Seminar in Tort Reform

This seminar examines the rival philosophies and goals informing modern tort law, from deterrence to corrective justice to compensation. After four weeks, we will select our areas of focus based on student interest. But we will cover recent reform efforts. These include efforts to reform the current procedural and substantive law governing medical liability, contingency fees, class actions, joint and several liability, non-economic and punitive damages, and product liability. They also include efforts to immunize from liability discrete groups, e.g., volunteers and vaccine producers.

Students are expected to complete a research paper and to make an oral presentation concerning the topic they have researched. Grades are based on the paper, the oral presentation and class participation generally. No exam.