation. (MLF)