This website is the syllabus.
Learning outcomes: To acquire a detailed knowledge of the black letter law of contracts and the ability to use that knowledge in problem-solving analytical reasoning.
August 23
Reading: Dougherty v. Salt
Tutorial: Consideration 1
Case tutorial: Dougherty v. Salt
| PowerPoint: Consideration Basics | Additional class hypotheticals |
| Voice over PowerPoint: consideration flow chart | Download consideration flow chart |
August 25
Reading: Schnell v. Nell
Case tutorial: Schnell v. Nell
Tutorial: Consideration 2
Reading: Linder v. Mid-Continent
| PowerPoint: Nominal Consideration |
August 26
Reading:In Re Zappos
Case tutorial: In re Zappos
Reading: Wickham v. Farmers' Lumber
Case tutorial: Wickham v. Farmers' Lumber
Tutorial: Consideration 3
Reading: Wood v. Lucy Lady Duff-Gordon
Case tutorial: Wood v. Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon
| PowerPoint: Illusory Promises | Hypotheticals |
August 30
Reading: Laclede Gas Co. v. Amoco
Case tutorial: Laclede Gas Co. v. Amoco
| PowerPoint: UCC 2-306 and Laclede |
Tutorial: Consideration 4
September 1
Reading: De Cicco v. Schweizer
Case tutorial: De Cicco v. Schweizer
Reading: Lingenfelder v. Wainwright
Case tutorial: Lingenfelder v. Wainwright
| PowerPoint: Preexisting duty rule |
September 2
Reading: Angel v. Murray
Case tutorial: Angel v. Murray
| PowerPoint: Angel v. Murray |
September 6
With the exception of some brief comments, I will leave this topic mostly to the tutorials.
Tutorial: Consideration 5
Reading: Springstead v. Nees
Case tutorial: Springstead v. Nees
Reading: Mullen v. Hawkins
| Flowchart: Giving up a claim |
| Flowchart: Debt settlement |
| PowerPoint: Debts and claims |
tutorial: Consideration 6
Reading: Central London Property Trust v. High Trees House
Case tutorial: Central London Property Trust v. High Trees House
| PowerPoint: Promissory Estoppel |
Tutorials: Consideration 7
Reading: Webb v. McGowin
| PowerPoint: Moral obligaton as consideration |
September 8
Reading: Hammer v. Sidway
| Benefit Detriment PowerPoint |
Reading: Embry v. Hargardine-McKittrick
Case tutorial: Embry v. Hargardine-McKittrick
September 9
Reading: Embry v. Hargardine-McKittrick
Case tutorial: Embry v. Hargardine-McKittrick
tutorials: Interpretation 1, Interpretation 2
| Download interpretation flow chart |
| Objective Intent Test PowerPoint | Power to the People Hypothetical |
September 13
| PowerPoint: Ambiguity |
Tutorials: Interpretation 3,
Reading: Spaulding v. Morse
Case tutorial: Spaulding v. Morse
| Hypothetical Intent Test PowerPoint |
September 15
Tutorials: Interpretation 4, Interpretation 5
Reading: Berwick and Smith v. Salem
| PowerPoint: Trade usage and Restatement 201 |
| PowerPoint: Review questions--consideration and intepretation |
September 16
Tutorial: Remedies 1
Reading: Hawkins v. McGee
Case tutorial: Hawkins v. McGee
| PowerPoint: The expectation measure of damages |
| Sample exam question |
September 20
Reading:Rockingham Cty. v. Luten Bridge
Case tutorial: Rockingham Cty. v. Luten Bridge
Tutorials: Remedies 2
| Mitigation PowerPoint |
| Longer hypothetical |
| Sowlefully yours |
Hawkins, Tony, Luten Bridge PowerPoint
September 22
Tutorials: Remedies 3
Remedies 4Reading: Hadley v. Baxendale
Case tutorial: Hadley v. Baxendale
| Doctrinal Foreseeability PowerPoint |
September 23
| Foreseeability: Information and control |
| Foreseeability information and control PowerPoint |
September 27
Reading: EVRA v. Swiss Bank
Case tutorial: EVRA v. Swiss Bank
| EVRA PowerPoint |
Reading: Rambola v. Cosindas
Tutorial: Remedies 5
| Proof requirement PowerPoint |
| Longer hypotheticals |
| Ed and Sally |
| Rimbaud |
September 29
Tutorials: Seller Breach I
| UCC buyer's damages: examples |
UCC sections: 2-712, 2-713, 2-714
September 30
Reading: Neri v. Retail Marine
Tutorials: Buyer Breach I, Buyer Breach II
| UCC seller's damages: examples |
October 4
Reading: Security Stove v. American Railway Express
Case tutorial: Security Stove v. American Railway Express
October 6
Tutorial: Remedies 7
Tutorial: Remedies 8
Reading:Truck Rent-A-Center v. Puritan Farms
| PowerPoint: Liquidated damages |
| Extended hypothetical |
October 7
Tutorial: Remedies 12
Reading: Laclede v. Amoco
| Specific performance PowerPoint |
| Laclede v. Amoco PowerPoint |
October 11
Reading: Peevyhouse v. Garland Goal
tutorials: Remedies 9, Remedies 10, Remedies 11
| Peevyhouse v. Garland Coal PowerPoint |
| Ways of measuring value |
October 13--no class
October 14--no class
October 18
Reading: Osteen v. Johnson
Case tutorial: Osteen v. Johnson
tutorials: Remedies 13, Remedies 14, Remedies 15
| Restitution PowerPoint |
October 20
Material Breach
Tutorial: Remedies 16
Reading: K & G Construction v. Harris
| K and G construction PowerPoint |
| Review Questions PowerPoint |
October 21
Reading: Walker & Co. v. Harrison
| Walker and Co. v. Harrison PowerPoint |
Tutorial: Remedies 17,
| Rescission PowerPoint |
| Cure PowerPoint |
Reading: UCC 2-508, UCC 2-601, UCC 2-612
A 2-508 example: 2015 exam and answer key
| 2015 exam | 2015 exam answer key |
October 25
Reading: Hochster v. De La Tour
| Hochster v. De La Tour PowerPoint |
Tutorial: Excuse 2
Reading: Hathaway v. Sabin
Reading: UCC 2-609
| Sowle Brill virus hypothetical |
| Sowle Brill snowstorm hypothetical |
| Hathaway v. Sabin and UCC 2-609 PowerPoint |
October 27
Reading: Taylor v. Caldwell
Reading: Transatlantic Financing v. U. S.
Reading: Krell v. Henry
| Taylor v. Caldwell PowerPoint |
| Impracticability and frustration PowerPoint |
| Impracticability and Frustration: Information and Control |
October 28
Reading: Griffith v. Brymer
| Mutual Mistake, Griffith v. Brymer |
November 1
Reading: Sherwood v. Walker, Wood v. Boynton
| Sherwood v. Walker, Wood v. Boynton PowerPoint |
tutorial: Excuse 8
Reading: Elsinore Union School District v. Kastoroff
| Unilateral mistake PowerPoint |
Tutorial: Excuse 9, Duress
Tutorial: Excuse 10, Unconscionability
Reading: Henningsen v. Bloomfield Motors
| Unconscionability PowerPoint |
| Unconscionability hypos |
November 3
Tutorials: Offer and Acceptance 1
Reading: Lefkowitz v. Minne. Surplus Store
| Traditional offer and acceptance PowerPoint |
tutorial: Offer and Acceptance 3
Reading: Davis v. Jacoby, Klockner v. Green
| Manner of Acceptance |
November 4
Mostly via the tutorials
No reading
tutorial: Offer and Acceptance 4
Reading: Petterson v. Pattberg
tutorial: Offer and Acceptance 5
Reading: Drennan v. Star Paving Co.
| Revokabiity and irrevocability PowerPoint |
November 8
tutorial: Offer and Acceptance 6
Reading: Lewis v. Browning
| Mailbox rule PowerPoint |
Reading: Ardente v. Horan
| Mirror image rule PowerPoint |
Tutorial: Offer and Acceptance 7
Reading: Poel v. Brunswick-Balke-Collender
| Poel v. Brunswick-Balke-Collender |
November 10
Reading:UCC 2-207
Tutorial: UCC 2-207
| UCC 2-207 PowerPoint |
| Sowle and Santana hypothetical |
Tutorial: Offer and Acceptance 8
| Silence as Acceptance PowerPoint |
November 11
Reading: Hoffman v. Red Owl Stores
tutorial: Offer and Acceptance 9
| Promissory estoppel as a cause of action PowerPoint |
| Review: 4 PowerPoint |
| Review: the 2014 exam |
November 15
Reading: Notes on the Statute of Frauds
| Review: 4 PowerPoint |
Reading: Mitchill v. Lath, UCC 2-202
tutorial: Parol Evidence 1
| Basic Parol Evidence Rule PowerPoint |
| Review |
November 17
| Complete integration and scope PowerPoint |
| Sowle shoes |
| Cirque du Sowle review |
Tutorials: Parol Evidence 2, Parol Evidence 3
Reading: Lee v. Seagram & Sons
November 18
tutorial: Parol Evidence 4
| Review |
| 2014 exam (the essay questions at the end |
November 22
| Using parol evidence to interpret written agreements: PowerPoint |
tutorial: Parol Evidence 6
Reading: Dannan Realty v. Harris
Tutorials only
tutorial: Parol Evidence 5
| Dannan Realty v. Harris PowerPoint |
| 2011 exam for review |
November 29
Review no reading
| Exam | Answer Key | |
| 2018 | Exam | Answer key |
| 2017 | Exam | Answer key |
| 2016 | Exam | Answer key |
Answer keys
| 2008 | 2015 |
Sample answer
| 2009 exam | 2009 sample answer |
| Overview of possible exam topics |
| PowerPoint: 2021 Review |
| 2020 Exam |