Advanced Contracts Seminar

Catalog description

Though this seminar is titled “Advanced Contracts”, a better name would be “Deeper into Contracts.” In this course we will revisit some of the contracts topics studied in the basic course, but from different perspectives and with more depth. Your first year contracts casebook and statutory supplement will be two of the required texts. In the basic contracts course, you grazed over the field, nibbling here and there among different topics, reading a case or two on each one, learning some black letter rules and then moved on to the next topic. In contrast, we will pursue certain areas in more detail, looking at the philosophy behind the rules and trying to apply them in a broader way. We will examine some new topics, which are not covered in the basic course, such as third party beneficiaries and warranties, and will look at some current situations and cases. We will begin re-examining remedies, that is, contract damages, then move on to concepts of good faith, impracticability and excuse, warranties, § 2-207 of the Uniform Commercial Code and we’ll do a drafting exercise. The course has a paper requirement, which will count for 85 percent of your final grade and class participation for 15% of your grade. The paper can be a maximum of twenty-five pages. Footnotes must be in Bluebook form, and the format of the paper is similar to a law review note. The paper will satisfy the upper level writing requirement. This course may fulfill a requirement for one of the certificate programs if the paper is written in the same area of specialization as the certificate you seek, and the certificate advisor approves.