WCL/AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
FALL SEMESTER, 2006
OFFICE-ROOM 409
TEL. 202 274-4164
CASEBBOOK REQUIRED:
CONTRACTS
PROF. NANCY ABRAMOWITZ
nabramowitz@wcl.american.edu
SECTION 2A
Dawson, Harvey & Henderson, CONTRACTS Cases and
Comment (8TH ed., 2003, Foundation Press)(“DHH”) and
DHH UCC soft covered Appendix.
SUGGESTED SUPPLEMENTARY READING: Chirelstein, Concept and Case Analysis
in the Law of Contracts(4th ed., 2001, Foundation Press).
Chirelstein is available on reserve in the library.
NOTE:
CLASS POLICIES:
ALL READING ASSIGNED FOR A PARTICULAR DATE
IS REQUIRED TO BE READ PRIOR TO CLASS ON
THAT DATE!
There will be a final examination1 in this course. Final
grades are based on the examination. In addition, class
participation may, in the discretion of the professor, be
considered to increase a final grade above the exam
grade.
No internet surfing, email, IMing, etc. in the classroom.
CLASSROOM SEATING:
On the second day of class, please select a seat
you like. It will be yours for the semester. We will
complete a seating chart at that time.
CLASS ATTENDANCE:
Attendance at each class is expected.
CLASS PARTICIPATION:
Come to class prepared to participate. Students may
be called upon randomly.
OFFICE HOURS:
Will be posted on the door of my office. In addition,
I am available by appointment. Subject to room
availability, I generally try to be available in the
classroom 15-20 minutes before
class time.
The final examination is ‘limited open book format” (casebook, supplement, self-generated notes). All
final examinations are to be handwritten. No computers permitted in the exam room.
1
Class #
Day
Date
Assignment
1
Mon
8/21 DHH/ 188-189; 1-22
Introduction to Contracts/Damages
(Hawkins v. McGee; Sullivan v. O’Connor; Groves v Wunder)
2
Wed
8/23 DHH 25-56
Expectation Damages & Limitations
(Acme Mills; Lauren v DeCarolis; Louise Caroline Nursing
Home; Luten Bridge; Parker v 20th Century Fox)
3
Mon
8/28 DHH 56-87
Expectation Damages and Limitations Cont.
(Missouri Furn v Cochran; Reliance cooperage v Treat; Neri v
Retail Marine; Hadley v Baxendale; Valentine v Gen Ame;
Freund v Wash Sq.)
4
Wed
8/30 DHH 87-115
Reliance and Restitution Alternatives
(Chicago Coliseum v Dempsey; Boone v Coe; US v Algernon
Blair)
5
Wed
6
Mon
9/11 DHH 144-175
Liquidated Damages Cont.
(Fretwell; Van Wagoner; Curtice v Catts; Laclade v Amoco)
7
Wed
9/13 DHH 176-187
Finish Chapter and Chapter Review
(ABC v Wolf; No. Del. Ind. v Bliss; City Sotres v Ammerman)
8
Mon
9/18 DHH 189-219 GROUNDS FOR CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT
Formality; Consideration
(Congregation Kadimah v De Leo; Contracts under Seal; Hamer
v Sidway; Earle v Angell; Whitten v Greeley Shaw; Fisher v
Union Trust; Simmons v US; Batsakis; Embola)
9
Wed
9/20 DHH 219-247
Consideration Cont.
(Mil. College; Martin v Little Brown & Co; 3 short casenotes at
226-8; Mills v Wyman; Webb v McGowin; Kirksey v Kirksey)
9/6 DHH 115-144
Reliance and Restitution Cont.
Intro to Liquidated Damages
(Britton v Turner; Pinches v Swedish Evan. Church; Vines v
Orchard)
10
Mon
9/25 DHH 247-285
Consideration; Reliance
(Allegheny College; Geremia; Seavey v Drake; 2 Sears cases;
Goodman v Dicker)
11
Wed
9/27 DHH 286-313 Consideration; Preexisting Duty; Illusory promises
(Levine v Blumenthal; cases at 292-93; Obering v Swain-Roach
Lumber; Wood v Lucy; Lady Duff Gordon; Omni Goup; Feld v
Henry Levy)
12
Wed.
10/4 DHH 313-333
13
Mon.
10/9 DHH 334-363
Mutual Assent
(McDonald; Moulton v Kershaw; martin Deli v Schumacher;
Empro Mfg; Wheeler v White; Raffles v Wichelhaus)
14
Wed.
10/11 DHH 363-390
15
Mon.
10/16 DHH 390-415
16
Wed.
10/18 DHH 415-448
Concluding a Bargain; Acceptance
(Livinstone v Evans; Idaho Power; Pro CD; Morrison v Thoelke;
Morone v Morone)
17
Mon.
10/23 DHH 448-456; 456-472; 477-482; 484-488; 490-495; 497-499
Acceptance Cont.
Effects of a Writing; Parol Evidence
(Mitchell v Lath; Hatley v Stafford; L.I. Trust; Lipsit v Leonard;
LaFazia, Hoffman v Chapman)
18
Wed.
10/25 DHH 504-510; Handout; 514-538
Review Chapter 2
MAKING AGREEMENTS
Mutual Assent
(Teddy’s Frosed Foods; Embry v Hargadine-McKittrick; Kabil
Devel.)
Control over Contract Formation
(offers; unilateral v bilareral)
(Klick-Lewis; allied Steel v Ford; Davis v Jacoby; Peterson v
Patburg; Brackenbury v Hodgkin)
Precontractual Obligation
(options; promissory estoppel)
(Thomason v Bescher; Baird v Gimbel; Brennan v Star Paving;
Hoffman v Red Owl)
Parol Evid Cont.
Standard Forms, Policy
(Mundy; Henngsen; Richards; Abortion Serv of Phoenix)
19
Mon.
10/30 DHH 542-573
POLICING THE BARGAIN
Review Ch 3
Competency; Revisions
(Halbman; Odorizzi; Loral; Alaska Pkers)
20
Wed.
11/1 DHH 573-605
21
Mon
11/6 DHH 606-621; 628-646
Mistake Cont.
(Sherwood v Walker; Elsinore Sch Dist; Tribe; Hinson; Johnson;
Cushman)
22
Wed
11/8 DHH 646-688
Justifying Nonperformance (Impossibility, etc)
(Taylor v Caldwell; Tompkins; Carroll v Bowersock; Kel Kim;
Bungee; Am Trading & Prod; Kress v Henry; Lloyd v Murphy;
Chase Precast)
23
Mon
11/13 DHH 688-713
24
Wed
11/15 DHH 713-752
25
Mon
11/20 DHH 753-777
Conditions Cont.; Conditions of Satisfaction
(Clark v West; Inman v Clyde Hall Drill; Aetna v Murphy;
Grenier; Nolan v Whitney; Furschmidt v Hotel Abbey)
26
Wed
11/22 DHH 768-815
Constructive Conditions
27
Mon
11/27 DHH 815-846
Protecting the Exchange at Breach
28
Wed
11/29 DHH 846-868
Revisions Cont.; Mistake, Misrepresentation,
Omission
(Univ Bldrs; Hackley; Marton Remodeling; Denney; Jackson v
Seymour)
Unconscionability
Review Chapter 4
(Woolums; Waters; Williams v Walker Thomas; Brower v
Gateway 2000; Gianni Sport)
MATURING AND BREACH
OF CONTRACT DUTIES
Express Conditions
(Howard v Fed Crop Ins; Gray v Gardner; Parsons; Mascioni;
Royal-Globe; Gilbert v Globe; Porter v Harrington)
Protecting the Exchange at Breach Cont.
Review Chapter 5
rd
Brief Discussion 3 Party Beneficiaries/Assignment/Delegation