Georgetown University Law Center

About: Georgetown University Law Center is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Supreme court & Global health. The organization has 585 authors who have published 2488 publications receiving 36650 citations. The organization is also known as: Georgetown Law & GULC.

Under Fire: The New Consensus on the Second Amendment

Abstract: This article first rebuts charges made in Gun Crazy, an article which asserts that the near-unanimous consensus supporting the individual rights view of the Second Amendment among historians and legal scholars is the result of a sinister concerted effort by pro-gun professors and fellow travelers. Compelling textual, structural, historical, and criminological evidence supports the new consensus. The article then examines the merits of the interpretation proffered by opponents of an individual right to keep and bear arms: the militia-centric conception of the Second Amendment. Textual, historical, and structural considerations all argue against such an interpretation. Finally, the issue that is really motivating those who reject an individual rights interpretation in favor of a militia-centric conception of the Second Amendment is identified: the allegedly adverse effect of gun ownership on public safety.

Filling the Gap: How Technology Enables Access to Finance for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Abstract: Traditional financial services are rapidly being reformed by technology. Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for more than one-half of the world’s GDP and employ two-thirds of the global workforce, however a key barrier to growth faced by SMEs around the globe is access to financing. This is not a new issue, as the onerous information, administration, and collateral requirements associated with traditional loans have inhibited SMEs from seeking or securing financing. The 2008 financial crisis only exacerbated the problem, as many local retail banks (often the primary providers of SME financing) closed their doors and the appetite for taking on high-risk SME loans was quelled. Online business lending may be stepping in to fill this gap by resolving many of the barriers associated with traditional SME financing. This paper analyzes data from PayPal Inc., a company best known for its global online payment system, and from Kiva, a crowdsourcing platform. PayPal Working Capital launched in late 2013; it is a product that enables SMEs to apply for and obtain short-term credit. Our objective is to understand how technology is impacting SMEs’ ability to access financing. Our findings suggest the following: (i) online business loans have stepped in to fill the SME funding gap left in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis; (ii) young and minority-owned businesses with low and moderate income benefit particularly from online business loans; and (iii) online business loans can boost the growth of SMEs in under-served counties. Based on increased sales of businesses that have received PPWC loans, we estimate that programs like this have the potential to boost economic activity considerably.

Sovereign Wealth Funds: Trustworthy Investors or Vehicles of Strategic Ambition?

Abstract: Sovereign wealth funds, the investment arms of foreign governments, are challenging the U.S.'s traditional notions of free enterprise and its commitment to open markets. In this paper, I attempt to discern the facts from the hype and assess whether there is due cause for the U.S. to take affirmative steps to better protect its interests. As investors in U.S. companies, sovereign wealth funds offer a number of benefits. The size of their available funds and their ability withstand short-term volatility help promote economic growth and job production in the U.S., not to mention offer U.S. companies and investors access to emerging markets and economic stability. As their record reveals, the concerns associated with sovereign wealth funds, including corruption and strategically-motivated investments are, to-date, only hypothetical. Nonetheless, the risks raised by the funds are significant, and safeguards to prevent them from becoming reality may be in order. In determining whether and to what extent to regulate sovereign wealth funds, the U.S. must avoid over-restricting the funds' participation in U.S. markets. Instead, the U.S. should consider narrowly-tailored options, such as disclosure of voting records or the use of external asset managers, to address the specific risks associated with sovereign wealth funds.

Predictors of Mental Health Court Graduation

Abstract: Mental health courts (MHCs), nontraditional problem-solving courts designed to address underlying causes of offending rather than apportion guilt and punishment, have been reported to reduce offending among persons with mental illness and consequently have been spreading. Graduation from a MHC has been found to be a major predictor of reduced recidivism; yet few studies have examined factors affecting MHC graduation. This study examines what participants brought to MHC, their processing in MHC, and their behaviors during MHC. It found that noncompliant participant behaviors during MHC had the strongest impact on graduation, increasing the odds of failure to graduate and reducing, if not eliminating, the direct effects on completion of the risk factors participants brought into court.