Torts

Catalog description

Torts concerns the civil legal remedies for private, non-contractual harms. Under what circumstances must someone who harms another's person or property pay for the harm caused? The course focuses on the goals of the tort system (compensating injured parties, deterring harmful conduct, doing justice between the parties), the different categories of liability (negligence, intentional torts, strict liability), the problem of causation, and defenses. While the course concerns broad principles rather than specific torts, some time may be spent on the particular problems of defamation, medical malpractice, and products liability. Required first-year course for JD students; tested on the Bar Exam.