Donald Gjerdingen's Torts
Syllabus — Fall 2008
Week 1 — August 17
Introduction to Law School, Torts, and the Common Law
First Assignment
Class Policies
Things to Think about on the First Day of Law School
Syllabus
Handouts
Frolic & Detour
Week 2 — September 1
Common-Law Kitbag — Doing Things with Words
Intentional Torts — Intent, Battery, Assault, False Imprisonment
Syllabus
Handouts
Frolic & Detour
Week 3 — September 8
Intentional Torts — Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Torts to Property
Intentional Torts — Defenses — Consent, Insanity, Self-Defense, Defense of Property
Syllabus
Handouts
Resources
Frolic & Detour
Week 4 — September 15
Intentional Torts — Defenses — Recapture of Chattels, Public & Private Necessity
Common-Law Kitbag — Doing Things with Facts
Negligence — Introduction
Syllabus
Handouts
Resources
Frolic & Detour
Week 5 — September 22
Negligence — Standard of Care, Reasonable Person
Common-Law Kitbag — Giving Good Reasons
Syllabus
Handouts
Resources
Frolic & Detour
Week 6 — September 29
Negligence — Violation of Statute, Custom, Res Ipsa Loquitur
Syllabus
Frolic & Detour
Week 7 — October 6
Common-Law Kitbag — Doing Things with Cases
Negligence — Duty — Malfeasance, Nonfeasance, Acts of Others
Syllabus
Handouts
Frolic & Detour
Week 8 — October 13
Negligence — Duty — Premises Liability, Emotional Harm
Syllabus
Handouts
[Week of October 20 - No Class - Fall Break]
Week 9 — October 27
Negligence — Duty — Emotional Harm, Wrongful Birth, Economic Harm
Negligence — Causation — Traditional Causation, and Modern Issues
Syllabus
Handouts
Frolic & Detour
Week 10 — November 3
Negligence — Causation — Foreseeability
Tort Theory — Law & Economics
Tort Theory — Legal Education
Syllabus
Handouts
- Two Political Maps of Torts [PDF] [Word]
- Political Economy of Efficiency [PDF] [Word]
- Lessons of Law & Economics [PDF] [Word]
- Politics of Coase Theorem [PDF]
- Normative Aspects of the Coase Theorem (Draft) [PDF] [Word]
- The Psychology and Public Politics of Risk
- Handout #1 [PDF]
- Handout #2 [PDF]
- Handout #3 [PDF]
- The Future of Our Past [PDF] [Word]
- 6-Boxes Chart on Legal Thought [PDF]
- Political Questions, Langdell's Answers [PDF] [Word]
Frolic & Detour
Week 11 — November 10
Negligence — Defenses — Contributory Negligence, Assumption of Risk, Immunity
Syllabus
Week 12 — November 17
Strict Liability — Rylands v. Fletcher, Animals, Introduction to Products Liability
Tort Theory — Alternative Compensation Systems
Syllabus
Frolic & Detour
[End of Required Materials]
Week 13 — November 24 - Week of Thanksgiving Break
Damages, Insurance, and Settlement
Statutes of Limitations and Survival of Actions
Advanced Torts — Defamation, Nuisance, Invasion of Privacy, Misrepresentation
Syllabus
Handouts
- Torts — Extra Edition — Notes [PDF] [Word]
Week 14 — December 1
Review & Exam Taking Techniques
Schedule for Week 14 — November 26
Review and Exam-Taking
Monday - General Review of Course Material
Tuesday - Review of Past Exam and Student Answer
- Review Exam format (handout) [PDF] [Word]
- Review Exam format for LL.M. and Graduate Students (handout) [PDF] [Word]
- Review Fall 1999 exam (handout) [PDF] [Word]
- Review Fall 1999 Common-Law Kitbag case (handout) [PDF] [Word]
- Review student answer (handout) [PDF] [Word]
Wednesday - Common-Law KitBag Question
- Review Common-Law Kitbag Question from Fall 2002 Exam (handout) [PDF] [Word]
- Review sample student answers for Fall 2002 Exam (handout) [PDF] [Word]
- Review Common-Law Kitbag Question from Fall 2003 Exam [PDF] [Word]
- Review Common-Law Kitbag Case from Fall 2003 Exam (Biker v. Rancher handout) [PDF]
Thursday - The Last Day
- Review exam tips and procedures (handout) [PDF] [Word]
- Review first-page instructions for 2008 (handout) [PDF] [Word]
- Review abbreviations for final exam (handout) [Word]
Frolic & Detour
Indiana University Maurer School of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association
