Updated 11/21/16

Law 580: Torts

Section 2
Jessica Litman

Monday-Wednesday-Thursday
10:20 a.m. - 11.35 a.m.
1020 South Hall

Revised Syllabus

This syllabus will change as we get behind, get ahead, or go off on interesting tangents. Please check it regularly.

Casebook:
John C.P. Goldberg, Anthony J. Sebok, Benjamin C. Zipursky, TORT LAW: RESPONSIBILITIES AND REDRESS (4th Edition 2016)

 

Weekly Assignments:

  • August 29, 31, & September 1:
  • September 7, 8:
  • No class on Labor Day, Monday September 5
    • Casebook pages 47-89
  • September 12, 14, 15:
    • Casebook pages 90-140, 143-55
  • September 19, 21, 22
    • Casebook pages 155-206
  • September 26, 28, 29:
  • October 5, 6, 7:
    • CLASSES CANCELLED
  • October 10, 13:
      (No class on Yom Kippur, Wednesday October 12. Class will be made up on Friday October 21 from 2:05 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. in room 138 Hutchins Hall)
    • Casebook pages 252-288
    • Oral Argument # 2 On Thursday, October 13. Please upload your opinions before 5:00 pm.
  • October 19, 20, 21:
      (No class on Monday October 17 because of fall recess. Make-up class on Friday, October 21 at 2:05 pm in room 138 Hutchins Hall)
    • Casebook pages 288-305, 309-381
  • October 24, 26, 27:
  • October 31 & November 2, 3, 4:
      (Makeup class on Friday, November 4, from 12:35 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. in 1020 SH)
    • Casebook pages 601-693
    • Oral Argument #4 on Thursday November 3
  • November 7, 9:
      (No class on Thursday, November 10.)
    • Casebook pages 695-747
  • November 14, 15, 16, 17:
      Makeup class on Tuesday November 15 from 4:00 to 5:15 pm in 1020 SH
    • Casebook pages 822-851, 873-891, 893-95
    • Oral Argument #5 on Thursday, November 17
  • November 21, 22, 23:
      Makeup class on Tuesday November 22 from 6:25 to 7:40 pm in SH 1020
    • Casebook pages 905-48
  • November 28, 30 & December 1
    • Casebook pages 948-983
    • Oral Argument #6 on Wednesday, November 30
    • Bring your laptops to class on Wednesday, November 30 to complete teaching evaluations

Learning outcomes:

  • Over the course of the semester, you should expect to become familiar with many of the legal doctrines that inform the law of torts. In addition, you should expect to gain skill in careful reading of judicial opinions, crafting and responding to legal arguments (both orally and in writing), analyzing fact patterns, and assessing the policies that underlie different aspects of the tort law system.

 

Grading:

  • The final examination in this course is scheduled for the afternoon of Monday, December 12, 2015, at 1:00 p.m. It will be a four-hour exam, during which you will be permitted to consult your casebook, hard copies of your class notes and a course outline written by you, and a dictionary of the English language. Blocking software will prevent you from consulting any files on your computer. Your score on the exam will constitute the major portion of your grade.
  • The class will be divided into six teams for the semester, and will be asked to perform several assignments as teams. Those assignments will be graded. Your team’s overall grade for the semester will be added to your exam score.
  • In addition, I reserve (but may not exercise) the option to raise a small number of students’ grades for exceptional class performance or to lower students’ grades for poor attendance.

Other class policies:

  • The American Bar Association requires all law schools to enforce a policy requiring regular attendance. Please sit in the seats you signed up for on the seating chart. I will be using the seating chart to keep track of attendance.
  • No laptop use is permitted during class.
  • It is the policy and desire of the Law School to provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Students who may require some type of accommodation should speak with Dean Baum in the Office of Student Life.

 

Send me an email message: jdlitman -at- umich.edu.