Property

Catalog description

Property explores the institutions of American property law, with a focus on real property. Particular attention is given to the system of 'estates in land,' which concerns the ways in which ownership of real property may be divided over time. (Landlord-tenant law is one example of this sort of division.) The course also considers how the legal system resolves disputes among co-owners of land. Finally, the course examines how property law minimizes conflicts between neighbors by limiting the uses to which an owner can put property; these limits include common-law tort liability (nuisance law), private agreements (easements and covenants), and government regulation (takings and zoning law). Required first-year course for JD students; tested on the Bar Exam.