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.
Important notices. Please read.
August 19
Reading: Dougherty v. Salt
Tutorial: Consideration 1
Case tutorial: Dougherty v. Salt
PowerPoint: Consideration Basics | Additional class hypotheticals |
Download consideration flow chart |
August 21
Reading: Schnell v. Nell
Case tutorial: Schnell v. Nell
Tutorial: Consideration 2
Reading: Linder v. Mid-Continent
PowerPoint: Nominal Consideration |
August 22
Reading: Wickham v. Farmers' Lumber
Case tutorial: Wickham v. Farmers' Lumber
August 26
Tutorial: Consideration 3
Reading: Wood v. Lucy Lady Duff-Gordon
Case tutorial: Wood v. Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon
PowerPoint: Illusory Promises | Hypotheticals |
Reading: Laclede Gas Co. v. Amoco
Case tutorial: Laclede Gas Co. v. Amoco
PowerPoint: UCC 2-306 and Laclede |
August 28
Tutorial: Consideration 4
Reading: De Cicco v. Schweizer
Case tutorial: De Cicco v. Schweizer
Reading: Lingenfelder v. Wainwright
Case tutorial: Lingenfelder v. Wainwright
PowerPoint: Preexisting duty rule |
August 29
Reading: Angel v. Murray
Case tutorial: Angel v. Murray
PowerPoint: Angel v. Murray |
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 |
September 2
Labor Day, no class
The material under September 2 is completely optional. This just a convenient place to put it.
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 |
Tutorials: Consideration 7
Reading: Webb v. McGowin
PowerPoint: Moral obligaton as consideration |
Reading: Hammer v. Sidway
Benefit Detriment PowerPoint |
September 4
Consideration Review |
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 5
PowerPoint: Ambiguity |
Tutorials: Interpretation 3,
Reading: Spaulding v. Morse
Case tutorial: Spaulding v. Morse
Hypothetical Intent Test PowerPoint |
September 9
Tutorials: Interpretation 4, Interpretation 5
Reading: Berwick and Smith v. Salem
PowerPoint: Trade usage and Restatement 201 |
PowerPoint: Review questions--consideration and intepretation |
Tutorials: Offer and Acceptance 1
Reading: Lefkowitz v. Minne. Surplus Store
Traditional offer and acceptance PowerPoint |
September 11
tutorial: Offer and Acceptance 3
Reading: Davis v. Jacoby, Klockner v. Green
Manner of Acceptance |
September 12
Mostly via the tutorials
tutorial: Offer and Acceptance 4
Reading: Petterson v. Pattberg
tutorial: Offer and Acceptance 5
Reading: Drennan v. Star Paving Co.
Revokabiity and irrevocability PowerPoint |
September 16
tutorial: Offer and Acceptance 6
Reading: Lewis v. Browning
Mailbox rule PowerPoint |
September 18
NO CLASS
September 19
Reading: Ardente v. Horan
Mirror image rule PowerPoint |
Tutorial: Offer and Acceptance 7
September 23
Reading: Poel v. Brunswick-Balke-Collender
Poel v. Brunswick-Balke-Collender |
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 |
September 25
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 |
September 26
Tutorial: Remedies 1
Reading: Hawkins v. McGee
Case tutorial: Hawkins v. McGee
PowerPoint: The expectation measure of damages |
Sample exam question |
September 30
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
October 2
Tutorials: Remedies 3
Remedies 4Reading: Hadley v. Baxendale
Case tutorial: Hadley v. Baxendale
Doctrinal Foreseeability PowerPoint |
October 3
No Class
October 7
Foreseeability: Information and control |
Foreseeability information and control PowerPoint |
Reading: EVRA v. Swiss Bank
Case tutorial: EVRA v. Swiss Bank
EVRA PowerPoint |
October 9
Reading: Rambola v. Cosindas
Tutorial: Remedies 5
Proof requirement PowerPoint |
Longer hypotheticals |
Ed and Sally |
Rimbaud |
October 10
Tutorials: Seller Breach I
UCC buyer's damages: examples |
UCC sections: 2-712, 2-713, 2-714
Reading: Neri v. Retail Marine
Tutorials: Buyer Breach I, Buyer Breach II
UCC seller's damages: examples |
OCtober 14
Reading: Security Stove v. American Railway Express
Case tutorial: Security Stove v. American Railway Express
October 19
Tutorial: Remedies 7
Tutorial: Remedies 8
Reading:Truck Rent-A-Center v. Puritan Farms
PowerPoint: Liquidated damages |
Extended hypothetical |
Tutorial: Remedies 12
Reading: Laclede v. Amoco
Specific performance PowerPoint |
Laclede v. Amoco PowerPoint |
October 23
Reading: Peevyhouse v. Garland Goal
tutorials: Remedies 9, Remedies 10, Remedies 11
Peevyhouse v. Garland Coal PowerPoint |
Ways of measuring value |
Reading: Osteen v. Johnson
Case tutorial: Osteen v. Johnson
tutorials: Remedies 13, Remedies 14, Remedies 15
Restitution PowerPoint |
October 25
Material Breach
Tutorial: Remedies 16
Reading: K & G Construction v. Harris>
K and G construction PowerPoint |
Review Questions PowerPoint |
October 26
Reading: Walker & Co. v. Harrison
Walker and Co. v. Harrison PowerPoint |
Tutorial: Remedies 17,
Rescission PowerPoint |
October 30
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 |
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 |
November 6
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 |
November 8
Reading: Griffith v. Brymer
Mutual Mistake, Griffith v. Brymer |
November 9
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 |
November 13
This material is left mostly to the tutorials
Tutorial: Excuse 9, Duress
Tutorial: Excuse 10, Unconscionability
Reading: Henningsen v. Bloomfield Motors
Unconscionability PowerPoint |
Unconscionability hypos |
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 15
Complete integration and scope PowerPoint |
Sowle shoes |
Cirque du Sowle review |
Tutorials: Parol Evidence 2, Parol Evidence 3
Reading: Lee v. Seagram & Sons
November 16_
tutorial: Parol Evidence 4
Review |
2014 exam (the essay questions at the end |
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 20
Review no reading
Exam | Answer Key | |
2018 | Exam | Answer key |
2017 | Exam | Answer key |
2016 | Exam | Answer key |
2008 | 2015 |
2020 Exam |
Answer key |
2021 exam |
Answer key |
2022 |
2022 Answer key |
PowerPoint: 2023 Review |