Details

This course provides an introduction to the way that American society deals with injuries through the legal system. It focuses on established doctrines of tort liability, including intentional torts, negligence and strict liability, and theories currently at the judicial frontier. Another major subject of concern is defenses based on the plaintiff's conduct. The course also seeks, in an introductory way, to set tort remedies in a broader perspective that includes compensation legislation and safety regulation. Among other things, the course provides an introduction to basic techniques of legal analysis, and constantly frames tort cases in the context of modern civil procedure. As its predecessor courses did, it describes the effect of modern socioeconomic concepts on the development of tort law and the operation microeconomic theory to legal issues, as well as a consideration of moral aspects of the law of injuries. Method of evaluation: Exam; excellent class participation count; frequent absence may count negatively. Final examination. Class participation will be considered positively in determining the fall grade. Enrollment in Section 10 of this course is limited to students in the Accelerated JD Program.