Fall 2013
M-W 6:00-7:20 pm
Professor Jeffrey Lubbers
Washington College of Law
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW [Law 601-001]
Administrative Law is the body of law governing relations between private citizens and the
government. This course will cover four main topics: (1) the constitutional foundations of
administrative power; (2) administrative adjudication, (3) rulemaking and regulation, and (4)
judicial review of agency decisionmaking. The required casebook for this course is Michael
Asimow & Ronald Levin, State and Federal Administrative Law (3rd ed.) (West 2009). I will
also download the authors’ most recent supplement and put it on my WCL, along with my own
supplemental collection of readings. [If you do not check your WCL e-mail account regularly,
please arrange to forward mail sent to that account to your main account.
See
http://www.american.edu/oit/email/Gmail-FAQ.cfm#forward.]
I am also providing a bibliography containing suggested outside readings and websites.
This course will have an examination. The grade on the examination will be the primary basis
for your grade. Excellent class participation (including on assigned problems) may provide a
basis for a “bump” in the final grade.
Please note that I may have to take a trip to China later in the Semester. If that turns out to be
the case, my plan is to make up the week of classes up at a time that works best for the class—
hopefully by starting 6 classes approximately about 30 minutes early, if that is not possible,
maybe by scheduling two Friday classes at the most convenient time). I will provide a revised
syllabus if this becomes necessary. This also means that we have probably have to have class on
Thanksgiving eve. If so, I will tape the class. Sorry for the inconvenience, but please take this
into consideration in registering for this class.
Professor Lubbers
Professor Jeffrey Lubbers is a widely published administrative lawyer who specializes in the
workings of American law and government. He is Professor of Practice in Administrative Law.
Since 1996, he has taught this course at WCL (and several other law schools) as well as courses
in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Federal Legal Institutions, Environmental Law, the
Washington Lawyer Seminar, and an Externship Seminar on Administrative Law in the Federal
Government. He was instrumental in the establishment of the LL.M. Program on Law and
Government. Prior to 1996, Professor Lubbers was Research Director of the Administrative
Conference of the United States, a federal government advisory agency on improvements in the
administrative process. He received a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago where he took
Administrative Law from Professor Kenneth Culp Davis. He received an award from the ABA
in 1995 for Outstanding Government Service. He is the author of A Guide to Federal Agency
Rulemaking (5th ed. ABA 2012).
i
Detailed Outline of Course Reading
Classes 1-2 (August 26, 28):
I.
Introduction -- read 1-12; skim read the APA (703-720) and the Table of Sections for
the MSAPA (721-724)
A.
Role and Structure of Agencies
-
Strauss excerpt (MyWCL materials)
B.
Excerpt from Breger and Edles (MyWCL materials)
Chief Executive’s Appointment Power
1)
Appointment of Officers and Inferior Officers -- 430-441
-
2)
Buckley v. Valeo (U.S. 1976) -- 430
Removal Power -- 441-461
-
Humphrey’s Executor v. U.S. (U. S. 1935) -- 443
-
Morrison v. Olson (U.S. 1988) – 446
Free Enterprise Fund v. PCAOB (U.S. 2010) (S. Ct official syllabus)
[Labor Day is Sept. 2—no class]
Classes 3-4 (September 4, 9):
II.
Delegation of Power to Administrative Agencies
A.
Delegation of Legislative Power -- 372-398
(1)
From Field v. Clark (1892) to the New Deal -- 374-377
(2)
From the New Deal to the Present -- The Debate about Reviving the
Nondelegation Doctrine -- 377-391
(3)
-
Industrial Union Dept., AFL-CIO v. American Petroleum Institute
(U.S. 1980) (the Benzene Case) (Rehnquist, J., concurring) -- 379
-
Whitman v. American Trucking Ass’ns, Inc. (U.S. 2001) – 382
The Nondelegation Doctrine and State Agencies -- 391-398
-
Thygesen v. Callahan (Ill. 1979) -- 391
ii
B.
Problem -- 390 (bird flu)
Delegation of Adjudicatory Power to Agencies -- 398-406
-
III.
Commodity Futures Trading Comm’n v. Schor (U.S. 1986) -- 399
Problem -- 406
Substantive Statutory Checks on Agencies
A.
Debates about Statutory Interpretation:
Dynamic Interpretation
-
B.
Textualism, Intent, Purposes,
General -- 519-533
Debates about Judicial Deference to Agency Interpretations of Authorizing
Statutes
-
Marbury vs. Madison (MyWCL materials)
Classes 5-6 (September 11, 16):
IV.
-
Connecticut State Medical Society v. Connecticut Board of Examiners in
Podiatry (Conn. 1988) -- 520
-
Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Res. Defense Council, Inc. (U.S. 1984) --528
The General Law of Agency Procedures
A.
B.
1.
The Adjudication - Rulemaking Distinction -- 62-68
-
Londoner v. Denver (U.S. 1908) -- 62
-
Bi-Metallic Investment Co. v. State Bd. of Equalization (U.S. 1915) -- 63
-
Problem -- 66
-
Anaconda Co. v. Ruckelshaus (10th Cir 1973) -- 67
Procedural Due Process Right to a Hearing
Hearings and Welfare Terminations -- 14-26
-
2.
Goldberg v. Kelly (U.S. 1970) -- 16
The Substantive Triggers of Procedural Due Process Protection: Liberty and
Property Interests -- 26-43
iii
-
Board of Regents v. Roth (U.S. 1972) -- 26
-
Cleveland Bd. of Education v. Loudermill (U.S. 1985) -- 37
-
Problem -- 42
Classes 7-8 (September 18, 23):
3.
4.
C.
1.
The Timing of Trial - Type Hearings and the Extent to which Such Hearings Are
“Due” -- 43-61
-
Mathews v. Eldridge (U.S. 1976) -- 44
-
Ingraham v. Wright (U.S. 1977) -- 53
-
Problem -- 61
Informal Adjudication - Verkuil excerpt (MyWCL materials)
Core Statutory Principles of Administrative Procedure
Administrative Adjudication
a)
Statutory Rights to an Adjudicatory Hearing -- 69-84
1)
Federal Law -- 70-78
-
2)
Dominion Energy Brayton Point, LLC v. Johnson (1st Cir.
2006) -- 71
State Law Approaches -- 78-84
-
Greenwood Manor v. Iowa Dep’t of Public Health (Iowa 2002) -- 78
-
Metsch v. University of Florida (Fla. App. 1989) -- 80
-
b)
Problem -- 83
Limiting the Issues to which Hearing Rights Apply -- 84-91
-
Heckler v. Campbell (U.S. 1983) -- 84
Classes 9-10 (September 25, 30):
c)
The Conflict Between Institutional and Judicialized Decisionmaking -- 91
1)
The Personal Responsibility of the Decisionmakers -- 92-98
iv
2)
-
Morgan v. United States (U.S. 1936) (Morgan I) -- 93
-
Problem -- 98
Ex Parte Contacts -- 98-107
-
3)
Agency Adjudication and Legislative Pressure -- 108-113
-
4)
5)
Professional Air Traffic Controllers Org. v. Federal Labor
Relations Authority (D.C. Cir. 1982) -- 98
Pillsbury Co. v. Federal Trade Comm’n (5th Cir. 1966) -- 108
Separation-of-Functions
Doctrine
Communications -- 113-122
and
Internal
Agency
-
Dep’t of Alcoholic Beverage Control v. Alcoholic Beverage
Control Appeals Board (Quintanar) (Cal. 2006) -- 114
-
Withrow v. Larkin (U.S. 1975) -- 117
Bias: Personal Interest, Prejudgment, Personal Animus -- 122-128
-
Cinderella Career and Finishing Schools, Inc. v. Federal Trade
Comm’n (D.C. Cir. 1970) -- 123
-
Problem – 128
Classes 11-12 (October 2, 7):
d)
The Processes of Administrative Adjudication
1)
The Pre-Hearing Phase: Notice, Investigation, Discovery -- 138-155
-
Bloch v. Ambach (N.Y 1989) -- 138
-
Craib v. Bulmash (Cal. 1989) -- 146
-
Problem -- 154
2)
Alternative Dispute Resolution in Admin. Adjudication -- 155-156
3)
The Hearing Phase: Evidence and Official Notice -- 156-169
-
Reguero v. Teacher Standards & Practices Comm’n (OR 1991)
-- 156
v
4)
5)
Circu v. Gonzales (9th Cir. 2006) -- 165
The Decision Phase -- 170-291
-
Ship Creek Hydraulic Syndicate v. State (AK 1984) -- 170
-
Problem -- 177
Enforcement
-
FAA Administrator v. Hoover (NTSB 1994) (MyWCL
materials)
-
ACUS Recommendation 72-6 Civil Money Penalties as a
Sanction (MyWCL materials)
Classes 13-14 (October 9-14):
6)
The Effect of Decisions: Res Judicata and Collateral Estoppel -- 177182
-
J.S. v. Bethlehem School District (Pa. 2002) -- 178
-
United States v. Mendoza (U.S. 1984) -- 181
Problem -- 182
7)
Consistency of Decisions and Stare Decisis -- 183-185
-
UAW v. NLRB (7th Cir. 1986) -- 183
8)
Equitable Estoppel – 185-191
-
Foote’s Dixie Dandy, Inc. v. McHenry (Ark. 1980) -- 185
-
Office of Personnel Management v. Richmond (U.S. 1990) -- 187
9)
Administrative Judges and Decisional Independence -- 128-137
-
Cox, Model Adjudication Rules (MyWCL materials)
-
Lubbers, A Unified Corps of ALJs: A Proposal to Test the Idea
at the Federal Level (MyWCL materials)
-
Lubbers, APA-Adjudication:
Fading? (MyWCL materials)
vi
Is the Quest for Uniformity
2.
Administrative Rulemaking
a)
The Rise of Rulemaking -- 192-199
b)
The Definition of “Rule” -- 199-211
-
c)
Bowen v. Georgetown Univ. Hospital (U.S. 1988) -- 205
Initiating Rulemaking Proceedings -- 211-222
-
Chocolate Mfrs. Ass’n. v. Block (4th Cir. 1985) -- 211
-
Portland Cement Ass’n. v. Ruckelshaus (D.C. Cir. 1973) -- 218
-
Problem -- 221
Classes 15-16 (October 16, 21):
d)
Public Participation -- 222-239
1)
Informal Rulemaking -- 222-224
-
USDA telephone procedural rule on telephone hearings (MyWCL
materials)
-
Comments Couldn’t Kill the Tobacco Rule (MyWCL materials)
2)
Formal Rulemaking -- 225-229
-
United States v. Florida East Coast Ry. Co. (U.S. 1973) -- 225
-
3)
Hybrid Rulemaking and the Limits on Judicial Supervision of Agency
Procedures -- 230-239
-
e)
Problem -- 229
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. Natural Resources
Defense Council, Inc. (U.S. 1978) -- 231
Procedural Regularity in Rulemaking
1)
Role of Agency Heads -- 239-240
2)
Ex Parte Communications and -- 240-255
-
Home Box Office, Inc. v. FCC (D.C. Cir. 1977) -- 241
-
Sierra Club v. Costle (D.C. Cir. 1981) -- 244
vii
Problem -- 254
3) Bias or Political Influence in Rulemaking -- 255-262
4)
-
Ass’n of Nat’l Advertisers, Inc. v. FTC (D.C. Cir. 1979) --255
-
Problem -- 262
Findings and Reasons -- 262-271
Classes 17-18 (October 23, 28):
-
f)
Issuance and Publication -- 271-280
-
g)
h)
National Ass’n of Independent Insurers v. Texas Dep’t of
Insurance (TX 1996) -- 262
Powderly v. Schweiker (9th Cir. 1983) -- 273
Regulatory Analysis -- 280-296
-
Corrosion Proof Fittings v. EPA (5th Cir. 1991) -- 281
-
Eisner, DOT Rulemaking Requirements (please
http://regs.dot.gov/rulemakingrequirements.htm)
-
The FDA cigarette rule (preamble excerpt) (MyWCL materials)
-
Problem -- 295
click
Exemptions from Rulemaking Procedures
1) Good Cause Exemptions -- 305-312
-
Jifry v. Federal Aviation Administration (D.C. Cir. 2004) -- 306
-
Problem -- 311
2)
Exempted Subject Matter -- 312-315
3)
Procedural Rules -- 316-319
-
4)
Public Citizen v. Department of State (D.C. Cir. 2002) -- 316
Nonlegislative Rules -- 319-342
(a) Policy Statements -- 321-332
viii
on
-
Professionals and Patients for Customized Care v. Shalala (5th
Cir. 1995) -- 321
-
ACUS Recommendation 92-2 (MyWCL materials)
(b) Interpretive Rules -- 333-342
-
Hoctor v. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (7th Cir. 1996) – 333
Classes 19-20 (October 30, November 4):
i)
How Much Freedom Does an Agency Have in Choosing between
Rulemaking and Adjudication as the Mode of Policymaking? -- 342354
-
j)
k)
V.
NLRB v. Bell Aerospace Co. (U.S. 1974) -- 343
Rulemaking Petitions and Agency Agenda-Setting -- 354-363
-
Massachusetts v. EPA (U.S. 2007) -- 355
-
Problem -- 362
Waivers of Rules -- 363-370
-
WAIT Radio v. FCC (D.C. Cir. 1969) -- 363
-
Problem -- 370
Regulatory Reform
A.
Political Oversight of the Administrative Process
1.
Legislative and Executive Review of Agency Action -- 406-430
2.
Legislative Controls
a)
Legislative Veto -- 406-427
-
3.
Immigration & Naturalization Service v. Chadha (1983) -- 407
b)
Congressional Review Act -- 417
c)
Other Legislative Controls -- 427-430
Presidential Oversight -- 461-476
ix
Problem -- 475
B.
The Debate Over Regulatory Reform
-
Funk, Report Card on Regulatory Reform (MyWCL materials)
-
Small Business Regulatory Fairness Act of 1996 (MyWCL materials)
-
Unified Agenda excerpt (MyWCL materials)
-
OMB Memo on Presidential Review (Sept. 20, 2001)
-
OMB Press Release (Oct. 18, 2001)
GAO Briefing Report (MyWCL materials)
“Presidential Paychecks”—(shows the effect of inflation adjustment)
(MyWCL materials)
-
“How Much is a Life Worth?” (MyWCL materials)
The Information Quality Act (MyWCL materials)
OMB Peer Review Bulletin (MyWCL materials)
Classes 21-22 (November 6, 11):
VI.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
-
ABCs of ADR: A Dispute Resolution Glossary (MyWCL materials)
-
Negotiated Rulemaking -- 296-304
- Pritzker, Working Together For Better Regulations (MyWCL
materials)
VII.
Judicial Review of Agency Decisionmaking
A.
Practical Considerations (lecture)
B.
Scope of Judicial Review
1.
Introduction -- 502-505
2.
Scope of Review of Agency Findings of Basic Fact -- 503-519
-
Universal Camera Corp. v. NLRB (U.S. 1951) -- 505
x
3.
Scope of Review of Issues of Legal Interpretation -- 519-566
-
Connecticut State Medical Society v. Connecticut Board of Examiners
in Podiatry (Conn. 1988) -- 520
-
Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Res. Def. Council (U.S. 1984) -- 528
-
4.
-
Problem -- 540
-
Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. v. FDA (U.S. 2000) -- 541
-
Christensen v. Harris County (U.S. 2000) -- 554
-
United States v. Mead Corporation (U.S. 2001) -- 556
Judicial Review of Discretionary Determinations in Adjudications -- 566581
-
Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe (U.S. 1971) -- 567
-
Salameda v. INS (7th Cir. 1995) -- 568
-
Tripoli Rocketry Ass’n v. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives (D.C. Cir. 2005) (MyWCL materials)
Classes 23-24 (November 13, 18):
5.
C.
Judicial Review of Discretionary Determinations in Rulemaking -- 582-601
-
Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Ass’n v. State Farm Mutual
Automobile Ins. Co. (U.S. 1983) -- 582
-
Borden, Inc. v. Commissioner of Public Health (Mass. 1983) -- 589
Problem -- 600
Availability and Timing of Judicial Review
Jurisdiction and Remedies -- 602-609 (skim 609-619)
1. Which Court?
-
ACUS Recommendation 75-3, The Choice of Forum…(MyWCL materials)
2.
Reviewability:
Preclusion of Review and “Committed to Agency
Discretion by Law”
xi
a)
Preclusion of Judicial Review (5 U.S.C. § 701(a)(1)) -- 619-626
-
Bowen v. Michigan Acad. of Family Physicians (1986) -- 620
-
Problem -- 626
b)
Committed to Agency Discretion (5 U.S.C. § 701(a)(2)) -- 626-635
-
c)
Heckler v. Chaney (U.S. 1985) -- 626
Agency Inaction and Delay -- 635-642
-
Norton v. Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (U.S. 2004) -- 635
Classes 25-26 (November 20, 25):
3.
Standing of the Plaintiff to Sue -- 643-663
-
Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife (1992) -- 645
Massachusetts v. EPA (U.S. 2007) – 652
Problem -- 656
Ass’n of Data Processing Service Orgs. v. Camp (U.S.1970) -- 657
-
4.
National Credit Union Administration. v. First Nat’l Bank & Trust
(U.S. 1998) (MyWCL materials)
Timing of Judicial Review:
Jurisdiction
a.
Finality -- 663-675
-
b
-
FTC v. Standard Oil Co. of California (1980) -- 664
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies -- 670-681
-
c.
Finality, Ripeness, Exhaustion, Primary
Portela-Gonzalez v. Secretary of the Navy (1st Cir. 1997) -- 670
Ripeness -- 681-691
-
Abbott Laboratories v. Gardner (1967) -- 681
-
Gardner v. Toilet Goods (1967) -- 684
Problem -- 691
xii
d
Primary Jurisdiction -- 691-699
Farmers Insurance Exchange v. Superior Court (Cal. 1992) -- 691
Classes 27-28 (November 27, December 2):
VIII. Openness in Government
A.
Freedom of Information Act -- 477-493 and MyWCL materials
-
Chrysler Corp v. Brown (U.S. 1979) -- 488
B.
Government in the Sunshine Act -- 493-496 and MyWCL materials
C.
Federal Advisory Committee Act -- 497-499 and MyWCL materials
Conclusion & Review
xiii