Torts (LAW-522-002)
Carle
Meets: 01:30 PM - 03:20 PM (TTH) - Room 402
Enrolled: 81 / Limit: 90
Notices
There are no notices at this time.
Description
Welcome to the Washington College of Law and the study of tort law. Tort law involves, loosely speaking, the study of the legal rules that apply to the grant of compensation for violations of protected rights. As such, the basic principles of tort law provide the underpinnings for legal doctrines in many areas of law you will study during your law student careers, including not only personal injury, but also civil rights, anti-discrimination and employment, international human rights, business, and much more. Torts cases contain many interesting elements: narrative drama; discussions of human morality, guilt and innocence; blood, guts, and pain; public policy; unintended consequences; and change, flux, and contradiction.
Tort law has a rich history. Its development coincides with the development of U.S. law generally, starting with a system based primarily in English common law and evolving to a vastly complex and interdependent network of statutes, administrative regulation, and private contracts, with some remaining pockets of common law. Tort law is thus a key first-year subject, because it teaches lessons about how our legal system works far broader than those embedded in its substantive subject matter alone.
Even with respect to its specific subject matter, tort law covers a vast array of practice areas and substantive fields, including medicine, products liability, constitutional and criminal law, commercial law, transportation, and civil rights and employment law (two other areas in which I teach). It has also been the focus of many important theoretical debates about law. It today incorporates such perspectives as legal realism, critical theory and critical race studies, feminist legal theory, and law and economics -- perspectives I hope to offer a taste of in class and welcome exploring further with you during office hours.
Textbooks and Other Materials
The textbook information on this page was provided by the instructor. Students should use this information when considering purchases from the AU Campus Store or other vendors. Students may check to determine if books are currently available for purchase online.
A. Required
Richard Epstein, et al.
Cases and Materials on Torts
9th ed.
Wolters Kluwer Pub.
ISBN 13: 978-0-7355-6923-2
B. Recommended
Kenneth S. Abraham
The Forms and Functions of Tort Law
3d ed.
Foundation Press
ISBN: 978-1-59941-200-9
Note: It is important that you buy the correct B current B editions of these books.
First Class Readings
Class One – Introduction Reading Assignment, Casebook pp. 3-10; 14-22 (15)
Focus:
- Vosburg v. Putney
- Intel Corp v. Hamidi
Syllabus
Use your MyAU username and password to access the syllabus in the following format(s):
Adobe Acrobat (PDF)