$3.4 billion settlement in Cobell litigation involving federal mismanagement of individual tribal trust lands

In the late 19th century, the United States took lands from American Indian nations and transferred them to individual tribal members. Those lands were often managed by the federal government through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) which would arrange to lease the lands for grazing and mining purposes. The U.S. was supposed to pay the royalties to the Indian owners but often did not do so and over time many records were lost. Twenty years of litigation has ended with a settlement by which the US will pay $1.4 billion to class members (roughly $1000 per person) and in addition...

New York courts grapple with public use issue

In a split 3-2 decision, Kaur v. N. Y. State Urb. Dev. Corp., 2009 WL 4348472, (N.Y. App. Div. Dec. 3, 2009), an appellate court in New York found a defective process of determining that a neighborhood was blighted and thus the taking was for the private purpose of helping Columbia University rather than the public purpose of redeveloping a blighted neighborhood. read article.

This occurred only a couple of weeks after New York's...

Scientists find evidence that human beings are born with an innate desire to help others

Studies of young children show that babies are innately sociable and helpful to others, Michael Tomasello writes in his book, "Why We Cooperate." For example, "when infants 18 months old see an unrelated adult whose hands are full and who needs assistance opening a door or picking up a dropped clothespin, they will immediately help." Read article.

Joseph William Singer

Bussey Professor of Law, Harvard Law School

December 2009

$3.4 billion settlement in Cobell litigation involving federal mismanagement of individual tribal trust lands

New York courts grapple with public use issue

Scientists find evidence that human beings are born with an innate desire to help others

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December 2009

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