On Tuesday, February 26, 2013 from 7:15 – 8:309 p.m. in Classroom #2, the University of Hawaii Law School is sponsoring a talk about “The PLDC and Property Rights in Hawaii,” which will feature our Damon Key colleague Mark M. Murakami.

PLDC refers to the Public Land Development Corporation, a state agency created in 2011 to develop state-owned lands, primarily in concert with private entities. As Honolulu Civil Beat‘s information page on PLDC notes:

The corporation has broad powers for entering into private partnerships and establishing its own governing objectives and policies. It also is tasked with identifying state lands under DLNR that are suitable for development. The Board of Land and Natural Resources must approve all land transfers.

The corporation, with the approval of the governor, can also issue revenue bonds for constructing, acquiring and renovating public facilities, as well as for the acquisition

Continue Reading Upcoming Event: The PLDC and Property Rights in Hawaii

Mark your calendars: on Thursday, February 21, 2013, James Burling, director of the Pacific LegalFoundation and principal attorney at PLF’s Property Rights practice group and U. Hawaii lawprof Maxine Burkett willdiscuss “Do Property Rights Matter When The Environment IsGoing To Hell In A Handbasket?

The forum — presented by the EnvironmentalLaw Program and the Federalist Society — will beginat 12:15 p.m. in CR1. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to elp@hawaii.edu.

More below.

Do Property Rights Matter When the Environment is Going to Hell in a Handbasket?


Continue Reading PLF’s Jim Burling To Discuss Property Rights And The Environment At U.H. Law School

If you are a member of the ABA, mark your calendars for Tuesday, February 26, 2013, noon to 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, for a free teleconference jointly sponsored by the ABA’s Section on Litigation’s Environmental Litigation Commitee and the Condemnation, Zoning, and Land Use Committee to discuss the latest and greatest in takings law, specifically the three cases the U.S. Supreme Court is ruling on this Term.

Here’s the description:

For the first time since 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court hasthree property rights cases on its docket. One of them, Arkansas Game &Fish, regarding compensation for flooding, was decided in December.  Another,Koontz, concerning the applicability of the Nollan and Dolan nexustests, has been argued. The final case, Horne, a most unusual case about whatmight be described as raisin sequestration, is still on the sidelines.

An expert panel — two practitioners, a federal researcher,and a law professor

Continue Reading ABA Takings Roundtable – The U.S. Supreme Court Property Rights Cases – Feb. 26, 2013

Mark your calendars for next Friday, January 25, 2013 from noon to 1:00 p.m. Pacific for “Arkansas Game & Fish Commission v. United States: Practical Implications Of The Supreme Court’s Decision,” presented by Law Seminars International.

It’s a discussion of Arkansas Game, the decision in which the Supreme Court held that the federal government was not immune from liability for a taking when it was responsible for flooding, even if the flooding is temporary. They’ve assembled a great faculty, which includes arguing counsel for the prevailing petitioner James Goodhart. Also speaking will be takings litigator Nancie Marzulla and Washington Legal Foundation Chief Counsel Richard Samp. Here’s a description of the one-hour program:

On December 4, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion in Arkansas Game & Fish Commission v. United States, holding that when the federal government floods property, even temporarily, the Fifth

Continue Reading Upcoming TeleBriefing On Takings Issues After Arkansas Game & Fish

Join us on Friday, January 11, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern (12:30 CT, 11:30 a.m. MT, 10:30 a.m. PT, 7:30 a.m. HT) for “Thinking Out Loud – Property Rights After Natural Disasters,” a free teleconference presented by the Condemnation Zoning and Land Use Committee of the ABA’s Litigation Section. There’s no cost to register, and you do not need to be an ABA or Litigation Section member to participate.

Here’s the program description:

Over one-half of the people in the United States live within 50 miles of the coastline. Hurricanes and similar types of natural disasters have caused billions of dollars in damage in recent years, particularly in coastal communities, and some scientists warn that global warming and rising sea levels will increase the frequency or severity of these types of natural disasters. Private property rights in the wake of natural disasters are an important issue not

Continue Reading Free Teleseminar: Property Rights After Natural Disasters

LgoIt’s time for the annual ALI-CLE (fka ALI-ABA) eminent domain conferences, to be held January 24-26, 2013 in Miami Beach, Florida.

In the “advanced” course, Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation, we’ll be covering topics such as “Condemning Underwater Mortgages,” “An Engineer’s Role in Damage,” “How To Develop and Implement a Business Plan for an Eminent Domain Practice,” and “Condemnor Beware: What Activities Will Make You Liable for Pre-Condemnation Damages.” Along with Pacific Legal Foundation’s Jim Burling and Cornell lawprof Robert Hockett, I’ll be speaking on the panel about underwater mortgages. More details on the agenda and the faculty here.

The companion course, Condemnation 101: How to Prepare an Eminent Domain Case, covers the basics of eminent domain law, and although designed as an overview of condemnation law for the beginner or general practitioner, it’s a great refresher course for the seasoned eminent domain lawyer. More

Continue Reading Upcoming ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Conferences

13.LULHIIt’s back! Time once again for the bi-annual Hawaii Land Use Law Conference, to be held January 17 and 18, 2013 (Thursday and Friday) at the Downtown YWCA (a very convenient venue).

Planning co-chairs Professor David Callies and Ben Kudo have once again assembled a stellar faculty and put together an agenda that covers most topics of interest.

We’ll be moderating a panel on “Development Through Exemptions – The Evolution of Reclassifications, Permitting, Land Use &Development in Hawaii: The Unintended Consequences ofan Increasingly Complex System of Regulations,” featuring panelists Linda L.W. Chow (Deputy Attorney General State of Hawaii), Oswald K. Stender (Office of Hawaiian Affairs), and Kali Watson (Hawaiian Community Development).

Two highlights of the conference:

First, Mike Berger will give the keynote presentation on our favorite topic, regulatory takings: “Taking a Critical Look at 30 Years of the Supreme Court’s Taking Jurisprudence.” Mike has taken the lead in

Continue Reading Mark Your Calendars: 10th Hawaii Land Use Law Conference (Jan. 17-18, 2013)

Here are my remarks from last week’s Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference at the William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia. Our panel spoke on “Property Rights in Times of Economic Crisis,” and included lawprofs James W. Ely (Vanderbilt), William Fischel, (Dartmouth), and Eric Kades (William & Mary). See the complete faculty list and agenda here.

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Aloha, I bring you greetings from the land of Midkiff, the land of Lingle.

I practice in the jurisdiction that believed it would cure our economic ills to use eminent domain to bust up the legacy land trusts, and make sure that everyone who owns a home could also own the fee simple interest.

Which they may now do, provided they can afford our median price for a single-family residence, $637,000.

I practice in the jurisdiction that believed that it would be a good idea to try and bring

Continue Reading Professor Ely, You Magnificent Bastard, I Read Your Book!

There’s still time to join us later this week at William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia for the 2012 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference, and the award of the B-K Prize to University of Michigan lawprof James Krier for his lifetime contributions to property law scholarship.

The Conference includes a day-long series of discussions on property rights, featuring leading scholars and practitioners. Topics include “The Impact of a Leading Property Scholar,” “The Judiciary’s Role in Shaping Constitutionally Protected Property,” “Property Rights in Times of Economic Crisis,” and “Property’s Moral Dimension.” The day will wrap with a roundtable discussion, “How Fundamental are Property Rights?” The complete agenda is available here.

I will be speaking on the panel about “Property Rights in Times of Economic Crisis,” discussing why property rights are even more important when times are tight.

Register on-line here. If you can’t join us, I will

Continue Reading 2012 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference