1L - First Year Lesson Topics

This lesson explains the concept of excuse of performance by referring to K & G Construction Co. v. Harris. The author discusses factors that are taken into consideration when determining whether a breach was substantial and illustrates them in analysis of Walker & Co. v. Harrison. The next section covers interference as a basis for excuse, followed by a discussion about damages in excuse of performance cases. This lesson ends with a number of review questions to help you better understand the concept.

In this lesson the concept of foreseeability is illustrated by studying Hadley v. Baxendale. The author explains the meaning of the term "reasonably foreseeable" and presents multiple examples. The lesson ends with a several review questions on this subject.

This lesson gives the student familiarity with contributory negligence, a defense to a negligence claim, and also with last clear chance, a "defense" to the defense. While these doctrines today are on the wane, students should be generally familiar with them for a full understanding of negligence and comparative negligence.

This lesson explores the cause of action of conversion as a means of compensation for intentional interferences with personal property. It will examine the several components of interest, invasion, conduct and remedy as the conceptual vehicles for study. Each section of the lesson will focus on one of these components, present the theory, and then give the student an opportunity to apply the theory or explore some of its ramifications. The lesson is designed to be comprehensive enough to be assigned without supporting textual assignment or classroom attention to the subject.

This lesson gives the basics of copyright and trademark research, including historical background, statutes, regulations, cases, secondary sources, international materials, and current awareness tools.

This lesson explores the issue of whether, in computing the expectation remedy, the court will award the cost of completion or the diminution in value. The lesson can be run either as an introduction to this aspect of damages or as a review after you have completed your study.

We are all aware of the perils of poor electronic legal research skills. And, we have all heard of ways the misuse of electronic legal resources has challenged those engaged in legal practice. Though Westlaw® and Lexis® provide us with sophisticated functionality that can ease the pain of legal research, these systems do not necessarily provide the most cost efficient means of conducting research. You may think that using them makes better use of your time, which necessarily results in savings to your clients, but remember, you will bill for the time you invest in electronic researching, in addition to the cost of the research, and if you have not developed a strategy to search effectively, you may incur increased research costs and additional man hours.

This lesson is designed to teach a student about the various types of covenants of title in deeds and the different types of deeds arising from the covenants they contain. Students who are unfamiliar with real covenants are advised to review the CALI lessons related to real covenants before trying this lesson.

This tutorial is the first in a series of interactive tutorials written to assist the beginning student with a basic introduction to analyzing real covenants, equitable servitudes and similar use restrictions applied to real property. Once the student successfully completes the current lesson, he or she may later use the series of questions throughout this lesson as a preliminary review for a final examination.

This is the second in a series of lessons. To get the maximum benefit students should first complete the lesson on Covenants and Equitable Servitudes: Creation.

This is the third in a series of lessons. To get the maximum benefit students should complete the following lessons in order: Covenants, Equitable Servitudes and Restrictions: Creation and Covenants, Equitable Servitudes and Restrictions: Determining Their Validity and Scope.